SNV Balkans has been awarded a $1.47 million UNIFEM Fund for Gender Equality grant for a three-year programme to advance gender equality and women’s rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Undergoing stiff competition from 1,239 applications in 127 countries, the joint proposal of SNV and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Gender Centre emerged as one of thirteen ‘exceptional, promising and innovative programmes from around the globe to receive support’ (UNIFEM Fund for Gender Equality). Šemsa Alić, SNV Country Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that this was an exciting opportunity that re-affirmed SNV’s strengths in capacity building for governments, businesses and civil society organisations in the region. ‘We are proud and excited to be given this opportunity to implement such a progressive idea as empowerment of women at local level in BiH, ‘ she said. ‘It is a mark of the high level of professionalism of our team and good partnerships with national and local stakeholders in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This programme has been designed following the core principles SNV attaches worldwide to its activities including gender equality, and especially the promotion of income earning opportunities for women.’ More than USD27.5 million was announced by The Fund for Gender Equality to support national laws and policies advancing gender equality in 13 countries. Announcing the award to SNV, Petra Burcikova UNIFEM Programme Specialist said that UNIFEM was ‘honoured to support this important work’. ‘Your proposal underwent a rigorous and competitive review process and emerged as one of thirteen exceptional, promising and innovative programmes from around the globe to receive support,’ she said. The award will develop a highly coordinated framework to put into action gender-based needs assessments and secure the implementation of the national Women’s Empowerment Action Plan in 10 rural and urban municipalities. The programme will increase the number of Municipal Gender Commissioners equipped to “engender” municipal policies and operating procedures and hold Multi-Stakeholder Platforms, composed of representatives from public, business and civil society sectors in each municipality. It will also establish an effective coordination mechanism for more than 25,000 women (including Roma, displaced and young women) to participate in the audit of existing legislation and in the subsequent formulation of local policies to enhance women’s political and economic rights in areas such as land use, transportation planning, gender-responsive budgeting and provisions for physical security. ’These grants are an important step to address what is now widely acknowledged: that despite commitments to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, there has been consistent under-investment,’ said Ines Alberdi, executive director of UNIFEM. ‘With only five years left to achieve the MDGs and continuing concerns about the global economic crisis, it is more important than ever to focus funds directly on implementing practical actions that will make a difference in the lives of women and men on the ground.’