A Review of the BWI in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1999

INTRODUCTION

The Bosnian Women's Initiative (BWI) has played a pioneering role in giving women in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) new hopes and self-confidence and in restoring their families' lives. The 1992-95 war had affected almost every woman: whether they had to flee their homes, lost their income or lost male members of the family. Launched in October 1996, the BWI initially reached vulnerable women of all backgrounds: local women, as well as displaced, returnee and refugee women. Since 1997, the BWI gradually focussed on minority returns. In 1999, the BWI has become part of UNHCR's minority return programme by reaching women in areas where minority returns happened or were expected. The BWI relies on small-scale projects implemented by local women’s' associations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The BWI helps to build much needed capacity of those local groups. As of mid - November 1999, BWI projects were active in all regions of BiH in the field of income-generation, vocational training and education as well as community services (see map in the Annex). Many earlier BWI projects became self-sustainable in the meantime. BWI projects were among the first in BiH to break inter-ethnic barriers. They demonstrated how tolerance and mutual respect can emerge spontaneously at the grass-roots level and became building blocks for reconciliation and civil society. This trend has been firmly consolidated in 1999: nearly all projects set up women's teams of mixed ethnic background, and many of them follow axes of minority return across the Federation and Republika Srpska.

DECENTRALISING THE BWI IN 1999

Since 1999 UNHCR administers the BWI through its four principal offices in Western, Northern, Eastern and Southern BiH according to common guiding principles. Before, UNHCR's country office in Sarajevo was responsible for the BWI. The change has contributed to a greater regional diversity in initiatives. The BWI encourages the active participation of women who propose project ideas to their local women's associations or NGOs. These groups approach UNHCR's umbrella agencies who develop the proposals. In some municipalities local associations exist but in others the BWI has stimulated their creation. The umbrella agencies transmit promising proposals to their UNHCR Sub-Offices where a screening committee examines them and makes recommendations to the BWI Selection Committee. UNHCR in Banja Luka, Mostar, Tuzla and Sarajevo convenes its own Selection Committee at regular intervals.

The Selection Committee approves project proposals on condition that they:

• are proposed by non-sectarian local Bosnian women's associations or NGOs;
• will build capacity of these associations/NGOs to work independently in their communities and to promote reconciliation and reintegration in society;
• have small to medium sized budgets, a favourable cost-per-beneficiary ratio and reasonable administrative costs;
• involve the intended women beneficiaries in planning and design of the programmes;
• demonstrate that they are sustainable, i.e. that the benefits and outcomes of the project will continue after the project funding ends;
• are innovative, do not duplicate existing programmes, and could serve as models for other women's groups to learn from and to adapt to their situation.

Women who have access to BWI projects include minority returnees, single heads of families, spouses of handicapped husbands and mothers with handicapped children. In exceptional cases, the BWI includes vulnerable men to maintain an integrated community approach. In 1999, BWI projects cover three sectors: 76 per cent of them include income generation activities, such as small-business initiatives, production of goods, animal husbandry and farming. A second sector includes vocational training and education (6 per cent), such as computer, language, leadership and administrative skills. A third sector, community services, (18 per cent) covers projects like radio shows, women's forum, libraries, workshops for the handicapped, legal aid, phone-lines for women in crisis situations and psychosocial support. The BWI works with a budget of DM 4 million (or USD 2,1 million, EURO 2 million) in 1999. Over 80 per cent of BWI funds are invested in income-generation activities in both rural and urban areas.

By mid November 1999 the Selection Committees had approved 157 BWI projects. Nearly two thirds were spread throughout the Federation, and the remaining 35 per cent in Republika Srpska. The BWI engaged 118 local partners in 83 different sites. The projects reached 10,000 direct beneficiaries, who, in turn, were able to share their benefits with family members and vulnerable people in the community. Moreover, they enabled the local partners to sustain, expand or even replicate BWI projects. The women's radio shows in Sarajevo, Mostar, Bihac, Livno and Zvornik have reached the population at large. Other initiatives, such as support to the women's magazine ZENA 21 and the Library bus in Tuzla also address a wide audience.

In 1999, UNHCR cooperates with three umbrella agencies: Malteser Hilfsdienst (MHD), in both Western and Southern BiH, Mercy Corps Europe/Scottish European Aid (MC/SEA) in Northern BiH and the New Bosnia Fund (NBF) in Eastern BiH. They employ mostly local staff. UNHCR field staff supports the local women's associations in identifying women within ongoing minority return projects. Thereby, the BWI complements UNHCR projects or those projects recommended by the Return and Reconstruction Task Force (RRTF). UNHCR engages in negotiations with local authorities and helps ensure that the rights of minority returnee women will be protected.

DONOR SUPPORT TO THE BWI

In 1999, The European Commission (EC) became the principal donor by supporting the BWI as one component of a programme for "Community Based Reintegration Assistance to Minority Returns in Bosnia and Herzegovina". For this comprehensive programme UNHCR received a contribution of 12 million EURO (or about DM 24 million) from the EC. It provides housing reconstruction, mine clearance as well as economic and social opportunities through the BWI in return areas. For the BWI, the EC funds are chanelled to the projects in Western, Southern and Northern BiH for UNHCR's umbrella agencies Malteser Hilfsdienst (MHD) and Mercy Corps Europe/Scottish European Aid (MC/SEA). In Eastern BiH, the umbrella agency New Bosnia Fund (NBF) is supported from other sources. The BWI was launched in 1996 with a donation of USD 5 million by the Government of the United States. UNHCR received subsequent contributions from the Governments of Denmark and Japan, the Japan Committee for Refugee Relief and the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) in 1997-98.

BWI IN WESTERN BiH

In 1999, the BWI consolidated its presence in and around Banja Luka as well as in priority return areas in Republika Srpska (including Prijedor, Gradiska, Celinac, Laktasi, Mrkonjic Grad and Sipovo). The BWI built on earlier successes in Una-Sana Canton and initiated projects in places like Kljuc, Sanski Most, Bosanska Krupa, Bosanski Petrovac, Bihac, Cazin and Velika Kladusa. In Canton 10, the BWI backed up the return of minorities to Drvar, Bosansko Grahovo, Glamoc, Livno and Kupres. Whenever possible, the projects were selected to follow axes of return between the Federation and Republika Srpska.

"This goat means a lot to us: it means milk, cheese and more...", Smilja Pecanac (left), a Bosnian-Serb returnee to Donje Vrtoce, Drvar Municipality, who received a goat together with her Bosnian-Croat neighbour.

Malteser Hilfsdienst (MHD) cooperates as the BWI umbrella agency in Western BiH since 1996. In 1999, BWI funds are primarily invested in income generation activities: 91 percent of the budget is allocated to this sector (or 83 percent of the projects). Rural income generation activities focus on: agriculture and greenhouse production; distribution of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and chicken; beekeeping; flower production; food processing (e.g. drying of herbs, fruit and mushrooms or producing cheese and pie layer). In urban areas, BWI projects focus on small business (such as coffee roasting, production of toys, socks and nails).

The BWI initiated two training projects: computer training in Livno and a course for radio journalists on democratisation of the media in Banja Luka. Six community service projects were approved: the radio shows in Bihac and Livno, a women's forum in Drvar and Sanski Most, a reading room in Laktasi and cross-entity information services between Lusci Palanka and Kozarac. MHD coordinates 48 projects with 38 local partners in 27 sites. Fourty-two per cent of the projects were spread in Republika Srpska, the rest in the Federation. Projects costs range between DM 5,000 and DM 57,000.

Distribution of goats and chickens in Drvar, a cross-entity project implemented by "ZENA 47", Drvar and by "BUDUCNOST ", Modrica: the project reaches mixed groups of women along the return axis Modrica-Drvar (75 Bosnian Serb and 25 Bosnian Croat women).

Ms. Marica Pasalic, working in the mini tailoring factory in Zastinje, Livno Municipality (above)

Mini-tailoring factory in Livno: The local NGO "Li-Woman" set up a mini-tailoring factory with a budget of DM 16,370. "Li-Women" purchased five sewing machines, material, cloth and furniture and covered administrative and maintenance costs. The factory employed 14 women and offered training to 20 women. Initially, sales of the clothes for men, women and children were low. "Li-Women" gave away some of them to the poor. However, sales picked up gradually and the tailoring workshop is now self-sustaining and employs seven women. According to Ms. Olgica Dikic, who is responsible for the marketing of the clothes, the sales reach an amount of 10,000 DM per month. The local MHD representative in Livno, Edita Pejovic, predicts continued success of the workshop.

Production of Children's Toys, Banja Luka, implemented by ADRA: twelve women and two men benefit directly from the project. They work in shifts and sometimes overtime, if required. ADRA already sold toys to Italy, and a new order has been arranged by the Danish NGO Red Barnet and the Banja Luka Social Welfare Centre in agreement with ECHO. Another order is under negotiation with an Austrian partner. The workshop is located in a school for handicapped children. One room offers space for painting of wood parts and the other for assembling.

Rajna Strika, a local woman who contributes to various tasks required in the toy workshop of ADRA, Banja Luka: the design and production of toys as well as marketing research and identification of potential customers

The school and ADRA have developed a good working partnership. The income has been satisfactory and the employees are ready to use a portion of their salaries to buy new tools. The designer has many ideas; he develops contacts outside BiH and knows much about toys.

BWI IN SOUTHERN BiH

In 1999 the BWI has focused on minority return areas in four regions: Central Bosnia (Travnik, Gornji Vakuf, Bugojno, Jajce, Vitez, Prozor and Krezevo); the Neretva region (Mostar, Rastani, Konjic and Jablanica); Southern Federation (Stolac and Neum) and Southern RS (Nevesinje, Berkovici and Trebinje). Malteser Hilfsdient (MHD) became the BWI umbrella agency in 1999 and coordinates 52 projects with 29 local partners in 21 sites. Project costs range between DM 2,700 and DM 67,700. Seventy-five percent of the funds were invested in income generation activities. In rural areas these include the distribution of cattle, sheep and chickens, beekeeping and bee feed production, greenhouses and processing of "healthy food". In urban areas, the BWI assists projects like workshops for upholstery, ceramics, wood processing, tailoring, toilet paper production and pie layers. Some BWI-assisted projects involve women in various services like a daycare centre for children, a club for the blind, a fitness centre and a business centre. Seven educational and training projects were funded, including business development training as well as computer, languages and agricultural courses. Nine community services projects were also funded offering access to an SOS phone line, legal aid, a workshop for handicapped and women's centres. In its efforts to reach a wider audience of women on various issues like legal and property rights, women's health information etc., the BWI assisted in the production and airing of a radio show in Mostar.

Janja Pilic (Bosnian Croat, first from right below): "...the classes are giving us women a real sense of our self worth". Edina Sisic (Bosniak, second from right, below): "... the success of this programme does not just lie in what we learn, but because we respect each other and it builds reconciliation. I wish everyone in our community politicians especially could learn to cooperate with one another as we do here".

Education Programme in Gorni Vakuf-Uskoplje, implemented by "Federalna Zena": The project received 31,300 DM for the costs of three computers, administration and logistics, furniture and Internet use. Half of the 150 women who participate in the courses are Bosniaks from Bosnian Croat controlled Uskoplje, and half are displaced Bosnian Croats from Bosniak controlled Gornji Vakuf. The courses offer computer skills, English and agriculture. The latter course covers land preparation and cultivation for crop growing and animal husbandry. The women's age ranges from their late teens to 50 years. The older women prefer training in agriculture, while the younger ones are more interested in computer and English courses. "Federalna Zena" promotes reconciliation among the participants. In the tense political environment of the ethnically divided town of Gornji Vakuf, the mixed ethnicclasses foster a spirit of cooperation which is otherwise rare. According to the co-founders Nermina Jakic (Bosniak) and Mara Brzic (Bosnian Croat),"Federalna Zena" is perhaps the only functioning inter-ethnic local organisation.

Production of bee-feed, implemented in Trebinje Municipality by "OAZA": The project employs five women - three of them local residents (one of mixed marriage) and two displaced. The women are engaged in the production of bee-feed and its distribution in Ljubinje and Gacko. These municipalities connect beekeepers from the Federation and RS. Indirect beneficiaries are 53 women beekeepers who were included in last year’s BWI project "Bee-keeping in Eastern Herzegovina". They will receive 3 kg of round sugar breads per beehive. Some sugar bread produced by the project will be distributed to the women of the BWI project "Distribution of beehives" in Prozor as well as to the women in a similar BWI project in Konjic.

Jadranka Bosic, a Bosnian Serb displaced women producing sugar bread for bee-keeping, Trebinje Municipality

The round sugar bread is used for additional bee-feeding in Herzegovina which enjoys privileged climatic conditions and diversity of vegetation for bee swarms. The bee keepers experience a shortage of bee-food in early spring and late autumn. The round sugar bread is also used for medical treatment of certain bee diseases. The product for feeding can be stored throughout the year, but only up to 40 days with the special medical components. The market price of OAZA's round sugar bread is lower than existing prices to help communities to develop their bee-keeping, but the production will remain profitable. The project covers running costs and basic costs for OAZA. Minority returns to Trebinje Municipality have not yet picked up. However, the BWI project will have a positive impact on potential minority returns, and it is directly connected to minority returns in the Federation.

BWI IN NORTHERN BiH

In Northern BiH the BWI has supported minority returns, especially when they signaled a long awaited breakthrough in 1999. Three cross-entity projects assist two-way returns between the Federation and Republika Srpska: Odzak (Fed) - Modrica (RS); Lepnica (Fed) - Jenjic (RS) as well as Colic (Fed) - Lopare (RS). The BWI launched 44 percent of the projects in Republika Srpska to create an immediate impact in response to openings in minority returns. In North-Eastern RS the BWI covered Srebrenica, Milici, Vlasenica, Osmaci, Zvornik and Bijelina. In North-Western RS the BWI was active in Brod, Derventa and Teslic. In the Federation, BWI projects concentrated on Prud (Odzak) Gradacac, Celic, Lukavac, Tuzla, Zenica, Kakanj,Vares and Olovo.

A greenhouse for Bosniak women returning to the Bosnian Croat majority area in Prud (left)

The NGO Mercy Corps Europe/Scottish European Aid (MC/SEA) acts as the BWI umbrella agency to coordinate 41 projects with 36 partners in 25 sites. Three fourths of BWI funds are invested in income generating projects, which include in rural areas: greenhouses; dairy production; distribution of goats, sheep, pigs and chickens; revival of fishery; mini-egg farms and support to agriculture. In urban areas, the BWI covers graphics workshops, coffee processing and various other small businesses. The BWI sponsors computer training - one cross-entity course for women and one mobile course for children. One third of the BWI projects offer community services. They facilitate dialogue between returnees, displaced persons and local people, support the radio programme in Zvornik and provide services to the blind and especially vulnerable groups. The project costs vary considerably: the lowest investment was DM 400 and the highest DM 100,000.

Greenhouses for Bosniak, Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat returnee women in Prud, Odzak Municipality, implemented by the local organisation "Prudjanka": with an investment of DM 46,300 in Spring 1999, the project provided greenhouses to 30 women. From their production, 30 other women received seedlings and 30 vulnerable elderly women received a portion of fresh vegetables from the production.

Mirela Samic (11 years, below): "... without these classes I would never have been exposed to computers at such a young age. I feel that a whole new world has been opened up to me, and I can do things which I never dreamed of a few months ago. I want to become a computer programmer when I am older."

Greenhouses for Bosniak, Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat Women in Derventa, implemented by "Nada": This project is similar to the above project in Prud. It targets the same number of 30 women for greenhouses, seedlings and vegetable distribution.

Mobile School in Kakanj Municipality, implemented by "Dom Mladih Zenica" and "Kakanjke-UZOK", Kakanj: The two local organisations in Zenica and Kakanj joined together to initiate mobile computer courses which are offered at the Youth Centre in Zenica. Eight computers of the Centre are taken to different areas of Kakanj Municipality where minority returns took place. During July-August 1999, Bosnian Croat and Bosnian Serb returnee children in Kakanj had access to the computer classes, from September-October 1999, the computers moved to the Kraljeva Sutjeska area and from November-December they will be in the Bjelavici area. On average over 30 per cent of the children are minority returnees, the others are their local neighbours. Altogether, some 585 children between 8 to 14 years benefit from the courses which include computer software, English and math (through the use of the computers). They all enthusiastically follow the course.

BWI IN EASTERN BiH

In Eastern BiH, the BWI has promoted cross-entity cooperation among women's groups to support actual and potential minority returns. Four projects across the Federation and Republika Srpska were established: between Sarajevo (Fed) - Jahorina (RS), Gorazde (Fed) - Visegrad (RS), Gorazde (Fed) - Kopaci (RS) and Sarajevo (Fed) - Gorazde (RS). In Republika Srpska, the BWI initiated other projects in Trnovo, Visegrad and Lukavica/Vojkovici. In the Federation, projects were active in Sarajevo, Ilidza, Ilijas and Gorazde. One-third of the projects covered Republika Srpska, two-thirds the Federation.

In 1999 the New Bosnia Fund (NBF) is operating in its third year as the BWI umbrella agency. NBF is training and working on capacity building of local NGOs, and works with 15 local partners in ten sites to implement 21 BWI projects. Eighty-five percent of the BWI funds were invested in income generation projects varying from bee keeping and chicken farming to mushroom production. Small businesses cover pasta production, food processing, hairdressing, ceramic workshops, video rentals and handicrafts. Five projects offered activities to promote reconciliation: women's radio shows and magazine, a play-station club and a video club for the disabled who suffer from Cerebral palsy. Project costs ranged from DM 4,400 to DM 55,000.

Packing of small grained products, implemented jointly by "Most", Visegrad and "ANIMA", Gorazde: This innovative project has mobilised cooperation between two women's organisations in Republika Srpska and the Federation. Each association owns a machine, and the packed products are sold by the other association across the inter-entity boundary line, where promising local markets exists. The project manager is from "MOST", Visegrad, but her pre-war home was Gorazde. Her initiative encourages reconciliation and the return of minorities to both sides. The project employed 18 women - all vulnerable cases, including displaced and minority women. The income has also helped the two women's associations to became self-sustainable and consolidate their non-profit community work.

Ceramic Workshop in Sarajevo, implemented by "Paleta Culhan", a new NGO established with the help of an initial BWI project in 1999 undertaken by "Women for Women": The project received DM 13,286 for the purchase an oven (kiln), ceramic wheels, clay and other materials. The workshop employed six women of mixed ethnic background. Initially, it was difficult to market the pottery because of marketing and logistical problems. Also, the women had to upgrade their marketing skills. However, business picked up and the workshop is now generating sufficient revenues to become self-sustaining after the BWI funding ceases. While the project is becoming a commercial success, its true success lies in the fact that it re-establishes the multi-ethnic social fabric of Sarajevo: it brings together returnee, displaced and local resident women of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The 1999 BWI projects reaffirmed that, through dedication and the desire to find solutions to common problems, ethnic prejudices fade away. Through small, multi-ethnic project teams the BWI has stimulated new friendships and consolidated old ones which existed before the war. This has contributed to heal the wounds of the war. It has laid the foundation for a new spirit of solidarity and re-building of civil society. Each project had an immediate impact on the lives of the participating women. They became the main bread-winners of their families through projects which revived traditional occupations or offered access to the modern sector. Nevertheless, the BWI continued to struggle with the problem of leaving behind sustainable projects due to the overall weaknesses of the economic and social sectors of post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, the Selection Committees screened the projects and local partners extremely carefully by using the lessons learned from previous years. The rate of success of the 1999 BWI should therefore fully meet UNHCR's expectations.

The BWI ows much of its success to the courage of women who took some decisive steps to improve their conditions and to open their minds and hearts to women of different ethnic backgrounds. Also, the success is due to the creative approach and perseverance of the local women's associations and the umbrella agencies. Equally important for its success is the generosity of international donors. In 1999, the European Commission has taken the lead in funding the BWI within the "Community Based Reintegration Assistance to Minority Returns in Bosnia and Herzegovina" programme. The BWI is likely to grow in popularity in the coming years. It should continue to serve as a seed initiative to support project ideas for which the local women's associations alone would not have enough resources. The BWI will continue to strengthen the capacity of civil society and contribute toward socio-economic changes.