| With a current unemployment rate of approximately 40 percent for the country overall, and 45 percent for women, very few formal sector employment opportunities exist for women in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Many women are the sole breadwinners in their families, as their husbands were killed or injured during the war or they lost previous jobs in state enterprises. Although the war ended in 1995, the country still struggles to rebuild the institutions that existed before the war. The level of poverty, especially in rural areas, remains high. Estimates indicate that approximately 200,000 people died during the country’s three-year war, and 20,000 to 50,000 women were raped as part of the ethnic cleansing campaign.
Staff profile: 87 members; all are Bosnian.
- More than 9,407 women received program services in 2005, with a total of 23,242 women served since 1993. Distributed more than 6,000 loans totalling more $3.6 million exapnding to 2,600 new clients in 2005. To date,
Women for Women International has distributed 26,368 loans, totaling $25,443,507. Launched women’s human rights and leadership training project in February 2004 to help women leaders in rural areas take active roles in their communities.
- Working in 55 different communities.
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Current job skills trainings include knitting, embroidery, jewelry making, home design, carpentry, and agriculture.
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Offered services to women in a human trafficking shelter in Sarajevo.
Participant profile: In 2005 our Bosnian participants...
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Average Age - 42
- Average Number of Children - 1.8
- Marital Status - 13.8% Single
67.8% Married
4.7% Separated/Divorced
14.7% Widowed
When women entered our programs in 2005...
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Education Completed - 2.9% No Formal Education
17.8% Some Primary
79.3% Completed Primary or Higher
- Participated in Economic Activity - 96.7% None
2.5% Agriculture
.09% Limited
- Community Participation - 2.2% Took part in
meetings/activities once per month
- Registered to Vote - 85.8%
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