The Equality Academy programme aims to be a new platform for political leadership and space for joint actions of representatives, leaders of political parties and civil society organizations. Third generation of the Equality Academy is intended for:

• Town/Municipality councilors of the Counciles/Committees in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Heads of municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• City mayors in Bosnia and Herzegovina and
• Members of political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are interested in strengthening of individual capacities and working on identification and implementation of concrete solutions that will improve gender equality and position of unchartered groups in their local community and our society.

Equality Academy 2017 is consisted of three modules (april-june 2017). First module, Gender Equality Policies was held in Sarajevo from 21-23. April 2017. It was consisted from lectures, workshops and meetings with civil society representatives. The focus of this module was on the basics of gender equality in BiH.

Following issues were discussed on the first module of the Equality Academy 2017:

– 2001-2016: Gender Equality Policies in BiH: What have we achieved?

– Gender Equality Policies: What can we expect?

– Gender Equality Law of BiH

– Gender Action Plan of BiH and Local Gender Action plans

– Elections: Legislative, process, institutions; Where are women in legislative and executive power?

Within the Gender Analysis training participants had the opportunity to reconsider concrete documents in order to apply the principles of gender analysis on them. The discussion Gender Equality: The cooperation between politics and civil society organizations was held as well.

Lecturers on this module were: Samra Filipović-Hadžiabdić, the directress of the Agency for Gender Equality of BiH; Adnan Kadribašić, the expert for gender equality and antidiscrimination policies; Vinka Berjan, Municipality Istočna Ilidža; Adis Arapović, Centres of Civil Initiatives.

Goals of the Equality Academy are strengthening the capacities of political leaders in gender equality area and equality policies of underprivileged groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to enhance rights of citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as strengthening the cooperation between decision makers and representatives of civil society organizations in BiH.

The programme of the first module of Equality Academy is available here.