Western Balkans

Empowering Women to Shape Tomorrow

Recently, the second class of "BAZA - Balkanska Ženska Akademija" successfully completed this year's academy. The holistic female empowerment program of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, implemented in cooperation with ALDE Party, ended with moving speeches by the thirteen graduates, who from now on will not only stand up for their personal rights, but for the rights of every woman in the Western Balkans.

"BAZA – Balkanska Ženska Akademija" supports women from the Western Balkans in their quest to dismantle the gender barriers that stand in their path, and to fight for a future shaped by their voices. The academy offers tailor-made training modules within a three-month program so that talented, ambitious liberal women can develop to the best of their abilities.

Ultimately, the academy supports female change makers to advocate towards more gender equal politics in countries of the Western Balkans. Gender equality can only be achieved through adequate political representation not only in parliaments and in councils, but also within liberal parties themselves. For liberals, there is no doubt that society as a whole is only served if the female part of society can develop as freely politically as their male counterparts.

This year's three-tier academy took place in Tarčin (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Crikvenica (Croatia) and Mokrin (Serbia). Only participants who successfully completed all three courses were awarded a certificate at the end. We sincerely hope that this will lead to many great initiatives that will make this region more fair, more peaceful and also more feminine.

We wholeheartedly congratulate all BAZA graduates, who from now on can proudly call themselves "alumnae". Together with the fantastic trainers Jasmina Mršo, Ivana Fundurulić and Vukosava Crnjanski, and under the guidance of program director Joanna Burnos, these women have achieved something very special.