On March 12, 2024, in New York, the Agency for Gender Equality of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in collaboration with UN Women, UNDP, and the World Bank, organized a Side Event during the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68). Ms. Samra Filipović-Hadžiabdić, Director of the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasized the benefits of implementing integrated gender-responsive sustainable development financing and introducing the Gender Equality Seal standard of excellence. This standard aims to strengthen both public and private institutions in mainstreaming gender and empowering women in the workplace.

Mr. Nemanja Kovačević, Assistant Minister for International Cooperation at the Ministry of European Integration and International Cooperation of Republika Srpska, presented the SDG Financing Ecosystem in Bosnia and Herzegovina from a gender perspective. He discussed innovative financial instruments such as gender and SDG bonds.

Ms. Nera Monir Divan, UNDP Gender Advisor, showcased best practices of the Agency for Gender Equality BiH and UNDP. These practices include the Decent Work Coalition of Women Forum for Development and the Gender Seal in the Public and Private Sectors. She illustrated how economically empowering women, fostering feminist movements, institutional mainstreaming, and bringing together stakeholders from diverse backgrounds can create a multiplier effect, effectively shaping policies and practices that prioritize gender equality and embed feminist financing principles in economic decision-making.

The outcomes of this event will inform future policy endeavors in Bosnia and Herzegovina and inspire similar initiatives globally.