The Berlin Process Strengthens Regional Partnership for Gender Equality

July 2, 2026
Group photo of diverse attendees posing at a conference in an indoor lobby.

At a time when human rights and gender equality are increasingly under pressure across the world, the Western Balkans is sending a different message: that the progress achieved must be protected, advanced, and translated into concrete policies and partnerships through joint action.

As part of Montenegro's Chairmanship of the Berlin Process, the Third Gender Equality Forum was held in Sarajevo, organised by GIZ in partnership with the Governments of Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Forum brought together key regional and international stakeholders and reaffirmed that gender equality has become an integral part of the Berlin Process political agenda. UNDP is proud to contribute to this joint regional effort and values its partnership with GIZ and other institutions working together to strengthen regional cooperation and advance gender equality.

Under the theme "Progress Under Pressure: Advancing Gender Equality in the Western Balkans", the Forum gathered representatives of governments, international organisations, civil society, academia, and regional initiatives to develop joint responses to the growing challenges facing gender equality, human rights, and democratic values.

Audience in a conference room; foreground person holds a glossy magazine with purple graphics.
Two yellow sticky notes with handwritten text on a yellow wall, pink notes attached.
Woman speaker at a podium, banner behind reads Advancing Gender Equality in the Western Balkans.

Participants reaffirmed that gender equality is fundamental to the region's development, security, and European future, calling for stronger regional cooperation. Particular attention was given to the proposal to establish a formal mechanism within the Berlin Process to monitor and coordinate responses to anti-gender movements and other threats to women's human rights. The recommendations adopted at the Forum include strengthening institutional resilience, advancing women's economic empowerment, improving responses to gender-based violence, enhancing the protection of women in the digital space, combating harmful gender stereotypes, and further integrating a gender perspective into sustainable development policies and the EU accession process.

A special contribution to this year's Forum was the documentary theatre performance "The Political History of Women in Montenegro," produced by UNDP. The performance opened space for dialogue on the historical role of women in Montenegro's political life and highlighted the importance of understanding gender equality through a systemic perspective.

Through the regional „EU4 Gender Equality“ programme in the Western Balkans, funded by the European Union, UNDP advances women's economic empowerment, strengthens women's leadership, and builds regional partnerships across the six Western Balkan economies. The programme brings together institutions, experts, and policymakers to ensure that gender equality becomes an integral part of economic reforms, the EU accession process, and sustainable development.