At BRAVO BiH, we are proud to be a partner in the “Women4Sport” project, which aims to empower women to achieve their goals in sports. This project brings together women from different backgrounds, united by their love for sports and their determination to overcome challenges.
Yesterday, on the 24th of January, a special event was held in Sarajevo, gathering women athletes, sports enthusiasts and supporters of gender equality in sports. The event was a great success, with inspiring speeches, workshops and discussions focusing on the role of women in sports and how we can support them in achieving their goals.
The attendees shared their experiences, highlighting the importance of breaking down barriers and creating more opportunities for women in the sports world.
The panel discussions covered key topics, including the role of digital technologies in developing women’s leadership, with speeches by academician Prof. Dr. Velimir Srića, director of the Verlab Institute Dr. Lejla Gurbeta Pokvić, Azra Ademović, director of International Business Solution, and the inspiring Selma Purić, architect, Bosnian para-swimmer, web designer, and para-swimming coach in education.
The second panel focused on the challenges of women’s leadership in the 21st century, with participation from proven sports leaders such as MTB cyclist Lejla Njemčević, Nevena Šavore, director of the Office for National Sports Federations and Development Programs of the Croatian Olympic Committee, president of the Special Olympics in Bosnia and Herzegovina Prof. Dr. Kada Delić Selimović, manager of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation Jelena Dojčinović, Olympian Sanja Kusmuk, technical secretary of the Ski Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who shared the challenges they faced throughout their careers.
At the end of the conference, a draft strategy was presented for strengthening the position of women in decision-making processes in sports, with a special focus on regional cooperation among Western Balkan countries.
In many sports, women face obstacles such as limited resources and stereotypes. Through the Women4Sport project, and with events like the one held yesterday, we aim to address these challenges and provide women with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed.
We are working together with international partners to create a space where women can learn, grow, and develop both personally and professionally. The project focuses on providing training, mentorship and support for women in sports, helping them build the confidence and skills they need to excel.
At BRAVO BiH, we believe in the power of sports to inspire and unite people. Through Women4Sport, and the positive energy we witnessed at the event yesterday, we hope to inspire more women to participate in sports and show that they can achieve great things. We are committed to promoting gender equality in sports and giving women the recognition they deserve.
Women in sports are strong, determined and capable of achieving their goals. We are excited to continue supporting them through initiatives like Women4Sport and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on our community and beyond.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Women4Sport generally encourages gender equality in the key leadership and decision-making positions of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of Western Balkan (WB) countries by promoting structural changes in the governance, enhancing the understanding of existing cultural barriers and encouraging the NOCs to work with their member Federations to create a sustainable change. Increased capacity of the role of women in NOCs in Western Balkan countries compliance with EU regulation and practice (“Plan for Gender Equality in Sport”) for WB countries.
Emphasizing the importance of women’s participation in the project itself and the benefits for improving the status of women in key positions. The project includes five work packages, each focusing on a different aspect.
The first work package is focused on project management, coordination, and administration.
The second work package is focused on the detailed analysis of women’s involvement in management and decision-making processes within the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of each of the partner countries in the Western Balkans (WB).
The third work package consists of presenting the results of the study, promoting the importance of women’s participation in the management and process management of NOCs and sports federations, and the importance of regional cooperation of WB countries in this regard. In each of the countries of the consortium, a meeting will be organized, where the speakers will be participants from the NOCs of other countries.
The fourth work package consists of creating a personalized strategy for improving the status of women in the process of managing processes within NOCs, conducting training for the implementation of strategies in NOCs work plans, and implementing strategies.
The final work package involves the dissemination and exploitation of project activities and outcomes, including the organization of a final symposium to present and discuss the project’s results.