Sarajevo, 3 April 2024 – The UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund proudly announces the launch of the second phase on-the-job training project for 30 long-term unemployed women in cooperation with the Government of the Czech Republic, dm drogerie markt BiH, and the Mozaik Foundation following the successful completion of the project Training Unemployed Mothers of Pre-school Children for the Labor Market.

Building upon the achievements of the previous phase, which focused on women/mothers of pre-school children, this year's initiative targets women aged 40-49 who have never been in registered employment. This group of population possesses significant potential for long-term employment, particularly in light of their reduced aspirations for emigration and increased payments of contributions into the pension and health insurance funds, and thereby reducing poverty in the country.

Selected women will undergo a comprehensive three-month training program with dm-drogerie markt BiH aimed at enhancing their employability and preparing them for the workforce. This initiative aligns with the UNFPA's commitment to achieving gender parity within the workforce, thereby fostering socio-economic development of the country and improved living conditions of its citizens

Marina Riđić, UNFPA Assistant Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasized the importance of supporting unemployed women, stating, "We are aware of the substantial potential over half a million unemployed women in the country might have for furthering socio-economic development. However, for long-term unemployed persons employment needs to be preceded by strong skill development. In other words, it is not possible to increase employment without proper upskilling and reskilling initiatives. By engaging this population group in the labour market, not only that we improve socio-economic development but also ensure that long-term unemployed persons will have a chance to earn their pension and therefore reduce poverty levels in the future”.

We are extremely proud to have the opportunity to continue working on such an important initiative. We hope that the government institutions in charge of these issues, as well as the private sector, will recognize this initiative and replicate this practice, said Štěpán Šantrůček, Head of the Development Cooperation Department of the Embassy of the Czech Republic to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Emina Mušinović, the member of the Management Board of dmBiH stated: “After a successfully implemented project in which we supported, together with our partners, 29 mothers to go through a three-month programme for acquiring new business skills needed to enter the labour market, we are pleased to be able to move one step further. This time we will support women aged 40-49 in their efforts to start or move their career path.”

Note to the editors: The project: Demographic Resilience in BiH is funded by the Embassy of the Czech Republic and the Czech Development Agency, and implemented by UNFPA, in cooperation with dm drogerie markt BiH and NGO Mozaik Foundation on developing models of upskilling of inactive and long-term unemployed population that could be easily replicated by any relevant decision makers and other stakeholders in the country.