Eda, in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, organized a free one-day training session on public procurement on November 19, 2024. The training aimed to enhance women’s entrepreneurship by increasing the participation of women entrepreneurs and businesswomen in public procurement processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The session was held at the premises of the Chamber of Commerce of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and was funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), through the project “Enhancing Women’s Participation and Gender-Sensitive Policies in Public Procurement at the Local Level in Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
In addition to the already limited participation of women in the labor market and their unequal position, women-owned businesses face the challenge of underrepresentation in public procurement processes. Women-owned companies account for less than 10% of suppliers contracted by local governments. Public procurement represents a significant economic opportunity that could greatly empower women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses if approached fairly. Experiences from many countries show that public procurement can help reduce the gender gap by providing women with more opportunities to engage in business with government representatives.
