International Women’s Day, celebrated worldwide on March 8, serves as a reminder of the historic struggle for equality, dignity and women’s rights, as well as of their significant contribution to the development of society, the economy and institutions. Today, this date represents an opportunity to highlight the achievements of women, but also to reaffirm the commitment of institutions to actively contribute to building a more equal and inclusive society.

The Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina recognizes the importance of women’s economic empowerment as an essential component of sustainable economic development. During the past year and at the beginning of 2026, a series of activities were implemented with the aim of strengthening the role of women in the financial sector, improving institutional policies, and supporting the development of women’s entrepreneurship.

One of the key initiatives is the WE Finance Code BiH, aimed at improving access to finance for women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises. Within this initiative, an EBRD diagnostic mission was carried out, a conference bringing together representatives of institutions and the financial sector was organized, and expert workshops and meetings with partner institutions were held. The WE Finance Code Dashboard was also developed, enabling transparent monitoring of progress and the identification of challenges in access to finance for women entrepreneurs.

As part of the WE Finance Code BiH initiative, the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina has also developed a dedicated gender-disaggregated financial data Dashboard, enabling analysis of access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises according to the gender of the owner. The data show that, within the pilot programme, approximately 29% of loans in the SME sector are currently allocated to women-owned enterprises, while about 71% of loans are granted to enterprises owned by men. This indicates the existence of a financial gap, but also highlights significant potential for further development of women’s entrepreneurship in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Such data represent an important basis for evidence-based policymaking and for the development of financial products that will contribute to greater financial inclusion of women.

The Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina has also supported the implementation of the Women on Boards in the Financial Sector - Bosnia and Herzegovina programme, implemented in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with the aim of empowering women to actively participate in the governance and supervisory structures of financial institutions.

The programme includes educational workshops and training sessions, while representatives of the Central Bank, including Governor Dr. Jasmina Selimović, have actively participated in presenting their experience and professional expertise.

With the support of European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina is also implementing a project aimed at strengthening the gender perspective within internal policies and practices, with the objective of improving reporting and decision-making processes through a gender-sensitive approach in strategic documents, human resource management and data analysis.

An additional step is the Governor’s decision to establish an Expert Team for Gender-Inclusive Policies and Practices, mandated to coordinate existing activities and initiate new initiatives aimed at strengthening gender equality within the institution and across the financial sector.

Marking International Women’s Day, the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina extends its sincere congratulations to all women and expresses gratitude for their contribution to the development of society and the economy, while remaining committed to further work on initiatives that contribute to the economic empowerment of women and the development of an inclusive financial system.