CBBH AND EBRD SUCCESSFULLY HELD A CONFERENCE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WEFI CODE INITIATIVE IN BH

Today, the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CBBH), in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), has organised a conference dedicated to the implementation of the global initiative "Women Entrepreneurs Finance Code - WE Finance Code" in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The event was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the presence of relevant representatives of the financial, academic, private and public sectors, as well as representatives of international and non-government organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The conference was opened with introductory speeches by the Chair of Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers, Borjana Krišto, Head of the WE Finance Code Program at the EBRD Aurica Balmus, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina Jasmina Selimović, Ph.D. who emphasised the importance of improving access to finance for women entrepreneurs.

On this occasion, Governor Selimović stated: “Today, we are making an important step towards creating a more fair and more inclusive financial system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. With the launch of the WE Finance Code program, we are establishing clear standards and cooperation mechanisms among all key participants – regulators, financial institutions and other relevant organisations – to improve access to finance for women entrepreneurs. The goal of today's Conference is to create a platform for specific actions primarily through the compilation and analysis of statistical data that are classified by gender. The collected data are an excellent basis for defining policies which will result in the improvement of women's entrepreneurship. The Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina remains committed to leading this process and we believe that through partnership work it will contribute to the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole.”

“Bosnia and Herzegovina has shown real leadership in embracing the WE Finance Code, and we are proud to support this national effort to expand opportunities for women entrepreneurs and strengthen economic resilience,” said Aurica Balmus, WE Finance Code Lead at the EBRD. “Together with the Central Bank and our local partners, we believe this initiative will drive lasting, inclusive growth by ensuring that more women entrepreneurs can access the finance they need to start, grow, and lead successful businesses.”

The conference presented the latest findings of the analysis on the current state of financing for women entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which opened the space for discussion on key challenges and opportunities for improvement. This was followed by a panel discussion entitled “Empowering Women’s Entrepreneurship: Using Leadership, Data and Action to Overcome the Financial Gap”, where distinguished representatives from different sectors exchanged experiences and proposed specific measures to intensify cooperation and support to women’s entrepreneurship.

The second part of the conference was dedicated to a working session during which clear goals, obligations and action plans were defined for all involved participants, with the aim of ensuring efficient and coordinated implementation of the WE Finance Code program in the coming period. During the session, participants agreed on key priorities, including the development of mechanisms for monitoring and reporting on progress, capacity building of financial institutions to provide targeted support to women entrepreneurs, as well as promoting the collection and use of data classified by gender for informed policymaking. This working session represents the foundation for a coordinated approach that will enable the creation of lasting changes in the financial ecosystem of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The conference represents a significant step forward in promoting gender equality and creating a more inclusive economic environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina.