A public call has been opened for companies to participate in the Program for Introducing a Gender-Sensitive Standard in the Private Sector, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNDP BiH) in cooperation with the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of BiH, and with the support of UN Women, UNICEF and UNFPA.
Through this public call, the aim is to involve the private sector in introducing the international Gender Equality Seal (GES) as a tool that would improve the establishment and achievement of standards that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. GES is a voluntary program based on the development of an integrated Gender Equality Management System (GEMS). By incorporating a gender perspective into the overall management system, companies implementing this standard introduce comprehensive measures to change their organizational structure and culture, creating fairer and more dignified conditions for all employees.
The Gender Equality Seal in private companies sets standards in the area of equal opportunities and includes a comprehensive method developed and implemented by UNDP in more than 20 countries with over 1,900 companies worldwide in order to influence organizational culture change, introducing gender-equal practices and policies to ensure decent work and conditions for women. It provides a framework for companies to strengthen gender equality mechanisms in their operations and to implement measures that will reduce gender gaps and create equal conditions for women and men. In addition, the Gender Equality Seal provides companies with information and tools to become agents of change by offering working conditions that promote gender equality while increasing productivity and economic gains.
Such support aims to create the preconditions for BiH companies to implement comprehensive measures to change their organizational structure and culture, creating fairer and more dignified conditions for employees, as well as to develop strategies that include gender equality as an integral part of “good business”. The Gender Equality Seal in companies is a key organizational instrument of UNDP for achieving these goals.
Bearing all this in mind, in cooperation with the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of BiH, UNDP BiH aims to support selected companies in obtaining adequate information and tools to become agents of change by offering working conditions that promote gender equality while simultaneously increasing productivity and economic gains through the introduction of the “Gender Equality Seal”.
This public call is intended for companies that meet the established criteria and express interest in participating in the program. The program is focused on applying a gender-sensitive standard within the Gender Equality Seal for the private sector, with the aim of reducing identified gender gaps and obtaining certification. During the process, companies will develop a structured approach that includes analyzing existing practices, introducing measures to improve equality and inclusion, and strengthening the capacities of employees and management to recognize and eliminate all forms of direct and indirect discrimination.
📌 The deadline for submitting applications is 20 October 2025 at 15:00 via the online platform: https://javnipoziv.undp.ba/
📄 More information on the conditions and criteria is available in the public call document and the guidelines for applicants at this link: https://javnipoziv.undp.ba/FormAnswer/IndexForm/184
Public call guidelines: https://kfbih.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/smjernice_javnog_poziva_za_uvodjenje_rodno_osjetljivog_standarda.pdf
