Name of the project: Career and mama – where ambitions nourish along with a family nest
Project duration: 01.01.2025 – 31.12.2025
Donor: Funded by the European Union, represented by the European Commission; Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV)
Lead Partner: Trade Union of Administration of Republika Srpska
Partners:
Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade;
Independent Trade Union of Civil Servants and Employees in State Administration Bodies, the Judiciary, and Public Institutions in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Independent Trade Union of Civil Servants and Employees in the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Organization of Creative Grouping;
Citizens’ Association Trade Union Education Center
IFDT Team: Dr Jelena Ćeriman, Dr Ljiljana Pantović, Marija Radovanović
Project “Career and mama – CAM2025” brings together six partners from the trade union, research and non-formal education sector from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) and Serbia. The general objective of the project is to support the establishment of work-life balance for women with children by contributing to changes in the strategic and legal framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), particularly concerning maternity policies. It concentrates on key areas such as the legal and policy treatment of women during and after pregnancy, the development of flexible working arrangements, and the broader integration of the parental leave concept, applicable to both women and men, into the official regulatory system.
IFDT, as partner at this project, will strive to conduct a comprehensive situation analysis of both the strategic and legislative framework, as well as previous research in this field. An online survey will then be administered to a sample of 430 women aged 18-45 in three entities in BiH, followed by four focus groups, representing different subcategories of women. This approach aims to address the most urgent needs and barriers related to work-life balance in BiH. Once all data are compiled into a joint document, a comprehensive analysis will be conducted, leading to the preparation of a unified set of conclusions and recommendations. IFDT team members will join other experts from the consortium in consultations to draft amendments and submit an official initiative for their adoption, thereby influencing the current legal framework in BiH. Additionally, members of the IFDT research team will conduct the training for 32 leaders and activists, primarily women. The goal is to increase their knowledge and provide them with the skills necessary to act as effective advocates and lobbyists in their own communities and beyond. The training will include a brief theoretical component along with various practical segments, such as the preparation of action plans for future field activities.