A growing trend in our country is involvement of creative individuals (mostly women) in handicrafts, which represent an extremely important income for many households in a difficult financial situation. This particular project is an answer to the de-stimulating environment for development of handicraft market, which has great potential to become important economic factor and opportunity for job creation for most marginalized groups, such as women, persons with disabilities, etc. However, the handicraft sector is performing at a level far below its potential in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Main problems that will be addressed by this project are the following:
illegal selling of handicrafts, low capacities of CSOs gathering handicraft producers, low level of knowledge and information by unemployed women producing handicrafts, and a disempowering environment for work of crafts entrepreneur.
This project will have following outcomes: increased level of knowledge and skills of at least 60 women, created/improved at least three long-term support mechanisms, at least 9 women registered crafts, decreased illegal selling of handicrafts, improved offer for tourists, created more enabling environment for women in handicrafts in two cantons (Herzegovina Neretva Canton and Sarajevo Canton), raised awareness and understanding of general public on importance of economic empowerment of women and importance of handicrafts, improved connections of tourist agencies and related souvenir selling places with women in handicrafts and CSOs.
This project will comprise of the following sets of activities:
The project will cover the wider territory of Čitluk (Međugorje), Mostar and Sarajevo, while the advocacy campaign will target two cantons: Herzegovina-Neretva and Sarajevo Canton.