SOCIO-ECONOMIC INCLUSION

By building the capacities and improving opportunities for marginalized groups, CARE aims at promoting their socio-

economic inclusion and access to rights and opportunities. At the same time we also address structural

conditions and barriers that maintain people in a state of poverty and vulnerability.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, CARE works to advance the idea of cooperative entrepreneurship and runs

programs for the development of women's agricultural cooperatives. In Macedonia we strengthen agricultural

cooperatives by supporting the establishment of business plans and criteria for women’s

inclusion. We also provide technical support to relevant ministries to increase opportunities

for quality marketing and productivity for vulnerable farmers. In Kosovo, while working on

regional agricultural development, we support the

mainstreaming and development of female-led agribusinesses by

cooperating with all relevant stakeholders to create functioning markets

and value chains.

GENDER EQUALITY

CARE is supporting Roma women leaders and activists in policy dialogues, accessing and defending their rights,

and in the implementation of projects that adress vulnerabilities of Roma and other marginalized women.

Our added value is to foster a joint regional response to issues that are common across all Balkan countries and

to replicate best practice models that lead to improvements in policy frameworks that discriminate against

Roma people, and particularly Roma women and women of other minorities. We also encourage networking and

exchange between local NGOs and European networks and policy makers.

BALKANS

CARE MENA

OVERVIEW

CARE started working in the Balkans in the

early 1990s to provide emergency and

medical assistance to people affected by

crisis, violence and displacement that

engulfed the region due to the Yugoslav

wars. CARE today works in Bosnia and

Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo,

Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania.

Since the 2000s, we focus mainly on the political and socio-economic inclusion of marginalized groups and gender equality. We also provide emergency assistance to refugees stranded in the Balkans.

Since 2005, over 200,000 beneficiaries benefitted from CARE’s socio-economic inclusion program.

To prevent Gender-Based Violence CARE engages men

and boys in dialogues to deconstruct social and cultural

norms around harmful practices of masculinity.

Through our Young Men Initiative (YMI) for

example we reached over 30,000 young men

since 2006 through an education program

that promotes gender equality and the

prevention of violence. Our curriculum became

mandatory in high school education in a few districts in

Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is also accredited in Croatia,

Serbia and Kosovo. The YMI includes community outreach

in form of theatres, TV shows and radio programs.

Further, CARE Balkans was part of the “Global Fatherhood

Campaign—MenCare” which promotes men’s

involvement as equitable, non-violent fathers

and caregivers in order to achieve family well-

being and gender equality.

Through our Women Economic Empowerment

program we target women who are deprived

of the right to employment because of their

social or ethnic background as well as women who had

survived or are vulnerable to violence. At the same time

we assist and build the capacities of local civil society

organisations that are lead by women for women.

EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

In our response to the refugee crisis in the Balkans we

focus on building the capacities of our partners to

address humanitarian needs in a gender sensitive and

transformative way. We also provide direct emergency

aid in form of food and water, household

supplies, repair materials, clothing and

winterization items, and offer protection

activities for unaccompanied minors and

Sumka Bučan, MBA | CARE International Balkans | Regional Director

Hasana Kaimije 11, 71 000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina | www.care-balkan.org

o: +387 33 536 790 | c: +387 61 190 234 |

email: sbucan@care.ba |

CARE INTERNATIONAL, MAPS: STEPMAP.COM FEBRUARY 2018

Youth are taking part in community outreach activities to promote gen-

der equality and the prevention of violence. Balkans, 2017.

Refugees are receiving clothes in the Belgrade Refugee Center which is

supported by CARE. Serbia, 2016.

CARE supported Rasema Mustafic through one of its agribusiness

projects in 2014.

Since 2005 over 90,000 women, men,

boys and girls benefitted from CARE’s

gender equality and economic

empowerment initiatives.

In 2017, CARE provided humanitarian

assistance to 17,000 refugees from

Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other places

who reached the Balkans.

In the aftermath of natural disasters we provide support

for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastruc-

ture and houses, and the restoration of livelihoods.