In January, February and March 2026, the Western Balkans Fund carried out an extensive series of consultations and exchanges with international bodies, regional networks and national institutions working to advance women’s rights, reduce gender inequalities and combat discrimination and gender-based violence across the Western Balkans.
Among the key stakeholders consulted were national gender equality mechanisms, commissioners and institutions responsible for protection against discrimination, as well as international partners active in the field of women’s empowerment and inclusive development.
During these meetings, the Western Balkans Fund presented the emerging concept of the Gender Equality Fund, a new regional mechanism designed to support civil society cooperation, advocacy, and innovative initiatives advancing gender equality across Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
The Fund was conceived not as a standalone financial instrument, but as a practical regional response to a broader political and institutional commitment.
Its priorities build on the conclusions of the Berlin Process and on the joint regional agenda of institutional mechanisms for gender equality and protection against discrimination. The Gender Equality Fund as a grant scheme will be launched in mid-May. It will be funded jointly by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the European Union and the Western Balkans Fund.
