EU PROGRES

Through the European Partnership with Municipalities Programme – EU PROGRES, the European Union and the Government of Switzerland will earmark 61,800 EUR and fund 17 projects of municipal gender equality councils and ten best projects supporting women's entrepreneurship.

The jury selected the ten best project proposals among the 36 submitted in response to the public call for project proposals supporting women entrepreneurship with start-up grants. Equipment worth 32,915 EUR will be delivered by end March 2014 to women launching their own businesses in Novi Pazar, Raška, Leskovac, Prokuplje, Surdulica, Blace and Vranje. They will be sewing and tailoring clothes, growing mushrooms, making  jewellery, keeping books, etc. With EU PROGRES' support, they will have the opportunity to undergo training on accounting, taxes,  company registration, marketing and management, which will be delivered by the Vranje Business Incubator Centre exprets. At least ten women will be employed through this project.

Twenty local self-governments submitted project proposals in response to the public call for gender equality council project proposals. A total of 28,800 EUR will be used to fund the 17 selected project proposals submitted by Priboj, Prijepolje, Nova Varoš, Sjenica, Tutin, Novi Pazar, Raška, Prokuplje, Žitorađa, Kuršumlija, Vranje, Vlasotince, Bojnik, Medveđa, Lebane, Bujanovac and Vladičin Han. These projects aim to: improve women's health, empower them economically and increase their participation in decision-making, as well as suppress violence and promote gender equality in the local communities. All activities will be completed by March 2014.