Six regional partnerships selected under the 1st GEFund Open Call
The Western Balkans Fund is pleased to announce the six projects selected under the first Open Call of the Gender Equality Fund for the Western Balkans (GEFund) — one from each Contracting Party of the Western Balkans Six.
The response to this first Call was extraordinary. 269 applications were submitted, bringing together 785 organisations from across the region in regional partnerships. Together they requested €10.15 million against an available envelope of €240,000.
The response speaks for itself. Across the Western Balkans, gender equality is treated as a priority that cannot wait, and regional cooperation as the way to advance it. The ideas, the partnerships and the capacity are already there.
The six selected projects span four of the Call’s six priority areas: the empowerment of women in economic and public life and in decision-making positions; gender equality and cyber space; gender equality and protection from violence; and actions countering anti-gender backlash and narratives. Between them they connect civil society organisations, media associations and sports organisations across all six Contracting Parties, and address digital safety for women journalists, women’s participation in early-stage investment, housing for women survivors of violence, cyber security and responsible AI, women’s leadership in sport, and public resilience to anti-gender disinformation.
Each project was assessed through a multi-phase process: an administrative and eligibility check, an assessment against the OECD DAC Gender Equality Marker, individual expert evaluation, and an Evaluation Panel convened at the WBF Secretariat with external evaluators of Swisspeace. The final list was approved by the WBF Committee of Senior Officials.
The Panel recommended a portfolio that, taken together, advances the objective of the Call. The result reflects that: six projects, thematically distinct, each rooted in a genuine regional partnership.
Contracting with the selected organisations is now underway, with implementation expected to begin in the autumn.
Should you wish to receive feedback on your application, please write to us by 21st of August at info@westernbalkansfund.org and we will be glad to provide you with the feedback.
GEFund is a dedicated mechanism established within the Western Balkans Fund with the commitment of the WB6 under the 2025 Berlin Process. It is implemented and co-funded by the Western Balkans Fund, and co-funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the European Union.