Women and men must have equal power to shape society and their own lives. This is not only a human right, but also a matter of democracy and justice. Thus, as this Study shows, it is essential to go beyond silos and take an integrated approach to development interventions and gender equality.

Identifying and removing both structural and cultural barriers to participation of women in public and political life is a crucial step towards reducing gender inequality and pushing toward its elimination.

This publication has been developed as a part of the “Women in Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina” project, funded by Sweden and implemented by UNDP with UN Women. It demonstrates how these concepts can be applied in practice and suggests how to tackle root causes of gender inequality, activating agency and releasing the leadership potential of women, as well as addressing the last mile of gender-based exclusion.