In the municipality of Blace, two thirds of the population is engaged in agriculture, but a small number of women have the opportunity to start a business or expand their own production.

"We had to undertake certain steps to slightly empower those women who live in underdeveloped environments, to push them a little, in the sense of being the initiators themselves. Women are the bearers of households, families, so we just wanted to provide them a step forward," said Suzana Veljovic, Assistant to the President of the Municipality of Blace for Social Activities.

In addition to training and awarding greenhouses, with the purpose of introducing and explaining to women that the work in a greenhouse is not too complicated, but quite profitable, a visit to the Municipality of Vlasotince was organized, which is a leader in greenhouse production.

"Women who have not been involved in this kind of production before were able to see how people do it there, how they do the protection, in which way the land is cultivated, and what fertilizers they are using. This support means a lot, it represents a kind of an independence of women, like the wind in the back to move forward, for women to produce in their household and provide a better existence for their family, while being economically stronger", says Sanja Miletić, project beneficiary from the village of Rašica.

Watch a short video on the impact of the project on some of the beneficieres.

The project of the Municipality of Blace is one of 26 projects supported within the public call under the slogan "Let's Make Equality a Reality", by which the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss PRO Programme supported local self-governments to strengthen local mechanisms for gender equality.

More information on results of supported projects can be found in the Fact Sheet.