SARAJEVO, March 13 (FENA) – The US government, through the USAID Project for the Development of Sustainable Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina and UN Women in BiH organized today a conference entitled ‘Women in Tourism: breaking down barriers, shaping the future’.

This was the first conference of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through panel discussions and informative presentations, it brought together leading actors of the tourism sector, as well as representatives of USAID BiH and UN Women BiH.

By emphasizing the role of women in the tourism sector, the goal is to encourage changes in the tourism industry for the economic empowerment of women and to promote inclusivity and diversity in the tourism sector.

The UN Women in BiH program specialist Amna Muharemović says that USAID and UN Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina have joined forces to work on the implementation of principles for the empowerment of women in the tourism sector. Women, as she said, make up the majority of the workforce in the tourism sector, and are a minority in decision-making areas.

“The principles of empowering women in the tourism sector are aimed at contributing to better working conditions, empowering women in terms of promoting them in decision-making positions and strengthening the sector as a whole,” Muharemović told the media before the start of the conference.

The USAID/BiH Mission Director Courtney Chubb emphasizes the role of women in the tourism sector, some of them told their inspiring stories to the participants of today’s meeting, and perhaps motivated other women to join the sector.

As she said, today’s event was also a call for leaders in that sector and policy-makers, but also local communities to support women and help them to further strengthen their role and overcome the obstacles that stand in their way to prove themselves in their full capacity.

“When women progress, so does the business community and society as a whole. The goal of the conference was to show how much women can do in the tourism sector, and then to make it a model for all other sectors that will help BiH economy rely on women and help them in their work,” she said.

The conference ‘Women in Tourism: breaking down barriers, shaping the future’ is followed by the Fair of Products and Handicrafts, organized by the USAID Project for the Development of Sustainable Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina and UN Women in BiH, gathering female participants that come from the field of tourism and rural development.