Female Forward

BAZA 2025: Encouraging women to reshape their societies

The tradition of gatherings among women from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia, who wish to enhance their political, societal, and personal engagement, continued for the third consecutive year within the framework of “BAZA – Balkanska Ženska Akademija“. Once again, the “conductor’s baton” of the Academy was confidently held by Joanna Burnos, an inspiring and empathetic trainer from Poland and our director of BAZA.

The first BAZA session took place in April in Crikvenica, Croatia, fostering connections and introductions among participants while encouraging deep and personal sharing of their life stories. Joanna was strongly supported in her role as trainer by Ivana Fundurulić, and notably by Marijana Puljak, Member of the Croatian Parliament, who gave an impressive account of the origins and development of her political journey. Starting as a mother advocating for the construction of a local school for children in her neighbourhood, she has become one of the most respected speakers in the Croatian Parliament.

The second session in the Bosnian mountain resort of Jahorina began with a fireside chat with Sabina Ćudić, also a Member of Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, who shared her political and personal journey with the participants. Joanna, together with Jasmina Mršo, led workshops that not only focused on developing communication skills but also on strengthening the bonds among participants. The days on Jahorina were marked by an atmosphere of mutual trust and encouragement, enabling participants to openly discuss their challenges in political and civic engagement while supporting each other in finding solutions.

The final part of the BAZA program, held near Ruma, Serbia, once again demonstrated that the connections formed among participants over the three shared weekends had grown even stronger, both during the program and in informal settings. On both Friday and Saturday, participants socialized and exchanged experiences late into the night. This time, Vukosava Crnjanski, the highly respected director of CRTA - one of the largest NGOs in Serbia - went beyond her role as a trainer, contributing significantly to the experience. As a special guest, ALDE Vice President Lucia Plavakova from the Slovak Republic shared her experience as a self-made politician who managed to break into the male-dominated realm of politics. The brief, heartfelt, and powerful closing speeches delivered by participants were clear indicators that this year’s BAZA Academy not only upheld the high standards of previous classes, but also enriched alumnae community, bringing the total number of members in this growing network to 35.