On March 14, 2025, the city of Loznica hosted an inspiring event titled Women’s Ethno Hub, organised within the traditional March meetings named “Women’s World”. The event was part of the WIN awareness-raising campaign and marked the official introduction of the pilot activities to be implemented in the region.
The event was organised by the “Vuk Karadžić” Culture Centre, the Association of Business Women Loznica, Kreativna vizija and the Association of Business Women in Serbia, with the support of TOGL.
The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including project partners, representatives from the public and private sectors, the National Employment Service, women’s associations from across Serbia and neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, and numerous local entrepreneurs.
The panel discussion, moderated by Dragana Panajotović created a space for exchanging experiences and discussing the challenges and opportunities for women in the local labour market. The participants had the opportunity to hear the stories of successful entrepreneurs and learn about the journey they had been on, which had not always been easy.
Women who produce handicrafts and ethnic products, home-made crafts or food products, organised the sales exhibition, with a view to also establishing contact with representatives of three large companies in Loznica, so that these products might eventually be included in their range of corporate gifts.
The aim of the event was to to inform, encourage and motivate as many women as possible to become economically independent, playing an active part in the city’s economic life.
And whilst their mothers – potential participants in the training and pilot project – attended the event, the children had the opportunity to socialise and have fun at a workshop called Creative Kindergarten organised for them in the hall of the Cultural Centre. Given that young women often have no one to look after their children whilst they are in training, one of the ideas for the planned pilot is to support them in this way by running workshops for children, a sort of ad hoc nursery, which became standard practice during the implementation of the project.
Until the end of this year, during the period from April to December 2025, Women from Loznica and the surrounding area, including suburban settlements and rural areas, will come together and network within the WOMEN’S ETHNO HUB. The pilot scheme is organised as part of the WIN project in the Loznica area, with the aim of empowering women and improving their position through three key social innovations:
- Training in digital marketing using AI tools, through the intergenerational collaboration between middle-aged and older women who produce handicrafts and traditional (ethnic) products, and young women who will support them in promoting and improving the presentation of these products on social media.
- Training courses on the circular economy and capacity building for women, owners or members of family-run, ethnic and tourist households and farms, with a view to developing rural and health tourism.
- Support for setting up social enterprises.
This event not only marked a vibrant celebration of women’s achievements and potential, but also paved the way for meaningful, long-term change through WIN’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable development in peripheral industrial regions.
For further details and upcoming events in Loznica, keep an eye on the websites and social media channels of ABW Serbia, TOGL, and ABW Creative Vision.