Apply for Engaging Media and Faith-Based Organizations (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

The United Nations Global Marketplace initiative is seeking applications to strengthen collaboration between media and faith-based organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina to prevent gender-based violence and promote gender equality. The programme focuses on improving communication practices, survivor protection, and coordinated action among key societal actors to address discrimination and violence against women and girls.

The assignment is implemented within an EU IPA–funded framework and aligns with European Union Delegation requirements for implementation, monitoring, and reporting.

About the Initiative

This programme is designed to enhance structured cooperation between media professionals, faith-based institutions, and gender equality stakeholders. It supports analytical research, capacity building, and the development of practical tools that improve how gender-based violence is reported, communicated, and addressed in public and community settings.

The initiative is managed through the United Nations Global Marketplace in coordination with UN Women and EU-funded programme structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Purpose of the Programme

The main objective is to strengthen coordinated action between media and faith-based actors to prevent gender-based violence and promote gender equality.

Key objectives include:

• Preventing and reducing gender-based violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Eliminating discrimination against women and girls
• Strengthening survivor protection and trauma-informed approaches
• Improving responsible and ethical media reporting on GBV
• Engaging faith-based organizations in gender equality efforts
• Promoting human rights–based communication aligned with international standards
• Supporting institutional and community-level collaboration

Scope of Work

The assignment includes a structured set of analytical, capacity-building, and tool-development activities.

Key components include:

• Stakeholder mapping of media professionals and faith-based institutions
• Analysis of religious communities, interfaith platforms, and humanitarian organizations
• Assessment of communication practices related to GBV reporting and messaging
• Development of media guidelines for responsible GBV reporting
• Creation of survivor-centered and trauma-informed communication standards
• Design of a faith-sensitive messaging framework for religious leaders
• Development of practical communication tools aligned with human rights principles

Capacity Building and Engagement Activities

The programme includes structured training and dialogue sessions to support implementation of developed tools.

Key activities include:

• Three capacity-building and dialogue sessions
• Joint engagement between media professionals and faith-based actors
• Training on responsible reporting and communication practices
• Guidance on integrating gender equality principles into messaging
• Facilitated collaboration supported logistically by UN Women
• Contractor-led facilitation, reporting, and documentation

Focus Areas

The initiative addresses several interconnected thematic areas:

• Gender-based violence prevention and response
• Gender equality and women’s empowerment
• Survivor protection and ethical communication
• Responsible media reporting and language use
• Engagement of faith-based and religious institutions
• Interreligious dialogue and community engagement
• Human rights–based communication frameworks
• Institutional capacity building and collaboration

Funding and Programme Context

The assignment is implemented under the EU IPA Gender and Social Assistance Programme framework.

Key contextual elements include:

• EU IPA funding structure supporting gender equality initiatives
• Alignment with European Union Delegation monitoring and reporting standards
• Integration with UN Women programme implementation mechanisms
• Focus on long-term institutional capacity building and collaboration

Eligible Service Providers

Applications are open to organizations with demonstrated expertise in relevant fields.

Eligible applicants must demonstrate:

• At least five years of organizational experience in media, communications, GBV prevention, or faith-based engagement
• Experience in at least two relevant projects involving guideline development or communication frameworks related to gender equality or GBV prevention in the past five years
• At least three years of experience managing complex, multi-deliverable projects
• Capacity to conduct analytical assessments, develop guidelines, and facilitate multi-stakeholder processes

Preferred expertise includes:

• Gender equality programming
• Media ethics and communication strategy
• Faith-based community engagement
• Human rights–based programming approaches
• Policy or guideline development in GBV-related contexts

Expected Outputs

The assignment is expected to deliver practical and policy-relevant outputs, including:

• Comprehensive stakeholder mapping report
• Analytical assessment of media and faith-based communication practices
• Media guidelines for responsible GBV reporting
• Faith-sensitive messaging framework for religious leaders
• Capacity-building session reports and documentation
• Recommendations for improved cross-sector collaboration

Selection Criteria

Applications are typically evaluated based on:

• Technical expertise in gender-based violence prevention and communication
• Experience with multi-stakeholder coordination projects
• Quality and feasibility of proposed methodology
• Relevance of prior experience in guideline development
• Capacity for research, facilitation, and reporting
• Understanding of human rights–based communication approaches

Importance of the Programme

This initiative strengthens coordinated societal responses to gender-based violence by addressing communication practices and institutional collaboration.

Key impacts include:

• Improved quality and safety of media reporting on GBV cases
• Greater engagement of faith-based institutions in gender equality efforts
• Stronger survivor-centered communication practices
• Enhanced collaboration between media, faith, and civil society actors
• Development of sustainable communication frameworks
• Reinforced human rights–based public discourse

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the purpose of this initiative?
  It aims to improve collaboration between media and faith-based organizations to prevent gender-based violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Who is managing the programme?
  The United Nations Global Marketplace in coordination with UN Women and EU-funded programme structures.
• What activities are included?
  Stakeholder mapping, guideline development, communication frameworks, and capacity-building sessions.
• How many training sessions are planned?
  Three capacity-building and dialogue sessions.
• Who can apply?
  Organizations with at least five years of relevant experience in media, communications, GBV prevention, or faith-based engagement.
• What outputs are expected?
  Reports, guidelines, messaging frameworks, and capacity-building documentation.

Conclusion

The UN Global Marketplace initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina strengthens collaboration between media and faith-based organizations to address gender-based violence through improved communication practices, analytical research, and capacity building. By developing responsible reporting guidelines, faith-sensitive messaging frameworks, and structured dialogue processes, the programme promotes safer, more inclusive, and human rights–aligned public communication systems.