MDIF Western Balkans Fund has invested in Fempower, a Serbia-based community and media platform created to help women gain financial independence, career opportunities and a safe space to grow both professionally and personally.
Founded by Anja Stanišić, a respected media leader with more than 20 years of experience heading some of Serbia’s most influential publications, Fempower emerged from her long-standing work with women – in newsrooms, in the entrepreneurship programs she helped develop and through three regional Fempower conferences that brought together more than 500 women and over 100 lecturers.
The MDIF Western Balkans Fund investment will support the launch of Fempower’s full platform: magazine, portal, the Women on Women podcast, a job marketplace tailored specifically for women and the BizLaunch Hub for women starting and scaling their own businesses. These tools aim to give women something they rarely have: concrete, actionable pathways toward independence and long-term stability.
“For us at the Western Balkans Fund, this investment is about backing a mission that has been missing in Serbia – a credible, purpose-driven media space that puts women’s economic independence at the centre. Anja has the experience, the integrity and the community trust to build something that can truly shift the landscape,” said Jelena Milošević, MDIF Program Director for Southeast Europe.
Founder Anja Stanišić added:
“Women often carry the biggest transitions in life alone – career shifts, entrepreneurship, divorce, rebuilding after violence. Fempower was created so women have guidance, community and opportunities in one place. This support from the Western Balkans Fund gives us the chance to build a platform that genuinely helps women move forward.”
With a model that blends media, education, events and community engagement, Fempower is positioned to become a leading platform for women’s empowerment and economic participation in the region.