Anja Stanišić: FEMPIRIA, Because every woman matters – and her story matters.

Exactly twenty years after I entered the world of media professionally (not counting the magazines I “published” in elementary school or editing the school paper in high school – if we counted those, we’d already be at thirty), it finally happened: I am publishing my own magazine.

But how – and even more importantly, why?

In short: because I believe women deserve this kind of media, and because this media deserves women.

For many reasons, I wanted Fempiria to live both in print and online – and eventually, to become much more than that. My hope is that, with your morning coffee, our online stories inspire you, motivate you, and never overwhelm, frighten, or make you feel less than enough.
And the print edition… that one is deeply personal. Print was my first love. But more than sentiment, I wanted you to see – everywhere you go, on beautiful glossy pages – the faces of the incredible women we spoke with. That’s why each of them is on the cover of this issue (and every issue to come): because every one of them matters, and every one of their stories matters. We simply want to give them a platform to tell it.

My wish is that in every piece you read in Fempiria, you find exactly what you need. Maybe it entertains you, maybe it ignites something in you; maybe you embrace some of the lessons, maybe you gently set others aside. What matters is that you read with openness – and approach each woman’s story the way you would want others to approach yours: with kindness and the best intentions.

What you will not find here is judgment. Not of you, and not of any other woman.

We are here to grow a community built on encouragement and forward momentum – to prove that women are not each other’s wolves, but allies.

And by the time you hold the next issue (in six months), we hope another important part of our platform will already be launched – one designed to support women striving for a better place in the job market, whether they’re searching for new opportunities or building something of their own. We want to become the platform you can lean on at any moment in your life.

None of this would have happened without an extraordinary network of women that keeps expanding every day. I want to especially thank Nataša, who edited this issue from cover to cover; Hana, who bravely took on Fempiria.rs; Tanja, who designs faster and better than anyone I know; and of course Mirjana, my long-time partner in organizing Fempower conferences and entrepreneurship trainings.
And finally, my heartfelt gratitude goes to MDIF, without whose recognition and support this magazine would not exist. Now it’s up to us to prove that their trust was worth it.

I’m grateful to you in advance – because I truly believe you’ll make this journey easier.

Anja Stanišić