Dear Members of the Municipal Assemblies of Kosovo 

Through the review and approval of the municipal budget, Municipal Assembly members play an important role in ensuring that public resources respond to citizens’ needs and priorities. 

Before approving the 2027 Annual Budget, the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), a network of 106 diverse women’s organisations, including those working in your municipality, asks for you to ensure that the municipal budget prioritises citizens’ needs. Based on evidence from KWN’s extensive research and recommendations already sent to the municipal government for the 2027 Annual Budget, we kindly ask for your support in ensuring budget allocations for the following priorities: 

• Ensure adequate financing for Centres for Social Work so that women survivors of violence, children, persons with disabilities, and other service beneficiaries receive adequate care and case management. Please strongly advocate  for budget allocations for at least two additional social workers certified to handle cases of gender-based violence, as provided for in the State Protocol for the Treatment of Sexual Violence Cases. The additional cost would amount to approximately €18,120 per year, which is a small price cost compared to citizens’ wellbeing.1 If needed, also budget for a vehicle to facilitate visits and support for people in need.  

• Allocate an Emergency Fund of €100 per month and €1,200 annually for Centres for Social Work to address emergency cases assisted at police stations (e.g., food, clothing, diapers, and baby formula), based on National Strategy for Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence against Women (2022-2026).  

• Plan a budget to expand the provision of care services for children, elderly and disability care services, which will create new jobs, improve educational outcomes and children’s employment opportunities, transform women’s unpaid work into paid work and enable more women to enter the labour market, contributing to economic development and improved family wellbeing. 

• Increase the number of school psychologists and personal assistants for persons with disabilities, ensuring quality care. Ensure access to menstrual products as part of hygiene supplies in schools, so that all girls can afford to attend school regularly. 

• Ensure access to healthcare services for women in rural areas, including reproductive healthcare. 

• Allocate agricultural subsidies and grants earmarked for women. 

• Plan a budget to improve access to public transportation in rural areas, which can facilitate women’s access to education, employment and participation in public life. Ensure accessible and safe infrastructure, including public lighting, pavements, ramps and other accessibility measures. 

• Make more equitable budget allocations for women and girls’ participation in sports and other municipal activities. 

We hope for your personal support and engagement in bringing forward these recommendations during municipal assembly debates.  

Finally, we would like to recall that Law No. 05/L-020 on Gender Equality requires municipalities to undertake gender responsive budgeting throughout all stages of budget planning, approval, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. This means that budgets should address the needs of diverse women, men, girls and boys, based on analysis and evidence of their needs. Related, the Budget Circular requires the municipality to submit a Gender Annex with the 2027 Annual Budget. Based on these obligations, please ensure that the 2027 Annual Budget includes gender analysis and sex-disaggregated data, as well as clear objectives for advancing gender equality and budget allocations linked to these objectives, detailed within the Gender Budget Annex. If it does not, we kindly as you to request clarification from the government, including all municipal directorates, asking them to provide you with this information the mandatory Gender Budget Annex, for your review and approval. 

KWN remains ready to cooperate with you throughout the budget process. We would be pleased to meet with you to discuss these recommendations in greater detail, provide additional evidence from our research, and, as needed, support the implementation of gender-responsive budgeting during the 2027 Annual Budget process, and in the future. 

Thank you for your support and cooperation. 

Sincerely,  

The Kosovo Women’s Network