Kosovo Women’s Network, along with member organizations, has sent recommendations for the 2023 European Commission Report, as they do every year. The main recommendations, among others, include the request for the harmonization of the Labor Law with the EU Directive on Life-Work Balance, the treatment of gender-based violence as a matter of the rule of law, and the harmonization of the legal framework with the Istanbul Convention.

Additionally, there has been a request to harmonize the legal framework in Kosovo with the Law on Gender Equality, including the Law on General Elections and Local Elections. Due to ongoing funding problems, organizations have requested the inclusion of sustainable funding for social work centers, shelters, and the implementation of the Family Violence Protection Strategy.

One of the recommendations is the integration of a gender perspective in reporting and addressing issues related to the well-being of persons with disabilities, as well as strengthening the language regarding the commitments required for the advancement of gender equality in Kosovo.

The organizations that participated in the drafting of the recommendations, at the same time members of the Kosovo Women’s Network, are: Kosovo Center for Gender Studies (QKSGJ), Center of Partners for Conflict Management – Partners Kosova, Organization of Persons with Muscular Dystrophy of Kosovo (OPDMK) and the Mitrovica Women’s Association for Human Rights (MWAHR).

If the recommendations are included in the European Commission’s Report on Kosovo, changes and reforms in laws and policies in Kosovo can be encouraged, improving the lives of its citizens. Therefore, the recommendations for the European Commission Report are important tools for civil society and women’s organizations in Kosovo to influence decision-making processes and improve living conditions in the country.