From 11-19 November, the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) participated in the European Union (EU) Advocacy Week, an annual practice organised with support from the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation.

These days involved fruitful discussions with the EU regarding its commitments to and engagement in furthering gender equality in the Western Balkans (WB) and beyond.

During these meetings, KWN member and partner organisations from the region advocated jointly and individually regarding several issues crucial to furthering gender equality and addressing issues undermining women’s rights in the WB.

KWN along with two member organisations, the Kosovo Centre for Gender Studies (KGSC) and Mitrovica Women Association for Human Rights (MWAHR), prepared and reported together on developments and shortcomings related to:

• Gender-based violence, especially in the context of COVID-19;
• Gender-based discrimination in labour;
• The lack of women in politics and decision-making processes;
• The Women, Peace and Security Agenda and lack of involvement of women’s civil society organisations (WCSOs) and diverse women in all levels of the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue; and
• The EU Accession process from a gender perspective, focusing on the European Commission’s (EC) Kosovo Report 2021, the EU Gender Action Plan III (GAP III) and the Country level Implementation Plan (CLIP) for implementing GAP III in Kosovo.

Key meetings were with:

• Member of Parliament (MEP) Malin Björk;
• Djordje Bojovic, Assistant to MEP Viola Von Cramon – Taubadel (Greens Rapporteur for Kosovo, Delegation to Serbia)   
• New Acting Director of the Western Balkans Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) Michela Matuella;
• Director General Desk Officers – Gabriella Francis – Rule of Law and Politics in Kosovo, DG NEAR and Plamena Halacheva – The Head of European Integration, Political Affairs, Media and Information Section at the EU Delegation to Montenegro;
• DG NEAR Official; and
• Charlotte Isaksson, Gender Adviser, European External Action Service (EEAS).

During discussions, Plamena Halachevapraised KWN and its members’ continuous engagement in this process and asked KWN to share further recommendations for continuously improving gender mainstreaming throughout all sectors of the EC Report.

Moreover, DG NEAR Official ez –highlighted KWN’s best practices utilised in supporting the EU Delegation in Kosovo in drafting the CLIP.

“The work of KWN with CLIPs could be the best experience in the region, as well as for other world countries,” she said. “KWN has been working hard for such a long time now with the EU Delegation in Kosovo. They know how the Delegation works, the challenges that exist and what can be done to solve these challenges, as well as to address the requirements related to gender equality.”

Other EU representatives also congratulated KWN, KGSC and MWAHR for their hard work. They considered WCSOs’ work as substantially important to improving the gender perspective in all sectors and fields.

KWN is thankful to the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation for supporting WCSOs in their endeavours and advocacy for women’s rights in the WB. The EU and Sida also have supported to KWN in terms of supporting activists’ time to research and prepare evidenced-based policy proposals for informing the EU Accession process from a gender perspective.