While we are on the eve of local elections, Kosovo municipalities are dealing with the budget drafting for 2022, in which case they have the obligation to organize public consultations with citizens.

When earmarking the budget, municipalities must implement the Law on Gender Equality , which makes gender responsive budgeting mandatory for public institutions in Kosovo, including municipalities.

Therefore, based on the recommendations received from KWN member organizations, as well as our research findings, we have summarized the key points that should be addressed to municipalities during public consultations regarding budget drafting. Only by taking into consideration these recommendations can we ensure that public money contributes to the further advancement of gender equality in Kosovo, bearing in mind that the government is committed to this through several laws and policies. The main requirements are listed below, and the document with all the requirements you can find HERE. 

• Allocate sufficient resources, based on gender analysis and gender-responsive budgeting, to fully implement municipal responsibilities to address all forms of gender-based violence, especially in terms of rehabilitation and reintegration into society (as shown by findings from KWN’s From Words to Action”, research there were no sufficient recourses so far). For example, allocate a sufficient budget for more social service staff and implement a rehabilitation case management plan.
• Provide shelter facilities / buildings in municipalities where they are not available, as well as provide social housing for persons who have suffered gender-based violence.
• Allocate funds to increase the number of child care centers and pre-school centers in proportion to the number of children in need at the local level. It will also increase children’s educational performance, help create new jobs, and enable more women to enter the workforce, according to KWN research.
• Provide from the budget of the Directorate of Education at the local level that teachers at the levels of Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary Education be trained on gender-sensitive teaching
• Provide sufficient budget for the provision of reproductive health services in all municipalities.
• Approve fiscal policies and incentives to develop women’s businesses, including in the agricultural sector. The municipality should analyze the main obstacles faced by women’s businesses during and after the pandemic, as well as develop policies that would help overcome these obstacles.
• Increase the number of inspectors or build the capacity of current inspectors to develop a gender-responsive Do no Harm approach through interventions to combat the informal economy.

The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) has been striving and working for years to institutionalize gender responsive budgeting, which requires that the funds spent address the different needs and priorities of women and men, as identified by the gender analysis.

HERE you can read the practical guide developed by KWN for Gender Responsive Budgeting at the Local Level.