In September, the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) sent letters to various ministries, issued statements, and undertook numerous actions to further gender equality and the rights of women and girls. 

KWN has submitted recommendations to ministries, municipalities, and budgetary organizations concerning Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB). These recommendations are based on research and concrete evidence regarding the needs for gender equality in Kosovo. KWN aims to ensure that budget processes are gender mainstreamed, thereby contributing to social justice and gender equality in the country. 

Letters sent: 

• Ministry of Justice: A letter was sent recommending sufficient funding for the Rape Crisis Center, treatment for survivors of sexual violence, an SOS line, social workers, shelters, and the implementation of the legal framework for gender-based violence, in compliance with the Istanbul Convention and national strategies. 

• Minister of Internal Affairs: A letter recommended funding for electronic monitoring systems (electronic bracelets) to protect survivors of gender-based violence. 

• Prosecution Council of Kosovo: A letter was submitted recommending an increase in the budget for the Office of Victim Protection and Assistance to provide adequate support for Victim Advocates in protecting survivors of gender-based violence. 

• Minister of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation: A letter recommended investment in the creation of public childcare centers and kindergartens, which would address unemployment needs and create approximately 9,899 new jobs, enabling more women to work and improving educational outcomes in line with the Barcelona Objectives. 

• Minister of Finance, Labor, and Transfers: A letter was sent recommending an increase in the budget for the Centers for Social Work to hire more social workers for cases of gender-based violence and to establish a permanent budget line for the Personal Assistance Scheme, along with increased wages for personal assistants of persons with disabilities to the minimum wage. 

KWN has produced a video outlining the recommendations sent to ministries, municipalities, and budget organizations concerning Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB)). KWN’s advocacy for these budget recommendations has garnered media attention. Elirjeta Beka, GRB Coordinator, was invited to discuss KWN’s recommendations on gender-responsive budgeting on the “Emisioni Sot” morning show on Kohavision. 

On September 16, the Women’s Economic Forum (FEG), of which KWN is a member, organized a protest in front of the Kosovo Government building. The protest called for the inclusion of the Labor Law in the Legislative Calendar, highlighting critical issues surrounding workers’ rights and aiming to improve working conditions for both women and men in Kosovo. This action reaffirmed our demand for enhanced employee rights, particularly for women, who often face challenging working conditions. 

On September 26, FEG issued a statement to the media announcing that various organizations, including the Kosovo Business Alliance, the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo, the Association of Private Preschool Institutions, the Information and Communication Technology Association i Kosovo (STIKK), ESNAF Association of Businessmen and Crafstmen Prizren, and the Center for Policy and Advocacy, have expressed their support for FEG. They agree that the Government must urgently include the Labor Law in the Legislative Calendar and emphasize the importance of involving FEG and business representatives in the drafting process. 

KWN, along with several other organizations, strongly supports the initiative by the “Elena Gjika” elementary school in Pristina to use the terms “Parent 1: and “Parent 2” on official forms. This initiative aims to promote equal involvement of both parents in the educational process of children and foster stronger parental cooperation in sharing responsibilities for their healthy development. 

KWN has expressed full solidarity with the technical staff of the Assembly of Kosovo, who are on strike demanding improved working conditions and higher wages. They are seeking a more dignified salary of 550 euros, up from their current salary of 275 euros. We emphasize the importance of their ongoing and essential work for the functioning of the Assembly. KWN supports their legitimate demands and stresses the need for fair treatment of workers at all levels. 

We will continue our advocacy and actions in the future, guided by our strategy!