{"id":1111338,"date":"2015-07-30T19:26:53","date_gmt":"2015-07-30T19:26:53","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2019-12-10T13:12:43","modified_gmt":"2019-12-10T13:12:43","slug":"kosovorsquos-new-law-on-gender-equality-the-good-the-bad-the-questionable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/womensnetwork.org\/sr\/kosovorsquos-new-law-on-gender-equality-the-good-the-bad-the-questionable\/","title":{"rendered":"Kosovo’s New Law on Gender Equality: The Good, The Bad, The Questionable"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Donjeta Morina and Nicole Farnsworth, Kosovo Women\u2019s Network<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Almost everyone seems to have an opinion about gender equality. For some, it is a \u201cnone issue\u201d: men and women are ostensibly equal. For others, men and women can never be equal because we are fundamentally, biologically different. Still oth<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Indicator<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Female<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Male<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Juvenile crime suspects<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2-4%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

96-8%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Property owners<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

7.9%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

83.4%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Persons repatriated (2010)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

22%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

78%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Presidents (ever)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

5<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Prime Ministers (ever)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

6<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

National Assembly Members<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

40<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

80<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Chairs of Assembly Committees<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

8<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Mayors<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

32<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Municipal Directors of Directorates<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

4.4%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

94.6%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Municipal Assembly Members<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

34%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

66%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Civil Service<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

38%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

60%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Gross Upper Secondary Enrolment<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

88%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

96%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Upper Secondary School Drop out<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

29%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

71%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Labour Force Participation Rate 2012<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

17.8%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

55%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Labour Force Participation Rate 2009<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

29%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

68%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Unemployment<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

40%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

28%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Youth Unemployment<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

63.8%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

52%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) 15-24 years<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

40%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

31%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Business owners<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

8.2%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

91.8%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Net income from Self Business<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

8%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

92%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Accounts at formal financial institutions<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

31%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

57%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

% of women and men suffering domestic violence in their lifetimes (2008)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

46.4%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

39.6%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Nr. and % of domestic violence victims\u00a0<\/span>(reported to police, 2013)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

869<\/span><\/p>\n

80%<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

220<\/span><\/p>\n

20%<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Source:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Country Gender Profile, 2014<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/span>ers believe that gender equality is important for the wellbeing of women and men, and that it has yet to be achievedAmid this debate, ample evidence exists that men, women, girls, and boys in Kosovo (and the world more broadly) are unequal (see table). Women are much less likely than men to own property or businesses, to be employed, to have bank accounts, to hold decision-making positions in government, or to live a life without violence. Men are more likely to drop out of secondary school early and to perpetrate violence. Indeed, gender equality is not only about women. It affects everyone.<\/span><\/div>\n
Even so, in Kosovo women tend to be marginalized and discriminated against socially, culturally, economically and politically in many more ways than men. Given the inequalities that exist among women and men, Kosovo arguably needs<\/i> affirmative measures towards creating a more equal society. This is what the new Law on Gender Equality seeks to accomplish: to \u201cguarantee, protect and promote equality between genders as a basic value of democratic development of society\u201d (Art. 1.1). It sets forth \u201cgeneral and specific measures to ensure and protect the equal rights of men and women, and defines the Institutions responsible and their competencies\u201d (Art 1.2).<\/div>\n
The new Law differs from the prior Law on Gender Equality Law (2004) in several important ways, summarized here.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
What\u2019s Good? (In KWN\u2019s Opinion)<\/b><\/div>\n