On 15 March 2016, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (MESP), Ministry of Finance (MoF) and Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) launched a new initiative to institutionalize Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) within MTI and MESP. This initiative is being supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Partnerships for Development (PFD). 
    Her Excellency Atifete Jahjaga, President of the Republic of Kosovo, participated in the launching event. She congratulated the aforementioned ministries, USAID PFD and KWN for starting this project in close cooperation. 
    “Often we have said that Kosovo has a legal infrastructure that guarantees gender equality, but we have identified and seen that its implementation in practice is one of our weak points,” President Jahjaga said. “Gender Responsive Budgeting now is part of our country’s legislative framework, which requires all public institutions, at both the central and local level, to integrate gender equality into the planning of development policies and the spending of public money.” 
    Building on this, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Avdullah Hoti, talked about how more spending could, for example, be spent on key state-building factors like education in an equal way. 
     The Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms. Hykmete Bajrami, focused on women, civil society and the importance of a participatory, democratic budget planning process. 
“Women need to become part of every phase of budgetary planning,” Minister Bajrami said. “Working together on this with civil society is of vital importance.” 
    The Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Mr. Ferid Agani, praised President Jahjaga for her dedicated promotion of important themes like these throughout her mandate. He stated that he is curious to see what the GRB analysis will bring to his ministry and the effect it can have on environmental and spatial planning. 
The, USAID Mission Director James Hope expressed his honor to be among such powerful speakers who have taken on the initiative to further equity in Kosovo. 
Lastly, Igballe Rogova, KWN Executive Director remarked, “For ten years KWN has mentioned that change happens when three forces unite: government, donors and civil society. Today we prove that this is possible.” 
    In upcoming months, KWN will work closely with these ministries, providing tailored technical support towards institutionalizing GRB.