On June 12, the Women Economic Forum addressed a letter to the Kosovo Assembly MPs asking them not to pass the current draft Labour Law in parliament.

The Women Economic Forum considers that the current Labor law draft, which excludes all forms of regulating maternity leave, paternity leave, and parental leave, leaves women vulnerable to the labor market, and does not include a gender equality perspective.

This draft law in its current format is a serious threat to the well-being of women.

Given the urgent need to support 12% of women active in the labor market, in line with the National Development Strategy, the Women Economic Forum has presented the three following recommendations:

• To include maternity leave, paternity leave and parental leave within the Labor Law
• To include in the Labor Law the provision of breastfeeding hours in order to offer women protection to be breastfeeding infants during the first six months of childbirth, in accordance with EU directives
• To transpose the concept of self-employment by adding a paragraph that would clarify the following:

“Self-employed parents who conduct economic activities for the purpose of profit, on their own account, are entitled to maternity leave and parental leave, same as employed parents.”

To read the full letter sent to MPs, click HERE.

Women’s Economic Forum is an independent body, which is comprehensive and unifying, which gathers around itself stakeholders, organizations and individuals of society that have an interest, play an active part and are engaged in the development of women in the economy. The Forum is jointly founded by eleven organizations throughout Kosovo that are actively involved in improving the position of women in Kosovo.

Members:

Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN)

Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN)

Riinvest Institute

Kosovar Gender Studies Center (KGSC)

Democracy for Development (D4D)

Shoqata e Grave “Medica Gjakova”

Center for the Protection and Rehabilitation of Women and Children “Liria”

Women for Women

The Network of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Women’s Organizations (RROGRAEK)

Women’s Business Association SHE-ERA.