On 8 Apr., 40 entities signed the National Platform of Women Entrepreneurs in the Republic of Kosova. Signatories included NGOs, women’s associations, business associations, networks, education and training institutions and media.

The signing followed a prior workshop in which they developed the platform, held on 22 Mar. The main strategies for economic growth identified in the Platform include public-private partnership, gender equality and creating networks of entrepreneurs and business associations.

A voluntary, informal group working for the development and promotion of women entrepreneurs in Kosova, as well as the elimination of all kinds of gender discrimination leads the implementation of the Platform.
“This is the first time such a Platform has been created in Kosova,” said a representative from Women’s Business Association SHE-ERA. “It’s all based directly on the needs of women entrepreneurs and conforms with EU laws and regulations.”

The Platform was created based on the Small Business Act for Europe (derived from Women Entrepreneurs Indicators of Istanbul), the Pristina Principles (the Women’s Economic Empowerment section, from the Presidential Summit of the Republic of Kosova), the National Strategy for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (2012-2020), the Law on Gender Equality, the Kosovo Program for Gender Equality, the Kosovo Action Plan for the Economic Empowerment of Women 2011-2013, as well as the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

The Platform aims to promote women entrepreneurs in the Republic of Kosova through public and private partnerships. It seeks to help women overcome barriers to entrepreneurship and to eliminate all forms of gender discrimination.

This initiative is being undertaken in nine EU pre-accession countries in South East Europe. It is supported by the Kingdom of Sweden and implemented by the South Eastern European Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (SEECEL), Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and Gender Task Force (GTF) for South East Europe.

The partners implementing the project in Kosova are Women’s Business Association SHE-ERA and Network “Qeliza”.