Towards a Gender Equal World: the EU Gender Action Plan III

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• Gender marker: G1-Promotes gender equality as a significant objective

• Period of implementation: 2019 - 2022 

• Amount: EUR 600,492

• Geographical area: Western Balkans and Türkiye

• Implementing partners: Kosovo Women's Network, Organisation of People with Muscular Dystrophy, Ruka Ruci, European Women Lawyers Association 

• Links to the project:

  • https://womensnetwork.org/more-than-300-women-and-girls-discussed-the-priorities-that-reflect-the-budget-planning-for-2023/ 

  • https://womensnetwork.org/kwn-continues-its-campaign-to-strengthen-womens-participation-in-politics-vote-for-equality/ 

  • https://womensnetwork.org/programs/women-in-politics-and-decision-making/ 

• GAP III’s Areas:

  • Gender-Based Violence

  • Economic and social empowerment

  • Equal participation and leadership

Women’s rights and equal opportunities for all have long been neglected in Kosovo. Organisations such as the Kosovo Women’s Network, academic figures, and individual activists have been combining efforts to advocate for greater gender equality in politics with a cross-cutting approach using targeted funding, solidarity and awareness-raising, education, mentoring and many other tools. 

These tools include international efforts such as the EU-supported Strengthening Women's Participation in Politics project. The EU and its partners believe that gender equality is a fundamental human right and that women's participation in democracy and elections is crucial. Hence, the project mobilised hundreds of organisations, and women politicians from diverse backgrounds to strengthen civic engagement, and inclusive participatory democracy, fight stereotypes and ultimately increase women´s participation in politics and decision-making in Kosovo. 

The project worked towards the implementation of Kosovo´s Gender Equality Law, and addressed obstacles to women’s participation in politics, including socialised gender stereotypes that suggest women are not sufficiently qualified or capable to be political leaders; political parties’ resistance to include women; low levels of funding and minimal media coverage for women politicians; women’s time constraints due to care responsibilities at home; and weak connections with constituents.

Activities included training and mentoring of women-led civil society organisations and women politicians, developing relations between women’s networks in Kosovo and Europe, and outreach directed at better media coverage of women politicians, door-to-door campaigning to support “Vote for more Women”, as well as the promotion of women citizens engagement, especially those from marginalised groups.

The project reached many people, primarily by strengthening 194 local women-led organisations, particularly those serving marginalised women. In addition, 2,350 women and men, Kosovo Lobbies for Gender Equality, 1,700 diverse women activists, women municipal assembly members, Gender Equality Officers and others benefitted from the project. 1,000 women politicians such as parliamentarians also took part in trainings and mentoring sessions. Awareness-raising campaigns also reached government officials at local and central levels, as well as the general public. 

As a result of the project, women, empowered by the EU, have been involved in decision-making at various levels. For instance, in the 2021 parliamentary elections, 43 women were elected MPs (four more than in 2019), 34 of whom won seats through the popular vote. A female candidate received the most votes of any political candidate in Kosovo´s history, and over 60% of female citizens participated in the elections. The Kosovo government appointed two women as deputy prime ministers, and 5 women out of 15 ministries (an increase from 18.8% in the last elections to 33.3% in 2021). In the 2021 local elections, two Serbian women were elected as mayors and 364 women were elected to municipal assemblies, while two Ashkali and Egyptian women and a woman with different abilities were elected to municipal assemblies, showing improvement in their representation compared to prior years. 

This EU investment in greater women's representation and voice, in representative democracy sets the basis for greater equality and equal opportunities between men and women. 

“We are thankful for the EU’s support to Women’s participation in politics, and we hope that it will continue in the future beyond the project to continue this dialogue, as we are committed to making long-term changes happen.”  Nermin Mahmuti, chair of the Kosovo Women’s Network Board / Executive Director of the Community Development Fund