On International Women’s Day, we acknowledge the progress made over the years for the advancement of women rights, while also reflecting on what still needs to be done. All over the world, barriers to achieve equality between women and men persist. Kosovo is no exception.
Women in Kosovo face numerous challenges: limited access to property and resources, disproportionate childcare and family responsibilities, greater exposure to harassment, discrimination in recruitment, and expectations based on stereotypes. These factors contribute to the strikingly uneven participation of women in the labour market in Kosovo, where only around 20% are employed.
Additionally, women are overrepresented in the informal economy, often in lower-paid jobs. The number of women entrepreneurs is marginal and women continue to be underrepresented in decision-making positions in both the public and the private sector.
This is not only concerning, but it also represents an impediment for the overall economic development of Kosovo. At the risk of sounding overambitious, I would encourage everyone in Kosovo to mark International Women’s Day 2025 by focusing on how greater inclusion of women in the labour market can contribute to Kosovo’s economic growth and progress.
**The Growth Plan and the opportunities it offers**
Since my arrival a few months ago, many of my discussions with authorities, civil society and partners have focused on the need to advance the functioning of the market economy, employment policies, and working conditions. The Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, with more than EUR 880 million earmarked for Kosovo, aims to drive overall economic development. It also includes clear provisions on advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls.
It is important for Kosovo to make full use of the Growth Plan to achieve economic equality, as inclusive growth and progress will be difficult without it. A fundamental requirement for this is the integration of gender equality into Kosovo’s economic policies.
**Achieving economic equality**
The question is: how to achieve economic equality? The path to economic equality for women in Kosovo requires their full inclusion into the labour market, enabling them to fully contribute. Societal norms often place women in caregiving roles, limiting their professional growth and access to the wider workforce. Discrimination related to motherhood remains prevalent, as women continue to shoulder the primary responsibility for children and the elderly.
The lack of childcare services and facilities in Kosovo, especially for children under three years old, creates barriers to women’s employment and career sustainability. In addition, the horizontal segregation in education and vocational training steers women towards low-paying occupations, while only a small percentage pursue STEM fields that offer better professional opportunities. Importantly, a significant number of women are engaged in informal work, which lacks social protection and job security. This informality often goes unrecognized in official labour statistics, further obscuring the true extent of women's economic contributions.
**Which is the way forward?**
Kosovo has made significant progress in gender equality legislation with the EU integration process accelerating reforms. The Law on Gender Equality and the Law on Antidiscrimination have laid the groundwork for women’s equality. However, achieving women's economic empowerment requires a systemic approach that facilitates the access of women to jobs at all levels, supports them in the workplace, and reshapes societal structures. Safe working environments, family-friendly policies, strengthened mechanisms to monitor and enforce laws and policies, and effective address of violations are essential.
Many of these challenges can find answers through alignment with EU legislation and policies particularly the Work-Life Balance Directive. The Directive promotes gender equality by encouraging a more sensible sharing of care responsibilities between men and women. The Directive also includes provisions for paternity leave, parental leave, and flexible working arrangements for parents and caregivers. Instead, the current Labour Law in Kosovo does not meet the standards necessary to encourage women inclusion in the workplace, and needs to be updated in line with the Directive to facilitate a more equitable distribution of family responsibilities.
Additionally, Kosovo should implement recruitment measures, both in the public administration and in private companies, to promote the hiring of women, especially in leadership roles. In line with the Women, Peace and Security agenda, women should be actively involved in decision-making at all levels, in governance and leadership.
I trust the new Kosovo Government will prioritize the adoption of a new Labour Law in line with the Work-Life Balance Directive. This should also strengthen the work, responsibilities and resources of the Labour Inspectorate, so that it can tackle the informal economy, and guarantee respect of the rights of women workers. Furthermore, by incorporating women’s economic empowerment into Kosovo’s new Program for Gender Equality and the New National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security, Kosovo will be better positioned to achieve full economic equality.
**The role of the EU in promoting gender equality**
The EU is already assisting Kosovo with the challenges that the implementation of the EU directives and policies entail. For example, the construction of kindergartens will provide the necessary support for childcare, enabling women to compete on a level playing field.
Through grants for women entrepreneurs and farmers from all Kosovo communities, many have successfully started and maintained their businesses. Young girls are gaining IT skills through EU-funded training programs. Women rights civil society organisations are using EU grants to develop accurate labour market data, and offer recommendations to improve equality.
The EU also supports and monitors policies aiming at ending violence and discrimination against women in general, and specifically in the workplace, and encourages policies that provide for women economic empowerment. Finally, and very importantly, the EU is supporting Kosovo’s central and municipal administrations to integrate gender equality in all policies, laws and budgets.
Women are here, and they are ready to participate. Kosovo should enable and support them to reach their full potential. It is factually proven that including women in the labour market and supporting the structures around them enables them to be productive. This, in turn, contributes to overall economic development. The EU is an ally in this effort and will continue to support Kosovo.
_Op-ed published by Koha_