The face of politics in Kosovo is beginning to change. In 2021, the country elected its second woman president and appointed two women to be deputy prime ministers. Women occupy one-third of the positions of the current cabinet and chair eight out of 14 parliamentary committees. In the 2021 local elections, more than 60 percent of women were elected without relying on a quota.
These gains in gender equality in politics, while impressive, are still not enough. On March 15, 2022, over 120 people gathered for the opening session of the Week of Women to discuss how to tackle the obstacles that still hinder women’s full participation in the public sphere. The National Democratic Institute, with support from USAID, began the Week of Women 10 years ago. Its aim was to empower local women leaders with the skills to assume greater leadership positions. Since then, the program has become a critical venue for policy debate and intensive discussions with leading politicians and elected officials. It enables participants – women and men from political parties, civil society, business, media, and academia – to hold their representatives accountable while shining a spotlight on the advancement of women in leadership.
President Osmani, Prime Minister Kurti, and leaders from the three main opposition parties, Memli Krasniqi, Lumir Abdixhiku, and Ramush Haradinaj, all attended this year’s event. They joined U.S. Ambassador Jeff Hovenier, the event’s keynote speaker. Toward the end of his remarks, Ambassador Hovenier reminded everyone of what they could do to promote change: “I call upon all of us - government, civil society, political leaders, and activists – to embody inclusive democracy…and acknowledge the collective responsibility of all democratic institutions to ensure women have an equal voice in social, economic and political decision-making.”
Taking this call to action to heart, participants used the conference to brainstorm together about how they could help Kosovo achieve a more inclusive democracy.
Nazmije Bajrami