A coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has urged Kosovo’s central and municipal authorities to ensure that any upcoming 2026 budget revisions and the next Medium-Term Expenditure Framework address the diverse needs of all citizens.
According to a press release, recent research by the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) and Caritas Switzerland in Kosovo confirms that structural barriers currently leave 74% of women outside the labor market.
The release further notes that while men’s participation in the workforce is around 60%, women’s participation stands at only 26%. This exclusion creates a self-imposed labor shortage that hinders Kosovo’s economic prosperity.
The NGO coalition called on government institutions to move from words to action, beyond “paper commitments,” and to invest in six critical areas:
1. A New Labor Law
The current law, under review for more than eight years, contributes to discrimination against women in employment. The coalition calls for a new labor law aligned with the EU Work-Life Balance Directive, ensuring that the state, rather than employers, covers maternity, paternity, and parental leave, while granting men more rights for leave as well.
2. Investment in Care Services
The lack of affordable and accessible childcare remains a major barrier for women’s employment. In municipalities such as Drenas, Malisheva, and Kamenica, such services are extremely limited. Investing in a national care network and subsidizing childcare could create 10,000 formal jobs, enabling thousands of women to enter the labor market.
3. Accessible Transport in Rural Areas
Unreliable public transport isolates women in rural areas, who are less likely to own vehicles and depend more on public transit. The coalition urges municipalities to review rural transport and provide subsidies for workers’ transit routes, ensuring safe and affordable access to urban labor markets for both women and men.
4. Institutionalizing Gender-Responsive Budgeting
Although the government has committed to gender-responsive budgeting (GRB), implementation has been delayed. Current allocations for women’s economic empowerment rarely exceed €10,000 annually. The coalition calls on the government to institutionalize GRB by amending the Public Finance Law and Public Procurement Law, preparing and regularly publishing GRB annexes as required by budget circulars, and providing sufficient resources to Gender Equality Officers to support their mandates and programmatic roles in sectors such as agriculture, transport, and economic development.
5. Ensuring Accountability in Reform Agendas
With a national budget of €4 billion and the EU Growth Plan of €880 million, resources should genuinely promote equality. The government must adopt clear gender indicators for its impact and engage in transparent public consultations with women’s rights organizations to ensure effective implementation.
The coalition emphasized its readiness to collaborate with central and municipal authorities to improve relevant laws and policies and to support capacity-building for gender-responsive budgeting in institutions promoting inclusive economic development.
“Let policymakers and civil society work together to deliver solutions and economic opportunities for the women and men of Kosovo,” the coalition concluded.
