Prishtina, 26 October 2022
Invited by the International Republican Institute, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti participated as a speaker in a conference on “Perspectives and challenges of the inclusion and promotion of women and youth in the party and decision-making structures”.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Dear participants,
Ladies and gentlemen!
I am honoured with the invitation from the International Republican Institute to be part of this conference in which we will talk about “Perspectives and challenges of the inclusion and promotion of women and youth in the party and decision-making structures”.
At the same time, I am happy that this conference occurred to be held three days after the end of the internal election process in the political entity I lead, Lëvizja VETËVENDOSJE!, and I am mentioning this, among other things, because we have established two very important bodies, Women for VETËVENDOSJE! and Youth for VETËVENDOSJE!.
We believe that without the participation of women and youth in decision-making processes, we cannot progress. Women and youth are the majority, just like democracy. The participation of women and young people in social and political processes is key for further development and sustainable progress.
I have to mention in advance that I am happy about the fact that last Sunday, 40% of the presidency members in our entity are women, namely 9 out of 23 members.
I am also happy this happened without a quota, also one of the vice-presidents of the Movement is a woman, the head of the General Council is also a woman, which is the highest body of our Movement, the head of the professional committees is a woman and for the first time, we have three centres headed by women, three branches of our political entity.
In the last elections, out of the general votes for the Movement, 62% of them were women and girls. Also, like never before in the history of the Assembly, all women MPs from our caucus have won mandates without the need for a gender quota. It is good that this is an affirmative action, but much better that there was no need for it.
This has mostly made us reflect on how we address the increased participation of women in our entity. And consequently, we have established the organization Women for VETËVENDOSJE!, where first of all we will commit to increasing the membership of women in the Movement, which is not 62%, as we know. And we will not hesitate to include women and girls in decision-making bodies wherever and whenever possible, because membership without participation is insufficient, and participation is not sufficient if it is not active.
We are working harder to influence feminist policies through the inclusion of women and girls, which directly affect girls and women, and which develop activities to strengthen gender solidarity and full equality between men and women.
I am aware that increasing women members is not easy. It is not easy for the women themselves. To implement this, through VVW and beyond, we aim at meeting as many women and girls as possible. Whether in the village or city, unemployed or employed, and especially in workplaces where their rights are violated, and their human dignity may be outraged. This is the only way we can better understand the problems they face and help them overcome them successfully.
We even have examples of many women who, despite the challenges they have faced, managed to triumph over pain. Be it with their contribution before the war, during and after the war, engagement in civil society organizations and their roles everywhere, in the service of equality and justice.
Therefore, the Women for VETËVENDOSJE! present an organization we believe will increase the intensity of commitment to the advancement of women’s rights.
As the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, we are certainly the most progressive government that has ever existed. Only within this 1 and half year in government, we have undertaken many measures, actions and decisions directly supporting girls and women and serving equality.
We cannot do so for women from the position of the Government and not do it from the position of the party. One pushes the other to a continuous strain of each other.
Thus, under Measure 1.3 Supporting the employment of women within the Economic Recovery Package, we had 3571 beneficiary female employees and 1490 beneficiary businesses.
Under Measure 2.1.2 Supporting the businesses owned by women, not only where women work, but where women are also owners, so far within this measure, we had 43 approvals, with a total value of subsidy being over 491 thousand euro, while the value of the credit enabled is over 3 million euro.
Measure 3.5 Child Allowances and Maternity Allowances: Since the beginning of the Allowance scheme until now, we have about 200 thousand beneficiaries of Child Allowances and over 23 thousand beneficiaries of Maternity Allowances, because we transfer the funds to the mother, we consider that it is both fairer and more useful.
We have extended financial support for shelters providing services to victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence, in the process of their social protection and reintegration.
The Ministry of Finance implemented a professional agreement on the protection and sheltering of the victims of domestic violence with ten shelters at the national level, namely;
In 2021, the amount of support for 10 shelters was 545 thousand euro, while the amount of support this year is 400 thousand euro.
For the academic year 2021/2022, STEM scholarships were awarded, a total of 1365 scholarships, with 812 beneficiaries being girls/women and 553 being boys.
14 scholarships were awarded to students with special needs, amounting to 700 euro, 13 girls and one boy.
10 girls were supported by PhD scholarships.
Also, regarding the distribution of subsidies in agriculture, there were 1325 women beneficiaries last year.
The reforms we have initiated in the justice system will have an impact, especially on girls and women because, after the implementation of the reform, women will not wait for years for a decision related to inheritance, property, divorce, child custody, or the protection of their dignity in cases where we have physical, psychological, sexual or material violence against them.
To address policies against domestic violence, so far:
– we approved the National Strategy against Domestic Violence,
– we made functional the inter-ministerial group against domestic violence
– we assisted the Assembly in drafting the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence
– and this year the amendments related to the provision of free legal aid to girls and women victims of violence came into force, because often when women and girls are victims of the violence they are also in a more difficult financial position and cannot receive proper protection in various and judicial proceedings.
– we have eliminated the bureaucratic procedures for compensating victims of violence
– for the first time, the state protocol for the treatment of sexual violence is being drafted
– and for the first time, a document for the treatment of perpetrators is being drafted,
We have amended the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code, so that in cases where a person is found guilty of the criminal offence of domestic violence or sexual violence, then:
– he shall be prohibited to be employed in public institutions,
– he shall be prohibited to run for positions either at the local or central level, and he cannot represent anyone
– his driving license shall be seized
– no mitigating circumstances shall apply to perpetrators
– the treatment of these cases shall not last more than 1 year, and
– the names of the perpetrators shall be published on the KJC official website
Everything is done for justice to be served not only for the current victims of the past, but it will serve also as a preventive for future victims.
Therefore, even in our entity, we believe that the Government’s achievements and the changes we have made should be reflected with more organization and the VVG will intensify its commitment and contribution to the advancement of women’s rights.
Just like with the establishment of Youth for VETËVENDOSJE!, where in addition to special attention being paid to young age groups, the opportunity for more detailed organization and structuring. So, we have many young members, but through the Youth of our entity, which has a special structure, we aim to channel the energy of the youth so that it is not only a member, but this formation cultivates even more intensive engagement of the youth in politics.
If I am not mistaken, in our caucus we have 4 MPs who are younger than 30 years old, meanwhile, the elected chairman of VVY is a member of the 23-member presidency by default.
The average age in Kosovo is 31 years old and this has made the youth organization in our entity bring together the age groups from 16 to 29. So, whoever gets 3 ahead comes to me then.
Young people should therefore have their own special structure, where they can address their worries and concerns, discuss their interests and demands and debate about solutions.
The young men and women of our entity will have the opportunity to jointly create models for encouraging youth inclusion in political and civic life. Creating space for them guarantees that we, too, understand more closely the problems for the solution of which we must all work together.
And from political experience, it has been proven that when young people discuss with one another, they open up more topics and go deeper into discussions which we otherwise would not do in the general forums, in the general bodies of the political party.
Through VVY, young men and women will not only have the opportunity to grow and develop politically but will also be an active part of decision-making and representation.
Dear participants,
As the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, based on our governing program, I reiterate my unsparing support for strengthening the role of women and increasing their active participation, while as the leader of the Movement, based on my platform, I will work for our Movement to be an open party for both genders, for girls and women, as well as for boys and men.
Because as we say, there is no Vetëvendosje without women and youth. No progress and no victory have been achieved without the participation of women and youth.
Thank you very much for the opportunity and I wish you fruitful discussions and even greater success in the future.
Last modified: October 28, 2022