Pristina, December 9, 2022
Women’s empowerment is crucial to achieving sustainable development. By increasing the inclusion and active participation of women and girls in the control and distribution of financial resources and increasing access to public funds, inequalities and gaps in development are reduced. This is how we create the main premises for an equal society, where women and men benefit and also contribute to well-being, economic development, peace and security in the country, said the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, at the meeting organized by the Agency for Gender Equality in the Prime Office of the Prime Minister.
We have designed specific measures within the Economic Recovery Package to support women’s economic empowerment and increase women’s access to education and employment. Economic insecurity is one of the key factors that keep women and girls away from sustainable development, well-being and prosperity, the prime minister said.
Furthermore, he said that through gender integration in this package, the employment of women has been supported, a measure that has benefited 3,500 women and 1,490 businesses.
We have supported businesses, which are owned by women, with a subsidy value of close to half a million euros, while the value of the enabled crediting exceeds 3 million euros. And in agriculture, for 2021, we have allocated subsidies to 1325 women beneficiaries, said the Prime Minister.
Since the beginning of the support scheme for new mothers, until now we have about 200,000 thousand beneficiaries of Child Allowances and over 23,000 thousand beneficiaries of Maternity Allowances.
For 2021/2022 academic year, we have allocated about 1000 scholarships for women and girls for studies in STEM, and for the next year we have increased the budget and the number to 2000 scholarships. From 1 million euros to 2 million euros, from 1 thousand scholarships to 2 thousand scholarships. We have given 13 scholarships to students with disabilities and supported 10 girls for doctoral scholarships, said the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Kurti emphasized the support for the process of recognizing the status of survivors of sexual violence during the war, as one of the prerequisites for building lasting peace in the country.
Survivors of sexual violence need justice. Survivors of sexual violence also need our social support, to fight the stigma that continues to accompany them, the prime minister added.
He thanked all institutions, local and international partners, and especially women’s organizations, who have contributed to the implementation of the priorities set in the Kosovo Program for Gender Equality, and continue to push forward the gender equality agenda in the Republic of Kosovo, for a society that is just, progressive and forward-thinking.
In this meeting, organized to mark the 16 Days of Activism against violence against women and girls, two researches were presented: “The role of women in decision-making positions in the public and private sector” and “Gender stereotypes and barriers that prevent equal access to sports”, as well as the monitoring and evaluation report of the Kosovo Program for Gender Equality 2020-2021.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Thank you, dear Mrs. Gusia, Chief Executive of the Agency for Gender Equality,
Honorable Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Mrs. Rozeta Hajdari,
Honorable Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Mrs. Daulina Osmani,
Honorable Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Mr. Bardhyl Dobra,
Honorable Auditor General, Mrs. Vlora Spanca,
Honorable representatives of institutions, international organizations, civil society,
Honorable women and human rights activists,
Honorable attendees, ladies and gentlemen,
On the eve of the 16 days of activism, the campaign against violence against women and girls, we are meeting to talk about the Kosovo Program for Gender Equality and the level of its implementation. We approved this program in May 2020, in a pandemic situation and in a difficult period under the influence of Covid-19.
To face the pandemic consequences, we have designed specific measures within the Economic Recovery Package to support women’s economic empowerment and increase women’s access to education and employment. Economic insecurity is one of the key factors that keep women and girls away from sustainable development, well-being and prosperity.
Therefore, through gender mainstreaming in this package:
We have supported women employment, by the aforementioned measure, from which 3,500 women and 1,490 businesses have benefited.
We have supported businesses, which are owned by women, with a subsidy value of close to half a million euros, while the value of the enabled crediting exceeds 3 million euros. And in agriculture, for 2021, we have allocated subsidies to 1325 women beneficiaries.
Since the beginning of the support scheme for new mothers, until now we have about 200 thousand beneficiaries of Child Allowances and over 23 thousand beneficiaries of Maternity Allowances.
For 2021/2022 academic year, we have allocated about 1000 scholarships for women and girls for studies in STEM, and for the next year we have increased the budget and the number to 2000 scholarships. From 1 million euros to 2 million euros, from 1 thousand scholarships to 2 thousand scholarships. We have given 13 scholarships to students with disabilities and supported 10 girls for doctoral scholarships.
Our government has shown commitment and concrete actions also in the light of fighting domestic violence and gender-based violence. In this regard, we have engaged by drafting and approving the Strategy and Action Plan for Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence against Women and Girls; drafting and approval of the State Protocol for Handling Cases of Sexual Violence; functionalization and regular meetings of the Interministerial group; supplementing and amending the Law on Free Legal Aid: based on this victims of violence are offered free legal aid regardless of socio-economic status; then by supplementing and amending the Law on Crime Victim Compensation: thus, the elimination of bureaucratic procedures for compensating victims (this compensation has been made from January until now); providing expertise to the Assembly of Kosovo for the Draft Law on Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence against Women and Girls; the drafting of the Curriculum for professionals for treatment programs of perpetrators of domestic violence; supplementing and amending the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, with the aim of additional punishments for persons who are found guilty of domestic and sexual violence, as well as the publication of the names of the perpetrators, and the appointment of detention for suspected persons.
We continued to support the process of recognizing the status of survivors of sexual violence during the war, as one of the prerequisites for building lasting peace in the country. Survivors of sexual violence need justice. Survivors of sexual violence also need our social support, to fight the stigma that continues to accompany them.
We are financially supporting shelters, which provide services to victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence, in the process of social protection for their re-integration. During the implementation period of this program, we drafted and approved the Concept document for responsible gender budgeting, for regular annual planning and implementation of gender budgeting at the country level.
We are happy, although not completely satisfied, that we have managed to increase the participation of women and girls on the boards of public enterprises. We remain committed to increasing the participation of women at all levels of decision-making. So, not only participation, but participation in decision-making.
Women’s empowerment is crucial to achieving sustainable development. By increasing the inclusion and active participation of women and girls in the control and distribution of financial resources and increasing access to public funds, inequalities and gaps in development are reduced. This is how we create the main premises for an equal society, where women and men benefit and also contribute to well-being, economic development, peace and security in the country. Even the economic theory in which I believe the most is that the smaller the inequalities in a society, the greater the aggregate demand, which is good for the economy as well as for social progress.
Honorable attendees,
Inequality is of various degrees. Therefore, we remain committed to creating equality where inequality is greatest. Where the needs are greatest, we must intervene first, against suppression, oppression and exploitation. With institutional responsibility and social awareness, with joint commitment as state institutions and as society of our country, at the same time.
Honorable ladies and gentlemen,
I want to thank all institutions, local and international partners, and especially women’s organizations, who have contributed to the implementation of the priorities set in the Kosovo Program for Gender Equality, and continue to push forward the gender equality agenda in the Republic of Kosovo, for a society that is just, progressive and forward-thinking.
We cannot have social equality without gender equality, and I am convinced that in the future we will increase the activities for this common goal.
Thank you.
Last modified: December 13, 2022