Week of Women Empowers Emerging Leaders in Kosovo

Kosovo’s first woman mayor, Mimoza Kusari-Lila of Gjakova, thinks that politics is a bit like riding a bicycle. You shouldn’t look down, but concentrate on the road ahead. “When you run for office, you shouldn’t focus on bumps and obstacles in the road,” she said, “but bear in mind the reason you entered politics.”

She knows the value of perseverance, having run for office twice in four years, finally succeeding last November. Her success, she said, “was the success of all women that helped me in this process.”

Kusari-Lila was a featured speaker at NDI’s third annual Week of Women held in Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, featuring panel discussions, skills-building sessions, and networking and strategizing opportunities designed to promote women’s advancement in politics, business and society. More than 100 emerging women leaders took part.

Kosovo’s President Atifete Jahjaga, who opened the conference, said, “We are ensuring that we are building a country we are all a part of, where we can all contribute to its advancement and development - a country that represents the voice of all its citizens.”

Despite some progress, women in Kosovo still face disadvantages and discrimination in many areas. In politics, a quota requires that women account for 30 percent of local and national governments, but they have not achieved that goal. They have fewer resources than male colleagues and receive limited support from political parties to run as candidates.

Prominent Kosovar leaders, including President Jahjaga and Jakup Krasniqi, speaker of the Kosovo Assembly, pledged their support for women’s equality.

U.S. Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson affirmed the priority the international community places on empowering women. "When we talk about gender equality in any society, one thing is clear: it cannot be achieved without an active, vocal, organized group of empowered women leaders advocating for their place at the table,” she said.

Twelve women attended the conference from Kosovo’s northern, Serb-majority municipalities, which have been aligned with Serbia and have resisted Kosovar governance, providing an opportunity for them to meet colleagues from around the country. Panel discussions explored topics such as issues that single mothers face in building a career, the role of women in business as entrepreneurs, and the role of women in the process of European Union integration. A mix of panel discussions, plenary sessions and exercises gave participants the chance to hear from other women leaders and discuss ways to overcome common barriers women face.

A highlight of the week was a Twitter session with Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State and NDI chairman. “Women in #Kosovo are focused on how tech can heWlp them compete, participate & lead,” Albright tweeted during a session devoted to how social media can boost women’s political engagement.

Participants took Albright at her word and opened social media accounts on the spot to start building networks and communicating their views.

"Starting today you are close to the people and your voice is stronger. Use social media to build bridges of cooperation,” said a tweet from President Jahjaga during the event.

More than 30 Week of Women participants are taking part in a Women’s Leadership Academy, a two-month intensive skills-building program during which they will identify issues of concern and build advocacy initiatives to address them. Following last year’s conference, a group of women established a local nonprofit organization to advocate for the rights of single mothers. They recently won passage of legislation in the municipality of Ferizaj to provide free childcare to single mothers.

NDI has worked in Kosovo since 1999 to support women’s political participation as part of its parliamentary and political party strengthening programs.

This year’s Week of Women was co-hosted by participants from Week of Women 2012 and 2013, and the Women’s Caucus of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo. The Week of Women program is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

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Published May 15, 2014