Kosovo with lowest degree of women employed in Europe

A large percentage of working age women are inactive in the labour market. This makes Kosovo ranked in countries with the lowest degree of women's participation in Europe.

Only one in five working - age women are active in the labour market, compared with about three fifths of men working age, says the 2019 Work Force Survey.

Unemployment according to the Kosovo Statistics Agency includes 34.4% of women, while their inactivity includes 78.9% of the country's population of women.
According to this report, 30.9% of women with tercir education in 2019 have been unemployed.
The obstacles that arise in their involvement in the job market are different, starting with family obligations.

By researching leadership-Forecasts affecting Kosovo's women's economic decisions conducted by the Riinvest Institute, women consider the lack of time to work because of family obligations and lack of access to part-time work.

Wanting to remain anonymous, Ms. M. Isufi, who has completed the series of schooling, has indicated that her commitment to her family has been unable to look for work.
The kids are young and they need me, so I didn't ask for a job”, she says.

According to the Milenium Challenge Corporation survey data on the use of time, women in Kosovo spend about 7 hours a day in activities such as preparing food, maintenance and repairs at home, compared to men spending about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

The potential for work has waned more these months, with the situation created by Pandemia COVID-19.

For women who are out of the job market, economic crises like this present only make their difficult situation more difficult,” says economist Alban Zogaj.
” As a result of the economic downturn and job cuts, the possibility that they reach the job market becomes very difficult”, Zogaj points out.

The impact of COVIDD-19 on inactive women is also seen by sociologist Egzon Rexhepi.
” Pandemia has had a negative impact on the whole involvement of inactive women in society, on the labour, association, education and activism courses that can become examples for change. They have been inactive, but quarantine has made them more active in the negative direction, because all the responsibilities of domestic obligations increase and the work added as a burden only to them and not to other members of the house,” has been expressed by Rexhepi.

It is necessary for such women to be activated socially and employment after pandemic.

As the Institute for Democracy and Development recommends, women should participate in training and professional education to be employed.

Be part of the workers to make the identification of needs according to specifics and market requirements in the country.
The Kosovo government must draft a strategy that will provide the support women need to activate.
Real conditions for entrepreneurship development and support for self-employment must be created.
Also, workers in which raising awareness of an active life is necessary to eradicate some of the cultural stereotypes, where women in the cycle of patriarchism perpetuate the stereotypes that society has for them. /Albion Hajdari

This publication is produced with the support of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the responsibility of Riinvest Institute and can in no way be viewed as the European Union's or BIRN's and AGK's”