Women's Network calls for equal involvement of women in local elections

According to the announcement, they have sought equal involvement of women and men by implementing the Law on Gender Equality.

“Graths in Kosovo remain initially represented within parties, and later in the candidate for mayoral municipalities. So far, no woman is running for mayor in any municipality. This conflicts with Article 14 of the Law on Gender Equality, which obliges political parties to implement measures to promote equal participation of men and women in the bodies of parties, in accordance with provisions of Article 6 of this law, which clearly stipulates that in those cases where inequality exists, special temporary measures should be taken with the aim of accelerating actual equality among women and men in areas where inequality” is reportedly in the Women's Network Report.

Under the Law on Gender Equality, equal gender representation is achieved when ensuring minimum representation of 50% in political and public life, employment, education, health, economy, social benefits, sports, culture and other specific spheres.

Full letter of the Kosovo Women's Network to political parties:

Open letter to political parties in Kosovo,

This year's local elections are approaching, and with this case, the publication of the mayoral/communal candidacy has begun.

These elections will be held only shortly after early parliamentary elections on February 14th 2021, which brought a hopeful change in the participation and representation of women in politics and decision-making processes. In this election, we witnessed increased representation of women in the Kosovo Assembly, including the fact that more women were chosen without quota than chosen by her.

By their vote for women, citizens showed that they want more women in leadership positions and political representation, so political parties have to read this message clearly and offer equal space for women and men in this local election.

This time, as you within the parties are discussing possible candidacys for mayor/of municipalities, the Kosovo Women's Network ( S. The GK invites you to engage in equal involvement of women and men through:

Applying the Law on Gender Equality

Women in Kosovo remain initially under-represented within the parties, and then in the candidate for mayoral municipalities. So far, no woman is running for mayor of any municipality.

This conflicts with Article 14 of the Law on Gender Equality ( The LBG, which obliges political parties to implement measures to promote equal participation of men and women in the bodies and bodies of parties, in accordance with provisions of Article 6 of this law -- which clearly stipulates that in those cases where inequality exists, special temporary measures should be taken in order to accelerate the real equality realisation between women and men in those areas where inequality exists.

According to the LBG, equal gender representation is achieved when a minimum representation of 50 per cent (50%) is provided in political and public life, employment, education, health, economy, social benefits, sports, culture and other areas defined by this or any other law. And we remember that after the 2017 local elections, women make up only 33% of municipal assembly members, and 0% of municipal mayors.

Moreover, in political representation, there is no consideration of the combination and representation of disabled women, Roma women, Ashkali, Egyptian, Goranne, and Serb, who are not represented at all.

The so far running of the men for mayors not only stays out of equal representation, but poses enormous concern for democratic foundations and building a comprehensive society.

We call on you, as a political party, to fight this multiple discrimination against women, and to run women for mayors, as preconditions for achieving equal representation in the public sphere.

Giving space for equal representation in media

The participation and involvement of women in politics cannot be seen as being cut off from the appearance of women in public, whether through electoral gatherings or through television shows. On the other hand, for years it has already been known that women in politics are not represented equally in television debates or campaigns.

RGK's several-year experience in conveying national and local elections shows women face numerous injustices in these cases. They have no equal space with men within party bodies, nor in public presentations during campaign time. Parties must make effective efforts to enable party structures to promote both women and men equally.