Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to the sixth Global Open Day on Women, Peace and Security in Kosovo.
Global Open Day was launched in 2010 with the aim of reviewing the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Today, Global Open Days are organized worldwide, providing a unique opportunity to further the historic momentum generated by this agenda and ensure continuous political determination, concerted action, and institutional and cultural reform by governments, civil society, and women's institutions.
In Kosovo, following the recent parliamentary and local elections, and acknowledging the paramount importance of advancing women’s empowerment as a fundamental precondition for gender equality, this year’s Global Open Day focuses on women’s political participation.
We are honoured to host a group of distinguished women and men who, through their work, audacity, and dedication, have contributed to reinvigorating gender consciousness and narrowing the gender gap in Kosovo politics.
Advancing women’s political participation is based on a broader global commitment to women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life. This undertaking is also crucial to gender equality and stems from the universal recognition of the full potential of humanity and the capabilities of every individual as a necessary condition for the better functioning of a democratic society, inclusive development, and sustainable peace.
Moreover, women’s political participation is indispensable to gender justice in order to end inequality, subordination, hierarchical status, and asymmetries of political power.
Distinguished guests,
In a number of areas, Kosovo has made positive progress in terms of women’s political participation and representation. Women are leading by example every day, from the election of Kosovo’s first female mayor to the appointment of a woman to head the Central Election Commission.
In last year’s parliamentary elections, nearly one-third of women parliamentarians were elected without the need for a quota. Another positive development is that two out of five Deputy Presidents of the Kosovo Assembly are women, and seven out of fourteen parliamentary committees are chaired by women.
The experience of the recent elections has shown, however, that women’s effective participation in politics does not necessarily translate into effective representation in decision-making. Although the quota was observed, there have been setbacks in women’s representation in leadership positions within political parties, government, and other decision-making bodies.
At the central level, women’s representation in leadership positions has remained weak, with no female candidates for Prime Minister or President of the Assembly, while the leadership of the main political parties remains entirely male.
Under the newly established government, there are no female Deputy Prime Ministers and only two women ministers.
At the local level, out of 204 mayoral candidates, only eight were women.
It is, however, even more important when discussing women’s empowerment and political participation that we move beyond symbolism and beyond the numbers. Quotas and the number of women serving as heads of institutions are not, in themselves, sufficient to bring about gender equality.
Even though women make up almost 50 percent of Kosovo’s population, their participation at the central and local levels remains around the 30 percent mark. This means that while quotas have been met, women’s voices in politics are still not equally heard.
This challenge is, unfortunately, a common one worldwide.
Equal and meaningful participation matters because women and men each bring unique experiences and perspectives to politics, enhancing the quality of debate and enriching and balancing policy perspectives on social, economic, and political issues.
While there are several barriers to women’s effective political participation in Kosovo, three requirements remain crucial.
First, increase the participation of women in politics by challenging deeply rooted patriarchal norms and ensuring that the political climate is free from negative gender-based stereotyping and violence.
Second, ensure substantial support from political parties, particularly party leadership, for women candidates and their campaigns.
Third, increase capacity-building support for elected women and amplify their voices, as this will strengthen their impact on decision-making processes.
Distinguished guests,
I hope that this year’s Global Open Day will provide an important opportunity to highlight the experiences of women candidates, including both the achievements that have been made and the continuing obstacles women face in reaching greater parity in decision-making bodies at all levels.
Our discussions today also provide an opportunity to look beyond the numbers and better understand the deeper context and factors that both enable and inhibit women’s equal participation and influence.
We hope that this event will also result in a number of concrete recommendations to support potential policy and legislative change.
I am pleased to have the Vice President of the Kosovo Assembly, Mr. Xhavit Haliti, participating in this event alongside many impressive and inspiring political leaders, as well as a broad range of experts from think tanks and civil society who have been monitoring and analyzing women’s participation in Kosovo over the years.
In this room, we also have a number of emerging young leaders who, through their actions and dedication today, are working toward building an equal playing field for leadership opportunities tomorrow.
We are also pleased that a number of international actors who have been advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda are here today. In particular, I would like to recognize with appreciation the presence of my friends General Cuoci, COMKFOR; Ambassador Braathu, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo; the Office of the UN Development Coordinator; and representatives from our sister organizations, the EUSR, EULEX, the Council of Europe, and UNMIK senior management.
Of course, we are delighted to be co-hosting this event with UN Women, our close partner within the UN family that has been deeply engaged in this issue for many years.
Distinguished participants,
Let me conclude by underlining that equal participation itself is not the sole objective we seek to achieve, but rather one step toward the broader goal of women and men exerting equal influence for positive and sustainable change.
In the words of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres: “Increasing women’s participation and representation in governance and decision-making is not only called for under the Women and Peace and Security Agenda, but is consistently and positively linked to the durability of peace and perceptions of good governance.”
I thank you all once again for your participation in this event, and we hope that the outcome of our discussions will help further advance the implementation of the UN Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Kosovo.
Thank you.
