At the conclusion of Women’s Week, in the panel dedicated to the importance of cooperation between central and local institutions for the empowerment of women and girls and the advancement of gender equality in Kosovo, Deputy Minister Batusha emphasized that the Ministry of Local Government Administration has worked closely with municipalities to integrate a gender perspective into local governance and to incorporate gender equality into municipal planning, decision-making, and performance measurement.
Some of the concrete results at the local level include:
21 municipalities have reported implementing gender-responsive budgeting;
21 municipalities have planned a budget for Local Action Plan for Gender Equality;
26 municipalities have appointed gender equality officers;
24 municipalities have established coordination mechanisms to combat domestic violence;
17 municipalities have drafted a Local Action Plan for Protection against Domestic Violence and Violence against Women, while 6 other municipalities are currently in the process of drafting one.
Furthermore, by integrating gender equality indicators into the Municipal Performance Management System, the Ministry monitors women’s representation in administration and decision-making, their participation in public consultations, gender-responsive budgeting, and local mechanisms for advancing gender equality. In conclusion, Deputy Minister Batusha wrapped up his remarks by emphasizing that “when central institutions and municipalities work together, dialogue transforms into action, and partnership into concrete results for women and girls in Kosovo.”
