Women's workforce participation in Kosovo is 18 percent, the lowest in the region, according to a recent report on “Women in the Workforce.” The report was presented on September 6^th by the Riinvest Institute, based on the findings from a survey of 600 women on their working conditions, work-life balance, parental leave issues, and other barriers that women in Kosovo face in the work place and job market. The findings will help inform the economic agenda that the Women’s Economic Forum will use to lobby the Government through the National Economic Development Council.

USAID Acting Democracy and Governance Director Miranda Jolicoeur joined former President Atifete Jahjaga and key stakeholders engaged in the development of women in the economy at the conference to reiterate U.S. support for the Forum and to urge greater economic inclusion of women in Kosovo. In her remarks, Ms. Jolicoeur framed it as both a social an economic issue, noting that “too often women are asked to confront the false choice between career and family. We can’t allow the issue to be framed in this way – women are as integral to Kosovo’s growing economy as they are to their families. And no country can thrive without the talent and dedication of half of its citizens.”

The Forum was established in October, 2016. It is an independent, non-governmental body that brings together a multitude of organizations and individuals under one umbrella to speak with a unified voice on women’s economic development in Kosovo. It seeks to embed women’s economic empowerment as a central part of the national economic development agenda. The Riinvest Institute, our grantee through the Engagement-for-Equity, is a key member of the Forum.