Kosovo
Strategic note period
2022-2025
Other resources (non-core)
Country Indexes
UN Women in action: Strategic insights and achievements
View annual report narratives for the year
Advancing SDGs: UN Women's impact and key achievements
In the reporting year, UN Women delivered a significant outcome in strengthening Kosovo’s legal, policy, and institutional framework to prevent and respond to Gender-Based Violence, contributing directly to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and improving the lives of women and girls.
According to the intergated database for cases of domestic violence established by UN Women which now sits in the Ministry of Justice, there have been 2815 cases of domestic and gender based violence reported to the Kosovo Police. To respond, UN Women provided strategic support to central authorities to advance the implementation architecture of the Law on Prevention and Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women, including technical assistance for the drafting of secondary legislation (bylaws) required for effective enforcement. In parallel, UN Women supported the Ministry of Justice in assessing and drafting the report on the implementation of the National Strategy for Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women, ensuring that evidence, institutional perspectives, and survivor realities informed national accountability and reform.
UN Women also supported the Agency for Gender Equality (AGE) in developing the new Kosovo Programme for Gender Equality and in drafting updated Standard Operating Procedures on Domestic Violence, thereby strengthening coherence between national policy, institutional practice, and survivor-centred standards. These efforts were reinforced through sustained coordination under the UN Women chaired multi-stakeholder Security and Gender Group with AGE as co-chair, enhancing alignment across justice, security, and equality institutions.
Complemented by strengthened national data systems, community-level norm change initiatives, supporting CSOs and survivors, these interventions improved institutional responsiveness, policy coherence, and accountability, enabling women and girls to better access protection, services, and justice and advancing progress toward ending violence against women and girls in Kosovo.
According to the intergated database for cases of domestic violence established by UN Women which now sits in the Ministry of Justice, there have been 2815 cases of domestic and gender based violence reported to the Kosovo Police. To respond, UN Women provided strategic support to central authorities to advance the implementation architecture of the Law on Prevention and Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women, including technical assistance for the drafting of secondary legislation (bylaws) required for effective enforcement. In parallel, UN Women supported the Ministry of Justice in assessing and drafting the report on the implementation of the National Strategy for Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women, ensuring that evidence, institutional perspectives, and survivor realities informed national accountability and reform.
UN Women also supported the Agency for Gender Equality (AGE) in developing the new Kosovo Programme for Gender Equality and in drafting updated Standard Operating Procedures on Domestic Violence, thereby strengthening coherence between national policy, institutional practice, and survivor-centred standards. These efforts were reinforced through sustained coordination under the UN Women chaired multi-stakeholder Security and Gender Group with AGE as co-chair, enhancing alignment across justice, security, and equality institutions.
Complemented by strengthened national data systems, community-level norm change initiatives, supporting CSOs and survivors, these interventions improved institutional responsiveness, policy coherence, and accountability, enabling women and girls to better access protection, services, and justice and advancing progress toward ending violence against women and girls in Kosovo.
Advancing SDGs: UN Women's impact and key achievements
The lives of women and girls in Kosovo are set to improve through a more equitable allocation of public resources, as the Government of Kosovo takes a transformative step toward gender equality with the approval of the new Mid-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) 2025–2027. This coordinated, multi-level approach between central and local institutions is a testament to Kosovo’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 5.c.1, which tracks the allocation of public resources for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Building on this achievement, the Ministry of Finance, Labour, and Transfers has issued Budget Circular 2025/1, mandating all budget organizations to incorporate gender objectives and indicators into their plans. This directive is a direct outcome of capacity development and advocacy efforts under the regional program "Transformative Financing for Gender Equality in the Western Balkans" reinforcing a systematic approach to gender mainstreaming at the national level.
At the local level, gender analysis and gender-responsive budgeting have been instrumental in aligning Local Gender Action Plans (LGAPs) with mid-term budget frameworks. These analyses identified key priorities and needs for women in Kosovo, such as employment, social protection, housing, sports, education, and addressing domestic violence. These findings informed the design of concrete, gender-sensitive measures, which were incorporated into the planning and budgeting processes of 16 municipalities as part of the LGAPs. This integration ensures that the needs of women and girls are addressed directly, with measurable impact. The progress achieved through these efforts, particularly on gender-responsive budgeting and LGAPs, has been prominently highlighted in the 2024 EU Progress Report for Kosovo.
Through UN Women’s advocacy and extensive technical expertise at both central and local levels, a significant milestone was achieved: securing €3 million from the Government of Kosovo. This funding facilitated the Kosovo Assembly’s December 2024 approval of the Draft Law on Social and Affordable Housing, which establishes an eight-year national strategy and the Housing Agency to centralize social and affordable housing programs. This law is designed to empower survivors of violence by providing reintegration services and employment opportunities, enabling them to rebuild their lives with dignity and independence.
Building on this achievement, the Ministry of Finance, Labour, and Transfers has issued Budget Circular 2025/1, mandating all budget organizations to incorporate gender objectives and indicators into their plans. This directive is a direct outcome of capacity development and advocacy efforts under the regional program "Transformative Financing for Gender Equality in the Western Balkans" reinforcing a systematic approach to gender mainstreaming at the national level.
At the local level, gender analysis and gender-responsive budgeting have been instrumental in aligning Local Gender Action Plans (LGAPs) with mid-term budget frameworks. These analyses identified key priorities and needs for women in Kosovo, such as employment, social protection, housing, sports, education, and addressing domestic violence. These findings informed the design of concrete, gender-sensitive measures, which were incorporated into the planning and budgeting processes of 16 municipalities as part of the LGAPs. This integration ensures that the needs of women and girls are addressed directly, with measurable impact. The progress achieved through these efforts, particularly on gender-responsive budgeting and LGAPs, has been prominently highlighted in the 2024 EU Progress Report for Kosovo.
Through UN Women’s advocacy and extensive technical expertise at both central and local levels, a significant milestone was achieved: securing €3 million from the Government of Kosovo. This funding facilitated the Kosovo Assembly’s December 2024 approval of the Draft Law on Social and Affordable Housing, which establishes an eight-year national strategy and the Housing Agency to centralize social and affordable housing programs. This law is designed to empower survivors of violence by providing reintegration services and employment opportunities, enabling them to rebuild their lives with dignity and independence.
Advancing SDGs: UN Women's impact and key achievements
In December 2022, the Kosovo Government took a significant step toward advancing gender equality legislation by approving the Concept Document on Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB). This led to the Prime Minister's decision on December 14, 2023, to establish a dedicated working group for legal framework changes to implement GRB. The group includes 17 representatives from government institutions, audit and tax administration office, civil society, and UN Women. UN Women supported the AGE with technical expertise in drafting the Concept Document and continues to support AGE in drafting new gender-responsive legislation contributing to SDG 5.
Thirteen municipalities adopted gender-inclusive Mid-Term Budget Frameworks (2024) and six of them incorporated recommendations into Municipal Gender Action Plans (2024-2026). In connection with these Frameworks and Action Plans, a new policy extended subsidies to over 130 specific beneficiaries or cases. This policy facilitated
Thirteen municipalities adopted gender-inclusive Mid-Term Budget Frameworks (2024) and six of them incorporated recommendations into Municipal Gender Action Plans (2024-2026). In connection with these Frameworks and Action Plans, a new policy extended subsidies to over 130 specific beneficiaries or cases. This policy facilitated
Advancing SDGs: UN Women's impact and key achievements
The lives of women and girls in Kosovo are significantly improved as a result of legislative and policy developments on a central and local level, directly contributing to SDG 5, target 5.C
On a central level, 2 major results contributed to this outcome: the adoption of and the approval of the Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) Concept Document by the Kosovo Government.
Survivors of sexual violence have access to protection, treatment, and reintegration through immediate intervention as a result of the Protocol for Treatment of Sexual Violence Cases. The Kosovo Government adopted the Protocol on 23 November 2022 and officially launched it on 5 December 2022. This comes as a direct result of UN Women’s technical support (under the EU-funded Regional Program on Ending Violence against Women– Phase 2) in drafting the document, along with the Ministry of Justice and the Institute of Forensic Medicine, in partnership with Kosovo Women’s Network and European Union Rule of Law Mission. The protocol responds to the obligation to implement the Istanbul Convention and is aligned with the National Strategy of Kosovo for Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence against Women 2022–2026, approved by the Government of Kosovo in January 2022, for which UN Women also provided technical support. UN Women through the Security and Gender Group (SGG) and the UN Kosovo Team Results Group V advocated for the launch of this protocol for several years.
Gender responsive legislation in Kosovo has advanced with the approval of the Gender Responsive Budgeting Concept Document by the Kosovo Government for the first time in Kosovo, with UN Women support. This has kicked off the drafting process of the regulatory framework for gender responsive budgeting (GRB) implementation by the Government which is a big step for Kosovo. At a local level, mayors of 16 Kosovo Municipalities have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with UN Women for the advancement of GRB and gender equality to ensure the integration of a gender perspective in all programs. Further, the administrations strengthened their capacities as a result of these MoUs to fulfill requirements arising from the Law on Gender Equality and the advancement of the GRB processes.
On a central level, 2 major results contributed to this outcome: the adoption of and the approval of the Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) Concept Document by the Kosovo Government.
Survivors of sexual violence have access to protection, treatment, and reintegration through immediate intervention as a result of the Protocol for Treatment of Sexual Violence Cases. The Kosovo Government adopted the Protocol on 23 November 2022 and officially launched it on 5 December 2022. This comes as a direct result of UN Women’s technical support (under the EU-funded Regional Program on Ending Violence against Women– Phase 2) in drafting the document, along with the Ministry of Justice and the Institute of Forensic Medicine, in partnership with Kosovo Women’s Network and European Union Rule of Law Mission. The protocol responds to the obligation to implement the Istanbul Convention and is aligned with the National Strategy of Kosovo for Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence against Women 2022–2026, approved by the Government of Kosovo in January 2022, for which UN Women also provided technical support. UN Women through the Security and Gender Group (SGG) and the UN Kosovo Team Results Group V advocated for the launch of this protocol for several years.
Gender responsive legislation in Kosovo has advanced with the approval of the Gender Responsive Budgeting Concept Document by the Kosovo Government for the first time in Kosovo, with UN Women support. This has kicked off the drafting process of the regulatory framework for gender responsive budgeting (GRB) implementation by the Government which is a big step for Kosovo. At a local level, mayors of 16 Kosovo Municipalities have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with UN Women for the advancement of GRB and gender equality to ensure the integration of a gender perspective in all programs. Further, the administrations strengthened their capacities as a result of these MoUs to fulfill requirements arising from the Law on Gender Equality and the advancement of the GRB processes.
Results and resources
- Results overview
- Total resources
- Development results and resources
- Organizational results and resources
Budget
Expenses
Outcome
Result statement
IATI identifier
OutcomeKOS_D_1.1
Outcome result statementTransparent and accountable institutions, delivering quality, inclusive services, enabling rule of law and increased access to justice, leadership, decent work and implementing human rights commitments.
IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-KOS_D_1.1
OutcomeKOS_D_1.2
Outcome result statementGender equality, protection from gender-based violence and the empowerment of women and girls including from vulnerable groups as a means to change their behavior and increasingly claim and exercise their rights
IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-KOS_D_1.2
OutcomeKOS_D_1.3
Outcome result statementTransparent and accountable institutions, delivering quality, gender responsive policies and strategies, inclusive services, enabling rule of law and increased access to justice, leadership, decent work and implementing human rights commitments.
IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-KOS_D_1.3
OutcomeKOS_D_1.4
Outcome result statementGender equality, protection from gender-based violence and the empowerment of women and girls including from vulnerable groups as a means to change their behavior and increasingly claim and exercise their rights
IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-KOS_D_1.4
Budget
Expenses
Outcome
Result statement
IATI identifier
OutcomeKOS_O_1
Outcome result statementAdvancing partnerships and resourcing; Effectively influencing for impact & scale
IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-KOS_O_1
OutcomeKOS_O_2
Outcome result statementNurturing an empowered workforce and advancing an inclusive UN-Women culture
IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-KOS_O_2
OutcomeKOS_O_3
Outcome result statementEffective normative, programmatic and coordination products, services and processes
IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-KOS_O_3
OutcomeKOS_O_4
Outcome result statementAssuring an accountable organization through principled performance
IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-KOS_O_4
OutcomeKOS_O_5
Outcome result statementAdvancing business transformation
IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-KOS_O_5
Resources allocated towards SDGs
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Our funding partners contributions
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- Table
Regular resources (core)
$0.00 in total
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Other resources (non-core)
$1.73 M in total
Other resources (non-core)
$1.73 M in total
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| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | $186,078 2023
SwedenOECD-DAC donor
Total contribution:$186,078
Development:$186,078(100%)
Humanitarian:$0(0%)
|
$186,078 2022
SwedenOECD-DAC donor
Total contribution:$186,078
Development:$186,078(100%)
Humanitarian:$0(0%)
|
$113,334 2021
SwedenOECD-DAC donor
Total contribution:$113,334
Development:$113,334(100%)
Humanitarian:$0(0%)
|
$45,263 2020
SwedenOECD-DAC donor
Total contribution:$45,263
Development:$45,263(100%)
Humanitarian:$0(0%)
|
| European Commission | $248,343 2023
European CommissionOECD-DAC donor
Total contribution:$248,343
Development:$248,343(100%)
Humanitarian:$0(0%)
|
$248,343 2022
European CommissionOECD-DAC donor
Total contribution:$248,343
Development:$248,343(100%)
Humanitarian:$0(0%)
|
--
2021
No data available
|
--
2020
No data available
|
| International Labour Organization (ILO) | $42,500 2023
International Labour Organization (ILO)United Nations organization
Total contribution:$42,500
Development:$42,500(100%)
Humanitarian:$0(0%)
|
$42,500 2022
International Labour Organization (ILO)United Nations organization
Total contribution:$42,500
Development:$42,500(100%)
Humanitarian:$0(0%)
|
--
2021
No data available
|
--
2020
No data available
|
| United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | $308,712 2023
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)United Nations organization
Total contribution:$308,712
Development:$308,712(100%)
Humanitarian:$0(0%)
|
$308,712 2022
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)United Nations organization
Total contribution:$308,712
Development:$308,712(100%)
Humanitarian:$0(0%)
|
--
2021
No data available
|
--
2020
No data available
|
2023
Sweden$186,078
Total contribution$186,078
Development$186,078(100%)
Humanitarian$0(0%)
European Commission$248,343
Total contribution$248,343
Development$248,343(100%)
Humanitarian$0(0%)
International Labour Organization (ILO)$42,500
Total contribution$42,500
Development$42,500(100%)
Humanitarian$0(0%)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)$308,712
Total contribution$308,712
Development$308,712(100%)
Humanitarian$0(0%)
2022
Sweden$186,078
Total contribution$186,078
Development$186,078(100%)
Humanitarian$0(0%)
European Commission$248,343
Total contribution$248,343
Development$248,343(100%)
Humanitarian$0(0%)
International Labour Organization (ILO)$42,500
Total contribution$42,500
Development$42,500(100%)
Humanitarian$0(0%)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)$308,712
Total contribution$308,712
Development$308,712(100%)
Humanitarian$0(0%)
2021
Sweden$113,334
Total contribution$113,334
Development$113,334(100%)
Humanitarian$0(0%)
2020
Sweden$45,263
Total contribution$45,263
Development$45,263(100%)
Humanitarian$0(0%)