Kosovo

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.

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