OSCE Mission Head calls for more women directors in Kosovo institutions

PRISHTINE/PRISTINA, 7 March 2014 – Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, appealed to local and central level institutions in Kosovo to raise the number of women in managerial positions.

“We saw a very positive development with the election of the first female mayor in the last elections. However, 90 percent of all the directors appointed to date in municipalities throughout Kosovo are men,”  said Schlumberger. “This figure is a clear indicator that Kosovo institutions need to do more to achieve gender equality in their ranks, thus building on the many achievements in gender mainstreaming made in recent years in Kosovo.”

“At the central level, the fact that there are three women holding ministerial posts is quite positive, but the number of women holding director positions in central institutions in general is not much higher than in municipalities, and this needs to be addressed.”

In 2014, the OSCE Mission will continue supporting initiatives for enhancing the role of women in decision-making processes. The OSCE currently focuses on the consolidation of the municipal women’s caucuses, following the November 2013 local elections. The Mission will support the established caucuses in marking the International Women’s Day through events organized across Kosovo under the UN Women’s slogan “Equality for Women is Equality for All.”