Week of Women

📌 Over the past decade, more than 1,400 women in Kosovo have expanded their influence in political life, strengthened their skills and networks, and actively engaged in decision-making. has been a key platform supporting this journey, resulting in over 100 women to run for office – with more than 30 elected as local councilors and over 8 as Members of Parliament.

Read 🔎 the full piece below to see how sustained engagement, collaboration and inclusive leadership are shaping a more resilient and equitable political landscape in Kosovo ⬇️

The Architecture of Power: A Decade of Transformation in Kosovo For over ten years, the Week of Women (WoW) has served as more than a conference; it has become a platform for shaping how leadership, governance and inclusion are practiced in Kosovo. Launched by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in 2012, WoW has created a consistent and credible space to str...

This Power of Action Talk 🗣️ by Iliriana Jaka Gashi, Executive Director of Kosova - Women 4 Women and Member of the Women's Economic Forum, was a powerful reminder that sometimes the most effective changes come from approaches that truly reflect women’s real needs and realities, in order to boost their economic participation 📈

Collective effort, collaboration and consistency shape a stronger economic future for women 🧩

Embassy of Switzerland in Kosovo European Union in Kosovo British Embassy Pristina Embassy of Canada to Croatia and Kosovo Council of Europe Office in Pristina GIZ Kosovo

Leaders from Kosovo’s local and national institutions came together at to explore how national strategies, local implementation, gender inclusion, and measures against energy poverty can create a fair and sustainable energy transition ⚡️🌱

Important insights were shared by Leonita Shabani Mullarama, Secretary General of the Ministry of Economy; Sazan Ibrahimi, Executive Director of the Association of Kosovo Municipalities; Ardiana Bokshi, Director of General Services, Kosovo Energy Efficiency Fund; and Afrim Prokshi, Municipal Manager for Energy in the Municipality of Drenas. The session was moderated by Meral Hallaqi Radoniqi, Advisor for Energy at GIZ Kosovo.

Embassy of Switzerland in Kosovo European Union in Kosovo British Embassy Pristina Embassy of Canada to Croatia and Kosovo Council of Europe Office in Pristina GIZ Kosovo

Day 2️⃣ of opened with remarks from H.E. Jonathan Hargreaves, British Ambassador to Kosovo 🇬🇧, and Nancy Soderberg, NDI’s Senior Country Director, setting the stage for another day of discussions and workshops on advancing women’s leadership and gender-responsive governance.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Hargreaves highlighted the UK’s commitment to inclusive democracy, the value of transformative leadership, and the importance of collaboration across sectors to strengthen gender-responsive governance.

Embassy of Switzerland in Kosovo European Union in Kosovo British Embassy Pristina Embassy of Canada to Croatia and Kosovo Council of Europe Office in Pristina GIZ Kosovo

Our morning before the kick-off conference was fueled by a training on debating skills 🎯with Nol Musa, Legal Associate.

From argument structures to counterarguments, reasoning, and storytelling 🗣️ participants explored what makes an argument persuasive.

Final takeaway? Strong arguments speak. Great gestures amplify them 🧠!

Local leaders came together to share perspectives on what it takes to strengthen representation, coordination, and accountability in local governance 🌱. The conversation featured perspectives from Smajl Latifi, Mayor of the Municipality of Rahovec; Hasan Aliu, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Viti; Arbnore Beqiraj Fera, Speaker of the Municipal Assembly of Kamenica; Melihate Basholli Latifi, Speaker of the Municipal Assembly of Vushtrri; and Valmir Rama, Local Councilor from the Municipality of Istog. The session was moderated by Njomza Arifi, Executive Director at GLPS.

To further ground the discussion in data 📊, Agnesa Fejzullahu from NDI Kosovo, provided a snapshot of the 2025 election cycle, highlighting participation patterns, representation trends, and post-election engagement 🗳️. Complementing this, Alban Hashani from Riinvest Institute shared insights on strengthening coordination between central and local institutions to advance gender-responsive governance across Kosovo 🤝.

Embassy of Switzerland in Kosovo European Union in Kosovo British Embassy Pristina Council of Europe Office in Pristina Embassy of Canada to Croatia and Kosovo GIZ Kosovo

With a powerful call to strengthen democracy through partnership, the Ambassador of Switzerland to Kosovo🇨🇭, Jürg Sprecher, opened by reflecting on the long-standing cooperation between Switzerland and Kosovo and their shared commitment to inclusive development.

His remarks underscored the importance of gender-responsive governance, the impact of transformative leadership, and the value in cross-sector collaboration.

Embassy of Switzerland in Kosovo European Union in Kosovo British Embassy Pristina Embassy of Canada to Croatia and Kosovo Council of Europe Office in Pristina GIZ Kosovo

The 13th edition of kicked off with opening remarks by Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, Senior Country Director at NDI Kosovo, who set the tone for this year’s theme “Power in Partnership: From Dialogue to Action.”

Under this year's theme, her remarks set the tone for strengthening women’s leadership and enhancing central-local coordination to advance gender-responsive governance across Kosovo.

Embassy of Switzerland in Kosovo European Union in Kosovo British Embassy Pristina Embassy of Canada to Croatia and Kosovo Council of Europe Office in Pristina GIZ Kosovo