Prishtina, 14.10.2020 – The Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment, Burbuqe Bakija-Deva, together with Jenny Stenberg Sørvold, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Prishtina, and Dajna Sorensen, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy of the Government of Albania, opened the two-day Regional Forum on “Employment status of girls and women in Albania and Kosovo”.

Deputy Minister Bakija-Deva said that gender equality is a fundamental right and an important factor for economic growth, development and stability and, as she said, gender equality is a fundamental principle in the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo.

“The commitment to gender equality emphasizes the need for policy development and implementation through strategies and programs, the legal framework, and the provision of goods and services to achieve the goal set for gender equality”, she said.

Also, Mrs Bakija-Deva said that the legislation in Kosovo provides a good basis for encouraging and supporting women’s participation in the work process, but also in decision-making positions.

The Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, the highest legal and political act of the country, in addition to having a gender balance in its language and structure, it respects and promotes the principles of gender equality, which are also internationally accepted (Article 71). Furthermore, the Constitution prohibits any form of discrimination, including gender-based discrimination”, Mrs Bakija-Deva said.

This virtual forum is organized by the Gender Alliance for Development Centre (GADC) and the Democracy for Development Institute (D4D), and is supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Prishtina. The forum aims to enable the exchange of information and recommendations regarding employment policies in Albania and Kosovo as well as to initiate advocacy strategies and actions at the regional level, which contribute to increasing the employment of women.