Gender Equality and Inequality in Kosovo

Abstract

Since the collapse of the Yugoslav socialist state, Kosovar society has undergone tremendous changes, and has experienced dramatic upheavals. In the narrative that tells the story of the events taking place in the contemporary political history of Kosovo, the voices of women remain conspicuously absent.1 Women’s presence in the public sphere has traditionally been low. Nonetheless, women participated actively within the parallel Kosovar structures in the 1990s, but until recently their role had not received much attention. Despite more focus on gender issues in post-1999 Kosovo, and the introduction of extensive new legislation governing gender equality, women’s role in Kosovar society has remained marginal, and the public and political sphere has continued to be dominated by men. The continuation of a serious gender gap has been identified as one of the main challenges facing contemporary Kosovar society today.2