26/12/2023
On December 19, the Conference on Women, Peace and Security was held, with the main focus on gender integration in the security sector in Kosovo. The aim of the conference was to deepen the knowledge related to gender equality in the security sector, especially to address the challenges faced by women in the Kosovo Police and the Kosovo Security Force and to propose actionable strategies to promote gender integration in this sector.
During the conference, Adelina Hasani, researcher at the Kosovar Center for Security Studies, presented two researches focused on gender integration in the Kosovo Police and the Kosovo Security Force. The main purpose of these two researches was to share knowledge on promoting inclusiveness, improving reporting mechanisms and advancing gender diversity within the security sector in Kosovo.
The first panel focused on gender integration in the Kosovo Police, attended by Jeta Tela, Chief of Cabinet and Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Florie Hajra, Colonel, Teuta Nimani, Major, Igballe Rugova, Executive Director of the Network of women of Kosovo, and Adelina Hasani, researcher at KCSS, while the panel was moderated by Ramadan Ilazi, head of research at KCSS.
This panel discussed the low number of women employed in the Kosovo Police, especially in leadership positions, emphasizing the urgent need to address this issue. However, the participation of women in the Kosovo Police has led to the breaking of barriers for their representation in this sector and for addressing their specific needs. However, despite the progress, Kosovo still faces numerous challenges of gender equality, especially in leadership positions. Patriarchal mentality, discrimination and stereotypes have presented significant barriers to the inclusion of women in decision-making at all levels, including the security sector. Despite some visible improvements, the journey towards increasing the representation of women in the Kosovo Police is still an ongoing issue.
The second panel discussed the gender perspective within the Kosovo Security Force, attended by Halime Morina, head of the unit for human rights and gender equality in the Ministry of Defense of Kosovo, Vjosa Maloku, deputy colonel and head of the development sector of the career in the general headquarters of the KSF, Majlinda Lulaj, deputy ombudsman, and Adelina Hasani, researcher at the KCSS. The panel was moderated by the executive director of KCSS, Mentor Vrajolli.
In this panel, the discussion focused on leadership positions within the Kosovo Security Force that present distinct challenges for women, shaped by systemic and societal factors. In traditionally male-dominated environments, such as the security force, women often face barriers that impede their professional advancement and leadership effectiveness. Efforts are needed to strengthen the inclusion of women in leadership roles. The lack of representation of women in leadership positions in the security force not only limits mentoring opportunities, but also increases the likelihood of discrimination and harassment, resulting in a less supportive work environment.
The conference was concluded with a special emphasis on the urgency of integrating the gender perspective in the security sector and increasing the number of women in managerial positions.
