The EU Office in Kosovo and the EUICC mark International Women’s Day

To celebrate and mark the International Women’s Day (IWD) and to reflect on the current situation of women in Kosovo, on the 7th of March at the EUICC in Pristina this day was marked with a special cultural and educative event.

Organized by the EUICC and the EU Office in Kosovo, the digital exhibition was opened in front of a number of people, artists and civil society representatives, who joined in the challenge through pictures and moments on Instagram.

The head of EU Office/EUSR, Nataliya Apostolova, stated in her remark that in the last few years, when Kosovo is being mentioned in the international arena, be it in music industry, art or sports, it is mainly because of women.

“However, it is significant to mention that a large majority of the participants in our selfie challenge, chose more real Women Role Models,  everyday women, friends, sisters,  and in a large majority mothers. When we think on inspiring women, we consider women that have succeeded in their professions: artists, political leader, scientists, singers and women’s rights’ activist. Kosovo, as I said, has plenty of those and some also made it to our Instagram competition: Rita Ora and Igballe Rugova” said Apostolova.

“In accordance with the EU Gender Action Plan 2017-2020, my mandate here in Kosovo, as Head of the EU Office and EUSR, includes objectives such as: further equal access to for girls and women to all levels of quality education free from discrimination; girls and women free from all form of violence in public and private sphere and equal access to decent work and financial services” Apostolova added.

“The EU in Kosovo, funds and supports many projects and actions with those objectives. Only this month, I am launching a 500.000 EURO program as well as smaller scale 30.000 project on leadership for women in politics” she concluded.

Skender Boshtrakaj, Artist, Ariana Qosaj Mustafa, Head of the Board of Kosovo Women Network and Daniel Consentino, professor at RIT in Pristina were the speakers during the event, during which pictures of artists and people with their women role models were shown in the background.