KW4W is happy to see the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between our Director Iliriana Gashi, the Mayor of the municipality of Viti, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). This agreement represents a greater emphasis on job creation and development in Kosovo, focusing on the economic stability for the women of Kosovo. The project brings about noble goals that will promote the economic welfare of hundreds of women in Viti, and will be a first step towards a deeper partnership

Women’s empowerment comes with their economic empowerment. Kosovar women in the labour market remain inactive in high percentages. According to the Labour Force Survey 2016 only 12.7% of the population ratio of women (of working age) is employed. Out of the women population ratio 81.4% of them are inactive job seekers and 31.8% of active job seekers are employed. Women’s participation in the labour market is still extensively influenced by local values, traditional norms and historical gender roles.

This program involves the donation of GIZ who has helped sponsor the new workplace for these women in Viti. KW4W are acting as facilitators by helping promote technical and vocational skills to these women so they can transfer this knowledge into tangible handcrafts production. The factory focuses on the manufacturing and sewing of handicrafts which is currently one of the fastest growing job sectors in Kosovo, as well as accounting for the fastest growing industry for female employment. KW4W is happy to see a project that has seen this niche in the market and has jumped on the opportunity to create stable job growth in more rural municipalities of Kosovo. The factory strived to hire over one hundred individuals to work as seamstress for the fabrication and design of beautiful artisanal and craft goods for which Kosovo is known to produce.

The program is seen as initial phase, meant to begin planting a seed of production within the confines of Viti. The goal is to eventually see the development of a stronger manufacturing sector through the employment of women in order to establish a sustainable foundation by which factory output, and subsequently, factory employment of women can expand in this area. The project works hard to maintain a level or equality among the selected workers, looking to hire male allies as well as ethnic minorities in order to create a microcosm of the Kosovar workplace, inside of this factory.

The MOU is the first step to a long series of partnerships between the municipality, GIZ, and KW4W who seek to turn the basic skills and abilities learned throughout these women trainings, into tangible earnings for them, their families, and their communities. Onwards with progress this project strides to achieve and KW4W will be right there to ensure its success.