Introduction of the issue of municipal budgeting based on gender perspective has produced numerous discussions at a roundtable that Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) organized on September 9 at the municipality of Dragash. Whereas officials from Municipal Directorate for Economy and Finance confirmed that all relevant stakeholders and interest groups were involved in budgetary projections for 2017 and 2018-2019) claiming that there’s space to support gender interest projects, representative of the Office for Gender Equality denied that she was involved in this process. She called for making functional the local kindergarten in 2017, which could also imitate the employment of women and their participation in decision making. While representative of civil society said; “If municipality would offer greater support for women, they would have been more prone to participate in such activities, because municipality of Dragash is not needful of paving roads and cobblestone only; it requires for more inclusion of women in decision making”. She also denied having been invited to meetings in municipal budget planning sessions.

Disappointments in this matter were also expressed by Assembly women deputies. Nazmije Velija from (PDK) the party who is leading Municipality of Dragash raised the issue of transportation for high school students of Dragash, who continue to attend school in Prizren because the Municipality of Dragash has failed to reach an agreement with a transport company at a reasonable price. She also noted lack of institutional support for people with disabilities. Among projects that have been put upfront for budgeting support was also the continuation and completion of secondary education of women, who for different reasons were not able to graduate.

 

This activity was organized as part of the Olof Palme Centre project for citizen participation for transparency and accountability and is aimed at empowering women in policymaking.