10010807-Communication Campaign

Women in Kosovo have less education and training opportunities than men and are therefore limited in their professional development. They are underrepresented in basic and general education, vocational training and labour market-oriented training, on the labour market and as start-up entrepreneurs. Around 20 per cent of women only have an income. This exacerbates economic inequality in rural areas, above all. Women from minority backgrounds, such as the Serbian minority in northern Kosovo, are particularly affected. The project aims to expand economic opportunities for disadvantaged women in rural Kosovo. This particularly affects the 35 to 55 age group and women who have dropped out of education or have completed it and are unable to find initial or continuing training. The project supports women in improving their employability and setting up and expanding small businesses in rural areas. Among other things, it provides training, advisory services and assistance with the regulation of unregulated work. It also develops gender-just financial support programmes. The project works with representatives of government and civil society. At the same time, the project is promoting a (nationwide) communication campaign with the aim of changing the views of Kosovan society and making it more open to women"s participation in vocational training and work. The overall module objective is that the employment prospects for disadvantaged women in rural areas in Kosovo have improved. The term "communication campaign" shall be used in a broadest sense of all measures that can enable a change of societal values, social norms, perceptions, attitudes and behaviour, i.e. social and behavior change (SBC). Output 1 strengthens the capacities and competences of selected public labour market service providers to pilot new labour market initiatives for disadvantaged women. Output 2 cooperates with civil society organisations to ensure that disadvantaged women in rural rooms benefit from gender-responsive labour market services to improve their employability. Output 3 initiates gender-transformative changes in the perception of women's participation in vocational training and employment in parts of Kosovan society.