UNMIK/PR/51

PRESS RELEASE

25 September, 1999       

Kosovo Gender Task Force Formed

Pristina---The first meeting of the Kosovo Gender Task Force took place yesterday morning, chaired by the United Nations Development Fund for Women. Participants included leading Kosovo activists, lawyers and journalists, as well as representatives of UNMIK, other UN agencies, local and international NGOs.

The Gender Task Force was formed to ensure that the gender perspective is integrated into Kosovo’s political and economic
planning. The Task Force will also support women’s equal access to and participation in the private sector development programmes designed  by UNMIK, the IMF and World Bank.

Two subgroups were formed to investigate the issues of violence against women and economic empowerment.

Other issues to be addressed in the meetings which will be every two weeks, include women’s participation in key political bodies such as  municipal councils, property rights, discriminatory family laws and gender balance in public policies and programmes.

Discussions at the first meeting ranged from how to increase women’s participation in the current political and development process to increasing the information flow to women’s organizations.