Kosovo economic development is brighter with Women in business

The purpose of this organization remains promotion and empowerment of women businesses in Kosovo and at the same time approximation of women in business, institutional representatives as Ministers and President and representatives of the foreign Embassies in Kosovo. With particular emphasis on creation of new contacts, exchanging of experiences, but also the topic about the challenges that women face in decision making  and business as well as new opportunities for enhanced cooperation between each other.

Part of this organization were the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, Minister of trade and Industry, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, women MPs of the Kosovo Assembly, women from the foreign embassies in Kosovo and women from different NGO-s that operate in Kosovo.
As initiator of this project Minister Çitaku said that “The essence here, today is not only to promote this kind of business, but we are here again today with Hamide and this marks the second year where well have traditional and ongoing  lunch of this nature with a promoting character. The first goal is to promote local products, together with Dep. Prime Minister Mimoza Kisari Lila we have discussed several times in the National Council for the economic development and it was our joint initiative to change the law of public procurement so that Kosovo institutions serve only local products in the events that we organise and the law is on the procedure and I believe that very soon it will be approved in the Government and will pass in the Kosovo Assembly without any problem.

So our aim is to promote our products and together with it to promote woman in business. She continued by saying that Women in Kosovo every day and more are becoming economically independent and economical independence without any doubts promotes social and political independence, an economically independent woman is a guide for its daughter, daughter in law, her sister, friends and everyone around.

Among other things, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mrs. Mimoza Kusari Lila said that we as a Ministry are trying to contribute so all that energy that women give in everyday life to give it to business also in order to take their place in the society as a contribution which is proof that they can do the same job and even better. Within our efforts in the ministry, we have started the project to select the entrepreneurial woman of the year, empowering other women to apply and there has been foreseen an award for their commitment. In addition, in this year has been established economic chamber for women in order to be a strong voice of women in business and from the September in cooperation with European Union we will start to give grants for small and medium businesses. Also, exclusively for this event Minister Kusari Lila have made known decision taken  from the Ministry of Trade from few days ago to support opening of the Trade Centre for Woman where funds from the Government of Kosovo will be combined with other donor funds. .

In her speech Mrs. Hamide Latifi, representative of the Women in Business said that “this event is a promotional lunch with local products that are produced from the business women of Kosovo. This project is co-organised for the second time with the Ministry of European Union, respectively Minister Çitaku who last year and this year also has expressed her readiness to support entrepreneurial women of Kosovo.  She added that, the profile of Minister Çitaku and the opportunity she gives to the Kosovo women of being a part of such important event, in order to met high profiles coming from foreign embassies and donors is a great opportunity for entrepreneurial women who should use this experience at maximum in order to create contacts.  I think that at the first sight to someone it doesn’t seem a big support but from my experience in essence this is a great support because it gives opportunity to the ones who want to use it.

The Association Women in Business aims and tries to encourage women by supporting them to find markets, on the capacity building, their training and continuous cooperation with them. European Integration is happening at every segment and it is not coincidence that we are at the Ministry of European Integration , because woman must first integrate in Kosovo ,family, in society, economy and we have taken first step in this direction and in this moment I want to thank Minister  who has unexpectedly opened door for us.”.

Ingrid Johansson from the Swedish Embassy said that “I was informed that this organization in the last year was very successful and helped the development of these women businesses and it is going to continue with this trend. At the same time I see that the trend of women advancing by entering public and economical life is very active and at the same time vital because anyone who was involved in public policies knows that the relationship between empowering of the women’s role and economical development of the state are linked. So this event not only contributes to the development in the state level, but at the same time it contributes to the family economies of these women”.