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Gender-Based Discrimination and Labour in Kosovo

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Gender-Based Discrimination and Labour in Kosovo Funded by the Co-funded by European Union Swedish Development Cooperation GENDER-BASED DISCRIMINATION AND LABOUR IN KOSOVO Implemented by: GENDER-BASED DISCRIMINATION AND LABOUR IN KOSOVO By Iliriana Banjska, David JJ Ryan, Nicole Farnsworth, Lirika Demiri, Liridona Sijarina and Adelina Tërshani 2019 © Kosovo Women’s Network, 2019 All rights reserved. Licensed to the European Union under conditions. Authors: Iliriana Banjska, David JJ Ryan, Nicole Farnsworth, Lirika Demiri, Liridona Sijarina, and Adelina Tërshani ISBN 978-9951-737-31-9 This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Kosovo Women’s Network and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. Printed by Night Design in Pristina, Kosovo, using eco-friendly printing. www.womensnetwork.org Acknowledgements The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) would like to express its gratitude to the people who were involved in this research and contributed to Kosovo’s first in-depth analysis of gender-based discrimination as it relates to labour. This included citizens and institutions who offered their thoughts and time. The Agency for Gender Equality in the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo and the Ombudsperson Institution, as associates in this action, provided vital support to KWN’s efforts in confirming interviews with institutions and reaching diverse respondents through the online survey. The Kosovo Judicial Council provided important assistance in scheduling interviews with judges, as did the Labour Inspectorate with labour inspectors throughout Kosovo. KWN thanks its hard-working and dedicated research team who conducted interviews with institutions, coded interviews and drafted sections of this report: Adelina Tërshani, Liridona Sijarina and Lirika Demiri. Special thanks to Nicole Farnsworth (Lead Researcher, MSc) and Iliriana Banjska (Lead Researcher, MA) who created the research instruments, coordinated all research activities and wrote and edited this report. Vaska Leshoska from Reactor Research in Action conducted the statistical analysis and provided vital insight throughout the research and writing process. Nerina Guri supported quality control and drafting of the methodology. This research would not have been possible without the continuous support of KWN’s Executive Director, Igballe Rogova, who provided expertise and guidance throughout the research process. KWN thanks the voluntary peer reviewers for their timely and useful input on the draft report: Carlos Abaitua-Zarza (Task Manager for Fundamental Rights, European Union Office in Kosovo), Ariana Qosaj-Mustafa (MSc in Gender, Development and Globalisation), Dr. Vjollca Krasniqi (Professor at the University of Prishtina), Donjeta Morina (MA in International Relations and European Studies), Ilire Mehmeti (MSc in Economics) and Dita Dobranja (MA in International Economics). 1 CONTENTS Acronyms ..................................................................................................................... 4 Executive Summary ....................................................................................................... 5 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 6 Methodology ............................................................................................................. 7 About This Report ..................................................................................................... 8 Legal Analysis ............................................................................................................... 9 International Agreements and Instruments .................................................................. 9 The Constitution ....................................................................................................... 10 The Criminal Code of Kosovo ..................................................................................... 11 The Law on Labour ................................................................................................... 12 Law on Protection from Discrimination ....................................................................... 16 Law on Gender Equality ............................................................................................ 20 Other Relevant Laws................................................................................................. 24 Interpreting the Legal Framework .............................................................................. 24 Responsible Institutions ............................................................................................ 25 Procedures and Remedies ......................................................................................... 26 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 30 People’s Awareness and Reporting of Gender-Based Discrimination .................................. 31 People’s Awareness about Gender-based Discrimination .............................................. 31 Reporting Gender-based Discrimination ...................................................................... 32 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 34 Prevalence of and Experiences with Discrimination .......................................................... 35 General Findings related to Gender-based Discrimination ............................................. 35 Discrimination Based on Specific Protected Grounds .................................................... 36 Different Forms of Gender-based Discrimination .......................................................... 38 Conclusions.............................................................................................................. 46 The Institutional Response to Gender-Based discrimination at Work ................................. 48 The Police ................................................................................................................ 48 The Prosecution ....................................................................................................... 49 Courts ..................................................................................................................... 49 Labour Inspectorate ................................................................................................. 51 The Ombudspersons Institution ................................................................................. 52 Labour Unions .......................................................................................................... 53 Civil Society Organizations ......................................................................................... 55 Implementing the Legal Framework: General Reflections ............................................. 55 Conclusions.............................................................................................................. 56 Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 57 For the Legal Framework .......................................................................................... 57 For the Kosovo Police ............................................................................................... 58 For the Prosecution .................................................................................................. 58 For the Kosovo Judicial Council .................................................................................. 58 For the Labour Inspectorate ...................................................................................... 59 For the Ombudsperson Institution .............................................................................. 59 For Labour Unions .................................................................................................... 59 For Civil Society Organizations ................................................................................... 59 2 For Employers in Private and Public Sectors ................................................................ 60 Works Cited ................................................................................................................. 61 Annexes ...................................................................................................................... 65 Annex 1. Methodology .............................................................................................. 65 Annex 2. Demographic Information about the Sample ................................................. 69 Annex 3. Survey Instrument ...................................................................................... 72 Annex 4. Sample Interview Guide .............................................................................. 81 3 ACRONYMS CSOs Civil Society Organisations D4D Democracy for Development ECHR European Convention of Human Rights ECJ European Court of Justice ECtHR European Court of Human Rights EU European Union KWN Kosovo Women’s Network LGBTIQ+ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and differently identifying persons LGE Law on Gender Equality LL Law on Labour LPD Law on Protection from Discrimination OI Ombudsperson Institution SMIL System of Informative Management of Cases UN
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