Support to civil society in Kosovo

Context

Civil society plays an important role in Kosovo’s development. Local organisations help protect human rights, support democracy, and ensure the voices of all people are heard – particularly those who often go unseen or unheard. Their role is formally recognised across key national frameworks, such as the Strategy for Cooperation with Civil Society, the Gender Equality Programme, and the National Development Strategy and Plan for 2030.

However, civil society still faces many challenges. Ongoing gender-based economic inequalities, the underrepresentation of women in decision-making, and the continuation of violence against women underscore the need to continue supporting initiatives aimed at implementing the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. Amongst the country’s ethnic groups, minority communities continue to experience barriers to accessing their full rights, opportunities and socio-economic participation. The media also faces difficulties, with limited resources for quality reporting and robust fact-checking standards, especially amid the rise of digitalisation and artificial intelligence. All of these issues demonstrate why it is essential to support organisations working to improve equality, promote peace, and strengthen access to trustworthy information.

Objectives

The Support to civil society in Kosovo project works to address these needs. Its main goal is to help build a stronger and more active civil society. More specifically, the project supports progress in three areas: gender equality, the inclusion of minorities, and the improvement of media transparency and integrity. To do this, the project offers technical and financial support to five local civil society organisations that are implementing their own projects and initiatives across Kosovo.

The project takes a bottom-up approach, backing ideas and actions that come from the community level, rather than from the top down. It strengthens the work of each partner organisation, helping them respond to real needs they have identified through their experience and local knowledge. The project works on empowering women and minorities in promoting peace and security, as well as strengthening minority-focused organisations in financial management, digital literacy, and social entrepreneurship, and on increasing the sustainability of those organisations active in transparency and information integrity.

Through these efforts, the project aims to achieve the following important results:

• more women and members of minority groups are empowered, enabling their active participation in promoting peace and security;
• organisations that support minorities improve their capacity to manage projects, use digital and financial tools, and advance the social entrepreneurship landscape;
• media-focused organisations are better equipped to contribute to a more transparent media sector that provides accurate, reliable information.

Beneficiaries

The project works throughout Kosovo. It supports civil society organisations with strong local ties to enhance their impact. The five partner organisations leading these efforts are the Jahjaga Foundation, The Foundation House, the Jakova Innovation Center, Democracy for Development, and Kosovo 2.0. 

Indirectly, the project also helps the communities that each of these organisations targets, especially those who are underserved or often excluded. Ultimately, the goal is to benefit all citizens of Kosovo by supporting a more inclusive, informed, and just society.