Male Kosovo police officers to become gender equality advocates, conclude participants in OSCE discussion

A two-day roundtable discussion organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo on the role of male senior police officers in promoting gender equality concluded on 17 May 2017 in Prevallë/Prevalac, Prizren municipality.

The roundtable gathered regional police directors and station commanders, representatives of the Kosovo Police Women Association and the Forum of Women Judges and Prosecutors. It is part of the Mission’s efforts to promote the engagement of men in promoting gender equality in public safety institutions.             

“I am proud that the Kosovo Police has accepted to be part of this ground-breaking process. Engaging men in advocating gender equality sets a good example for other institutions on how to work towards gender equality,” said Jan Braathu, the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, addressing the participants.

At the roundtable, participants reassessed current gender roles in Kosovo, discussed gender stereotypes and norms and what men and women can do to overcome inequality. They concluded that for further development of the Kosovo Police into a gender diverse police force, male police officers need to become advocates for gender equality. The directors of eight Kosovo regional police directorates committed to taking small, but concrete steps towards diversity, including gender-sensitive internal regulations regarding work-life balance, specialized training, gender-responsible recruitment processes and gender-sensitive working environments.

Shaban Shala, director of Kosovo Police regional directorate in Pejë/Peć emphasised that “women must be in decision-making positions and I hope that we don’t have to discuss this matter much further.”

The OSCE Mission is mandated with human and community rights protection and promotion, democratization and public safety sector development. It regularly monitors and advocates for gender-balanced participation in public institutions and institutional advancements contributing to gender equality.