The 2021 Parliamentary Elections results showed an increase of citizens’ trust in women as representatives in the Parliament. Out of 120 MPs, 44 of them will be women mandated MPs. This will make Kosovo have 36.6% of women MPs, 3% more than in the European Union legislature of 2020 (according to the latest EuroStat data). Therefore, Kosovo society, although it may be characterized as a patriarchal one, has started to shift slowly away from the fortified attitudes of the past.
This women’s success was the result of the effectiveness of gender quotas introduced in Kosovo. Designating the minimum of 30% of women’s participation in parliamentary life proved to be efficient very much so by exceeding the said quotas. Such progressive move of the society is observed in two directions: 1) in increase of women’s confidence to run for an MP; and 2) in the alteration of society’s perception that women possess the skills to govern. First, because the women’s success will inspire girls to get involved in politics. And second, because a great number of citizens have increased their trust in the capabilities and successes of women in decision-making.
The quotas, according to Amy C. Alexander, make the women representation be divided into descriptive representation and substantial representation.[1]Descriptive representation of women denotes the participation as a percentage only without any concern about the merits.[2] Nevertheless, according to the author, both of the above represent an indivisible cycle. Descriptive representation provides women the opportunity to shift into substantial representation in the future. However, the author argues that in deep patriarchal societies the society behaviour change is imposed by the first type of representation. Nevertheless, though we have accomplished a gender representation beyond the quota set as minimum, the path to equality of women participation in the public and economic life has not ended here.
Consequently, this golden opportunity for the future MPs in Kosovo represents the start of the natural cycle development of transfer of representation from surface into the substance. One thing, above all, is clear, women that will occupy an MP seat now have also the responsibility to work on broadening the space for women involvement in the public, social and economic life. Therefore, notwithstanding the said success, equal opportunities must be provided in other spheres of life, be that through introduction of quotas in the executive branch, initially as numbers and later on as substance!
[1] Change in Women’s Descriptive Representation and the Belief in Women’s Ability to Govern: A Virtuous Cycle – Amy C. Alexander (2012)
[2] Ibid
