As an active member of the Gender Budget Watchdog Network, the Mitrovica Women Association for Human Rights (MWAHR) has been a driving force in promoting fairer municipal budgets through gender-responsive budgeting. By monitoring budget allocations across six municipal directorates — Agriculture, Administration, Health, Social Welfare, Finance, and the Employment Agency — and organizing public hearings where citizens could share recommendations directly with directors, MWAHR pushed for equitable spending and transparent processes. Their efforts also supported women’s participation in economic fairs, helping more than 30 women entrepreneurs increase their income and visibility while engaging over 300 community members through related activities.
As part of this project, MWAHR published Gender Budgeting as a Transformative Budget Tool for Municipal Institutions, exploring how gender-responsive budgeting can help municipalities better address the needs of diverse communities, promote gender equality, and improve resource allocation. The publication highlights practical recommendations for integrating gender perspectives into municipal budget planning and decision-making.
Read the full interview with Vetone Veliu, Executive Director of MWAHR, for her insights on advancing gender-responsive budgeting in Mitrovica.
