In a different format, D4D has organized a one-day workshop on “Social Dialogue on Maternity and Parental Leave”. More than 80 participants, members of civil society organizations, representatives of institutions, trade union organizations and business associations, and young people, divided into six working groups, discussed the importance of family policies – maternity, paternity and parental leave- as well as the impact of legislative changes undertaken by MLSW on maternity and parental leave in addressing gender inequality and women and men’s opportunities for family life and work.

On her address, the Swedish Ambassador to Kosovo, H.E. Karin Hernmarck Ahliny spoke about the importance of social dialogue in finding and adapting an appropriate model for maternity and parental leave for families in Kosovo – a model that assures the participation of both parents in child care as a precondition for family equality and social equity. Taking for example the Swedish parental leave system, Ambassador Hernmarck Ahliny emphasized the importance of full participation of fathers in childcare through paternity and parental leave, thus enabling the demolishing of the stereotypical gender stereotypes for family care.

• Among others, participants discussed and provided their recommendations on:
• Policy outcomes of parental leave in welfare and socio-economic development
• Influence of maternity leave on women’s access to employment
• The importance of paid paternity leave for family and social equity
• Impact of parental leave policies on the labor market
• The significance of family policies in the emotional and cognitive development of children
• Budget implications of the appropriate model for maternity and parenting leave for businesses and the Government

These discussions and recommendations from the workshop will be included in the document in the form of a manifesto for social dialogue, with which D4D will advocate for legislative amendments to the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, Government and Members of Parliament of Kosovo, and other stakeholders involved in drafting the specialist law on maternity and parental leave, for which D4D has been advocating in the past two years in accordance with the model developed by D4D Institute and other non-governmental organizations.

This workshop was supported by the Olof Palme International Center and the Swedish Embassy in Kosovo.