Monitoring political discussions shows that a woman politician ranks among the most targeted figures by hate speech. In some posts, abusive comments reached up to 45% of the discussion, while in others they ranged from 22% to 31%, illustrating how quickly political debate can turn into hate speech. These patterns highlight the gendered […]

Online political communication has become an increasingly central arena of electoral competition, shaping visibility, narratives, and voter engagement. Currently, it has emerged as a key environment for gender-based violence, where women political candidates are disproportionately exposed to hate speech, harassment, and discriminatory narratives. In Kosovo, as in many democratic contexts, this phenomenon poses growing risk […]

From September 2025 to January 2026, a total of 265,870 articles covering the political scene in online media were analyzed. 90% (239,870 articles) were dedicated to men 10% (26,000 articles) were dedicated to women These data show a significant gender imbalance in media representation in politics. Increasing women’s visibility in the media is essential for […]

This report examines the social media information environment during Kosovo’s 2025 National and Local Elections, analyzing digital political dynamics across both governance levels. Covering the period December 2024 to November, 2025, the report provides a comprehensive assessment of how online discourse shapes political participation and public perception. The study focuses on four key areas: Online […]

During the monitoring of hate speech, a comparison was made of the percentage of men who were the authors of misogynistic comments in two different time periods, respectively in 2023 and 2025. The data shows a significant increase, with the percentage increasing from 89.6% in 2023 to 96.2% in 2025. Hate speech used against women […]

The report “Monitoring the Code of Conduct on the Responsible Use of Social Media during the 2025 Local Elections,” conducted by Democracy for Development (D4D), analyses political communication on social media during the campaign period of the local elections held on October 12, 2025. The main objective of the report is to assess compliance with […]

Continuing the work with factsheets, the group is holding regular meetings with local stakeholders and representatives of institutions in the Municipality of Peja. During the meetings, key findings from the case study in the village of Buçan were presented, highlighting multiple challenges affecting the quality of life of women and families in rural areas. The […]

The residents of the village maintain strong community ties and often engage in joint activities to improve well-being and provide mutual support. The local economy is primarily based on agriculture and livestock farming. Crops such as corn and wheat are cultivated, along with vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes. Livestock includes animals such as chickens, […]

The infographic presents key data on the Municipality of Prizren and the village of Gorozhup, offering an overview of the area’s demographic, infrastructural, and socio-economic development. The main challenge for residents, especially women, remains the lack of transportation and supportive infrastructure, which limits opportunities for employment and local economic growth. “Decision-making through dialogue: Improving rural […]

During the period of September 27 – October 3, the Pikasa platform monitored hate speech and the media coverage of candidates in online media and social networks during the 2025 local election campaign. The data shows that the Lëvizja Vetëvendosje (LVV) was the political entity with the highest number of hate speech comments (247 comments), […]

During the monitoring period from September 27 to October 3, a total of 18 cases of inappropriate language by representatives of political subjects on social media were recorded. Among them: · 12 cases are related to hate speech, · 1 case of personal bullying, · 4 cases of spreading disinformation, · 1 other case classified […]

During the period of September 20–26, the Pikasa platform monitored hate speech and the media coverage of candidates in online media and social networks during the 2025 local election campaign. The data shows that the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) was the political entity with the highest number of hate speech comments (553 comments), followed […]

During the period of September 20–26, a total of 25 cases were recorded in which representatives of political parties used inappropriate language on social media. Of these, 15 cases involved hate speech, 3 involved personal bullying, and 2 involved the spread of misinformation. Additionally, 5 other cases fell into different categories. The data indicate that […]

During the period of September 13–19, 2025, Democracy for Development (D4D), through the Pikasa platform, monitored online portals and social media to analyze trends in hate speech and candidate mentions during the local election campaign. The data show that the highest number of hate speech comments directed at political parties was identified against LVV with […]

Between September 13 and 18, a total of 32 cases of inappropriate language use on social media were identified from representatives of political entities in 14 municipalities of Kosovo. The majority were related to hate speech (22 cases), followed by disinformation and personal bullying with 4 cases each. Additionally, 2 cases of calls for violence, […]

Parliaments are not only places where laws are debated and adopted, but institutions with the responsibility to oversee the government and protect the interests of citizens. When this role is not properly fulfilled, democracy itself is put at risk. That is why parliamentary oversight is such an essential part of any democratic system. One of […]

The Democracy for Development (D4D) Institute, as part of its ongoing work with new members of political parties #DemocracyBootcamps , organized a three-day workshop (August 29–31) aimed at empowering first-time candidates for municipal assemblies and strengthening their capacities for more effective political and institutional representation. A total of 33 candidates from different political parties, all […]

Kosovo is facing major challenges in rural development, employment, and migration. 🔹 1/3 of rural residents have already left their homes for cities or abroad. 🔹 Limited childcare and public transport prevent many women from entering the workforce. 🔹 Lack of skills is causing businesses to struggle to fill vacancies in sectors like agriculture, trade, […]

Unemployment and low education levels among women in rural areas remain among the most serious socio-economic challenges in Kosovo. These issues stem not only from the lack of job opportunities but also from structural barriers such as the absence of public transportation, preschool services, and opportunities for personal development. To address this reality, the project […]

A large number of children do not attend kindergarten due to the lack of a local facility, the distance to kindergartens in the city, the absence of regular transport, and high costs. 👩‍🌾 Women are active in agriculture, beekeeping, and handicrafts, but many are unable to work due to family responsibilities and the lack of […]

Unemployment and low education levels among women in rural areas remain among the most serious socio-economic challenges in Kosovo. These issues stem not only from the lack of job opportunities but also from structural barriers such as the absence of public transportation, preschool services, and opportunities for personal development. To address this reality, the project […]

Unemployment and low education levels among women in rural areas remain among the most serious socio-economic challenges in Kosovo. These issues stem not only from the lack of job opportunities but also from structural barriers such as the absence of public transportation, preschool services, and opportunities for personal development. 📊 The following chart was developed […]

The election campaign on social media has been characterized by a harsh and unconstructive climate, where personal attacks and propaganda have taken the place of democratic debate. This approach has long-term impacts on citizens’ perception of the electoral process and their trust in democratic institutions. For the future, a more regulated and supervised approach to […]

Launch of the Analysis on the Functioning of Parliamentary Inquiry Committees in the Assembly of KosovoThe Democracy for Development Institute (D4D) has presented its analysis on the functioning of parliamentary inquiry committees in the Assembly of Kosovo. The analysis recommends: amending and improving the Law on Parliamentary Inquiry, strengthening the institutional framework enhancing inter-institutional cooperation […]

Gender-based disinformation and misogynistic language represent a serious challenge to women’s equality and inclusion in public life, particularly in political and media contexts. In the digital age, where information spreads rapidly through social media and online platforms, women in politics are frequently targeted by sexist attacks, objectification, and coordinated disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining their […]

The purpose of this gap analysis is to systematically identify and evaluate the discrepancies in real-time reporting and fact-checking practices employed by media outlets in Kosovo, compared to established fact-checking standards. Specifically, the analysis will benchmark current media practices against recognized frameworks such as the European Fact-Checking Standards Network By conducting this comparative assessment, the […]

Rezarta Delibashzade-Krasniqi, Executive Director of D4D, shared civil society perspectives on strengthening electoral trust through inclusive voter education and public outreach. The conference has been organized from the State Election Commission (SEC) in North Macedonia, as part of the Electoral Support Programme of the Government of Switzerland, implemented by IFES, with the support of ODIHR […]

The Youth Participation Index was developed by the Youth Centre for the Western Balkans and Turkey (YHWBT) to highlight barriers to youth engagement and provide evidence-based insights for policymakers and youth organisations. This index presents indicators on the Political, Social and Economic Participation of Youth for the year 2023. The highest unemployment rates among registered […]

The digitalization of administrative services in Kosovo has made some progress and citizens have accrued significant benefits from digitalization, saving them time and not resources. Citizens now can obtain a large array of services online. The D4D Institute has conducted a study through which it aims to argue that every investment in the digitalization of […]

In the framework of the “Decision making through dialogue: Improving the life in rural settlements through advocacy by groups of interest” project, supported by the “SMART Balkans – Civil Society for Shared Society in the Western Balkans” regional project, D4D aims to address one among the big challenges in Kosovo, the high number of unemployed […]

The survey shows that 80% of citizens are satisfied with the time it takes to receive services, including digital ones, while 22% are dissatisfied. 58% believe that service delivery time has been reduced, while 22% completely agree with this statement.

  According to a survey conducted by D4D, 73% of citizens have used digital services, while 63% have managed to complete part of the process online.

According to the research conducted within the project ‘Citizen Participation for Better Decisions’, 74% of citizens have used services from public administration. Of these, 89% assess the experience as positive or very positive, while only 11% as negative or very negative. This infographic is made from the Democracy for Development Institute within the framework of […]

According to the research conducted, 80% of citizens think that the procedures for obtaining public services have been simplified compared to their previous experience. This infographic was produced by the Democracy for Development Institute within the project “Citizen Participation for Better Decisions” supported by the Small Grants program of the WeBER 3.0 project, implemented in […]

The Municipality of Podujevë/Podujeva, with a population of approximately 71,000 residents according to data from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics published in July 2024, represents a significant example of the challenges and opportunities for improving local governance. Spanning 77 villages and experiencing a population decline of approximately 17,000 compared to the 2011 census Podujevë/Podujeva reflects […]

Access to public documents is a fundamental right that enables transparency and accountability from public institutions. This infographic illustrates the number of requests and the level of responses from the Municipality of Podujeva have evolved from 2020 to 2023.  The number of requests for access to public documents has significantly increased, from 20 in 2020 […]

The many social, cultural, and practical difficulties observed by both men and women explain why women are less likely than men to pursue running for political posts. The justifications are followed by percentages illustrating the perceived differences between men (green) and women (purple). Findings from International Republican Institute (IRI) research show that the top 3 […]

. In addition to the slow increase in the employment rate of women in Kosovo, women’s disadvantage in the labor market is growing to alarming levels, deepening the gender divide and reflecting discrimination and unfavorable positions for women in the workforce. Over the past two years, 2,751 more women have unstable employment, affecting women in […]

  Headlines are an effective tool to change the public’s perception and the understanding of an event. By combining event of 1 country with another, the headline presented, spreads disinformation that plays with the reader’s emotions, which brings uncertainty regarding the safety in Kosovo. This type of sensational headlines can fuel the existing ethnic tensions […]

There are tendencies that certain interviews and news to be taken out of context and being differently interpreted with the purpose of creating scandals. Moreover, sensationalized articles that were published long time ago are being republished as actual news for clickbait. This infographic was prepared by the Democracy for Development Institute (D4D) within the project […]

Support of women for women is an unexplored field in Kosovo which requires a fundamental change in how we view this aspect of support and treatment of this support as a powerful changing mechanism. In the NGO sector is observed that the competition in the labor market has put more pressure and focus on the […]

Today, the Democracy for Development Institute held a discussion on the publishing conference of the online media monitoring reports during the period of January-March: The monitoring of the information disorder on the online and social media: Misleading narratives and sensationalized headlines. To discuss the main findings during the months of January-March, invited to the panel […]

To Serbian readers, Kosovo’s government is portrayed as a regime which “terrorizes” the Serbian community. Similar findings were also observed in previous months. An alternative “truth” is being created through these headlines for the citizens in Serbia, one which incites more hatred through these articles, with information distortion and fake news, readers of these media […]

The IVF Assisted Fertilization Bill In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) has sparked considerable debate and controversy within the country. Advocates argue that the legislation represents a step forward in reproductive rights and medical advances, while opponents express concerns about potential societal implications, including the risk of incest, ambiguity about the nationality of donors, and the spread […]

“I want to make it clear that we trusted you on the visa issue. The matter has been suspended by France due to commitments made and the subsequent lack of respect for these commitments. I expect all parties to commit to progress, which is a prerequisite for peace in the region.” This is the official […]

During the period of September 24-28, the Democracy for Development Institute (D4D) monitored online media and social media about the developments in the north in both Albanian and Serbian languages. During those four days, more than 100 articles were analyzed, of which 50 have resulted with information disorder, whereas, in the infographic below are some […]

The purpose of the Democracy for Development Institute (D4D) is to detect and counteract the proliferation of news characterized by information disorder, an escalating trend in the dissemination of distorted information. The D4D Institute actively monitors online and social media platforms to identify news articles exhibiting information disorders. This is achieved through a dedicated monitoring […]

The D4D Institute today published the monitoring reports based on information disorders in online and social media for the September-December period. Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, Senior Resident Director at NDI Kosovo, made an opening remark in the beginning of the conference, that emphasized the importance of monitoring the media and the cooperation of various organizations to […]

The purpose of this report is to trace and detect gendered disinformation, a concerning trend in the dissemination of news and information through social and online media platforms. Disproportionate targeting based on gender and sexual orientation, especially those in the public eye like politicians, is a common phenomenon of disinformation campaigns and online violence. The […]