EmPOWER Local Women Politicians Programme (Kosovo)

Building on the success of its previous editions, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo is proud to launch the fourth edition of the EmPOWER Local Women Politicians Programme (EmPOWER), aimed at empowering women to play a greater role in the upcoming 2025 local elections. The programme provides comprehensive capacity-building workshops, mentoring, and peer-learning opportunities, preparing women to indicate, lead, participate in decisionmaking processes, and become influential agents of change at the local level.

The fourth edition of EmPOWER is a year-long, structured in-person and offline programme aimed at developing and enhancing the political leadership skills of women in decision making positions and those aspiring to enter politics, especially in preparation for the 2025 local elections. Rooted in the principles of equity, inclusion, transparency, and accountability, this programme focuses on strengthening women’s meaningful participation and representation in local political processes.

Goals

• The goals of EmPOWER are to:
  • Enhance political leadership skills of women.
  • Build confidence to enable women to take bold political action and position themselves as effective change-makers.
  • Promote active political participation through initiatives that encourage leadership both individually and collectively.
  • Expand networking opportunities among women politicians.
  • Prepare participants for electoral success, providing tools for political campaigning, voter outreach, and community engagement, with a particular focus on the 2025 local elections.
  • Equip women with skills to navigate a male-dominated political landscape and combat violence against women in public spaces.

Topics

• Key topics covered will include:
  • Developing and consolidating political leadership and influence.
  • Public speaking and debating for women in politics.
  • Political communication and voter outreach strategies.
  • Planning and executing effective electoral campaigns.
  • Networking, crowdfunding, and securing resources.
  • Addressing violence against women in politics.
  • Digital safety for women candidates.
  • Understanding electoral systems and the legal frameworks for women in politics.
  • Building and maintaining strategic political alliances.

Benefits

• Up to 30 women politicians, both current leaders and aspiring candidates, will participate in the EmPOWER programme. It will feature:
  • A one-day training session to introduce key concepts (April 2025).
  • Two two-day training camps designed to deepen learning and practice (May and June 2025).
  • Additional webinars, thematic panel discussions, and networking events throughout the year (April to November 2025).

Costs Covered

• All programme-related costs, including transportation, accommodation, meals, refreshments, and course materials, will be fully covered by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.

Eligibility Criteria

• They invite women from municipal assemblies, local women’s caucuses, with a particular focus on women form non-majority communities, as well as women from vulnerable groups, including those aspiring to political office, to apply. Eligible candidates should demonstrate a strong commitment to gender equality and women’s political representation.
• To be eligible, applicants must:
  • Be a woman currently in a leadership position at the local level or be an aspiring candidate.
  • Show commitment to advancing their political career and contributing to public policy and decision-making.
  • Commit to full participation in all programme activities, including workshops, training camps, and mentoring sessions.
• The selection process will prioritize women from non-majority communities and vulnerable groups to ensure inclusive representation, with a strong emphasis on geographic diversity and community representation.

Selection Criteria

• After reviewing all applications, a selection committee consisting of representatives from the OSCE Mission in Kosovo will choose 30 candidates who meet the programme’s eligibility criteria.

Application Requirements

• To apply, please submit the following documents:
  • CV (including contact details)
  • Motivation letter (one page)
• Applications can be submitted in English, Albanian, or Serbian languages.

For more information, visit OSCE.