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Girls’ rights in Kosovo: A blog by Trina, our girl delegate

Safeguarding the well-being of children and vulnerable adults is one of the most pressing challenges facing Kosovo today. Despite progress in policy and law, too many children continue to experience risks of neglect, violence, and exploitation in their homes, schools, and communities. Strengthening safeguarding is not only a legal duty under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Kosovo’s Child Protection Law, but also a moral responsibility shared by all sectors of society.It was against this backdrop that Save the Children Kosova/o, in collaboration with the University of Prishtina and with support from Sida, convened the Safeguarding Symposium on 17 September 2025 in Prishtina. The event brought together government representatives, academics, civil society, international experts, and most importantly the voices of children, to exchange experiences, explore solutions, and chart practical steps toward safer, more inclusive systems in Kosovo.

Creating meaningful and lasting change for children requires more than policies and programmes. It requires strong partnerships, community leadership, and a genuine commitment to listening to children themselves. These themes stood at the center of the recent visit of Ahmad Alhendawi, Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe (MENAEE) at Save the Children International, to Kosovo, where discussions and field visits highlighted both the progress achieved and the continued need for collective action to protect and advance children’s rights.

A 15-year-old girl from Kosovo on how she is representing the voice of children at local, national and international level.

Save the Children Kosova/o (SCiK), within the framework of the CSO Strengthening Programme, implemented in partnership with 11 CSOs, is seeking the services of a local expert/company to develop the methodology and compile CSOs’ Alternative Report on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in Kosovo.The overall objective of this consultancy is to support a joint, inclusive and high-quality Child Rights Reporting (CRR) process that brings together project’s partner CSOs with diverse expertise, such as child rights, gender equality, disability, climate and environment, to analyze, document and report on the situation of children’s rights in Kosovo, and to formulate concrete recommendations for change.CSOs and CLGs in Kosovo already play an important role in monitoring the implementation of the UNCRC, in line with obligations set out in Law No. 06/L-084 on Child Protection. This intervention aims to systematize and strengthen these ongoing monitoring efforts by bringing CSOs together to produce a coherent, concise, and credible joint Alternative Report grounded in evidence and aligned with UNCRC standards and international accountability mechanisms. The process will enhance collaboration among civil society actors, strengthen understanding and application of child rights reporting approaches, and ensure strong integration of gender, climate, and child rights, as well as cross-cutting perspectives such as disability, inclusion, and non-discrimination. The resulting report will serve as a strategic advocacy tool to advance children’s rights at local, national, regional, and international levels.To achieve this objective, the expert will:Develop, in close collaboration with SCiK and partner CSOs, a joint methodology and workplan for the CSOs’ Alternative Report on the UNCRC.Participate in the Save the Children’s delivery of Child Rights Reporting (CRR) Common Approach capacity-building sessions for CSOs and CLGs, ensuring a shared understanding of the CRR Common Approach and its application.Support CSO partners, where needed, in the collection, analysis, and documentation of data related to children’s rights within their respective thematic areas.Ensure that the methodology is aligned with Save the Children’s CRR Common Approach, with meaningful consideration of children’s participation.Compile and consolidate the individual thematic inputs from CSO partners into one coherent and concise Alternative Report, ensuring consistency, quality, and adherence to UNCRC reporting standards.Integrate a strong analytical focus on gender equality, climate and environmental justice, and child rights, while reflecting other relevant perspectives contributed by CSO partners.Ensure the report clearly identifies key child rights challenges, gaps in implementation, and concrete recommendations for action by relevant duty-bearers.Work closely with SCiK’s Technical Expert on Child Rights Governance throughout all stages of the process.