GIZ and The Jahjaga Foundation set to Advance the Women, Peace and Security Agenda

Last year, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, acting on behalf of the German Government and representing the EU-funded EU4FAST Project, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Jahjaga Foundation. This initiative marked an important step forward in strengthening the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in Kosovo and across the Western Balkans. Today, that cooperation remains as relevant as ever, supporting efforts to protect women and girls from trafficking and exploitation.

A new chapter of regional cooperation has already begun. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), acting on behalf of the German Government and representing the EU-funded EU4FAST Project, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Jahjaga Foundation. This initiative marks a significant step forward in strengthening the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in Kosovo and across the Western Balkans. 

This pledge aims to strengthen the essential contribution of both female and male police officers across the region, particularly in combating organized crime, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling.    

At the heart of this partnership lies the EU4FAST Project, a regional driver of efforts to enhance rule of law, regional security cooperation, and alignment with EU security standards.   

 Through its multi-country and multi-stakeholder approach, EU4FAST contributes directly to safer and more resilient societies across the Western Balkans. Moreover, promoting gender equality within law enforcement empowers all officers at both strategic and operational levels. These efforts are vital for Wester Balkan partners working to prevent and address organized crime, with a strong focus on human trafficking and migrant smuggling. 

This objective is closely aligned with the principles of the WPS agenda and highly relevant to the partnership with The Jahjaga Foundation.   

Led by former President of the Republic of Kosovo, Ms. Atifete Jahjaga, the Foundation brings a distinctive perspective to this collaboration. Ms. Jahjaga’s leadership, rooted in her historic role as the country’s first woman president and shaped by her early career in law enforcement - adds depth and authenticity to the partnership’s mission to advance inclusive, accountable security sector reform.

Under the MoU, EU4FAST and The Jahjaga Foundation will work together to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda through regional dialogue, research, and capacity-building. More specifically, both partners will co-organise conferences, workshops, forums, and expert roundtables on inclusive security, women’s leadership, post-conflict recovery, and efforts to prevent gender-based violence.   

The cooperation will further support capacity-building for women leaders, youth, civil society, and public sector professionals, with a strong focus on regional peer learning and exchange.  Joint visibility and awareness-raising actions, in line with EU4FAST standards, will help broaden public understanding of gender, peace, and security issues across the Western Balkans. 

Anchored by Ms. Jahjaga’s unique journey - from police officer to head of state - and supported by GIZ’s ongoing commitment under EU4FAST, this partnership will stand as a powerful testament to the transformative role of women in shaping peace, security, and democratic development across the region.