Albanian Women in Kosovo in 1989-1990: Difficulties in Obtaining Employment and Political and Gender Discrimination in the Workplace
Albanian Women in Kosovo in 1989-1990: Difficulties in Obtaining Employment and Political and Gender Discrimination in the Workplace

Summary/Abstract: In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Albanian women in Kosovo faced difficult political circumstances, which impacted their employment. Analysing relevant sources and focusing on women employment data, this paper aims to elaborate the main challenges and difficulties encountered by Albanian women of Kosovo related to work: employment challenges in circumstances of a very low employment rate among the Albanian population in Kosovo; workplace discrimination during a deteriorating political situation from 1989 on; mass layoffs resulting in many women losing their jobs and consequently losing not only their income, but also all their employment benefits; and the involvement of some of them in a parallel system. In addition, the paper provides information on the circumstances in which women were qualified and started careers, some of which have been pursued to this day. Despite all the barriers, a significant number of Albanian women strove to obtain professional qualifications and employment. After the mass layoffs, some of these women were involved in a parallel system or in businesses working in tough circumstances.

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