Project “Gender that Matters: Poverty and Social Inclusion – Social Protection Status in Rural Kosovo and Serbia” intends to explore the current situation in the field of social services for the people living in rural areas and possibilities for improving the social protection system in Kosovo and Serbia.

Partners: Center for Ethics, Law and Applied Philosophy and Center for Communities Development

Researchers and scholars from the Center for Communities Development (Kosovska Mitrovica) and the Center for Ethics, Law and Applied Philosophy (Belgrade) have teamed up with the task of identifying the needs of marginalized groups in rural areas in access to social services, as well as identifying the needs of government and non-governmental organizations that provide social assistance for those groups of people.

Research efforts are focused on several topics which seek to explore together the overall quality of life in rural areas, using intersectional approach to address the multiple discrimination and burdens of those who represent the main support to the development of the human capital in any society – women and girls.

The first phase of the two-year project is dedicated to the secondary analysis of data that will set the basis for the implementation of qualitative field research, which represents the second phase of the project. The third stage will be dedicated to quantification of the findings, where quantitative representative research will be performed in both Kosovo and Serbia. The research focuses on the collection of data on access to the educational system, supported employment, supported housing services, daily social services, material assistance and participation in decision-making process regarding creation of local plans for social protection services in rural areas. Research findings will lead to the formulation of recommendations for decision-makers, but also for the social protection service providers.

The project is envisaged as a tool for offering comprehensive and detailed overview of the social services in the rural areas of Kosovo and Serbia, whose results will be equally important for further scientific research, as well as for policy impact. In order to improve the totality of scientific-research knowledge and influencing social policy, we are planning to promote the results of our research at international conferences, as well as, introducing to the wider public the research results through the publication of the research conclusions and policy recommendations. The research results will also be presented at press conference and two round table discussions in Belgrade and Kosovska Mitrovica. Press conference and two round table discussions are intended to attract attention not only of academic community, but also of decision makers in order to stimulate discussion on the observed and necessary changes of the social protection policy in Kosovo and Serbia.