Women’s rights then and now: “Together, we pushed for a seat at the table”
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#ForAllWomenAndGirls is a rallying call for action on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Interview with Edita Tahiri, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo and past chief negotiator in the Brussels Dialogue, now Chair of the Regional Women’s Lobby for Justice Peace and Security in South-Eastern Europe (RWLSEE), she reflects on her participation in the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and why women’s empowerment remains a pillar of Kosovo’s peace and progress.
“When a nation is at war, freedom must come first – but that freedom must include women,” she says.
The Beijing Conference: A turning point for global solidarity
“To be among thousands of women from around the world was deeply inspiring,” says Tahiri. “We exchanged experiences, strategies, and visions for a world where women’s leadership is not the exception but the norm.”
She sees the Beijing Declaration as a groundbreaking response to women’s global underrepresentation. “It was a wake-up call to the world that women are half the population - and a strategic asset for peace and development.”
The experience reaffirmed her commitment to women’s empowerment, especially in post-war Kosovo. “When the war ended in 1999, I saw men rush to claim power, sidelining women who had also fought for our freedom. I refused to let that happen.”
From Beijing to Pristina: Building political power for women
One of her proudest achievements, she says, was leading the effort to establish a 30% gender quota in Kosovo’s post-war parliament - the first country in the region to do so. “I built a grand coalition of women in politics and civil society. Together, we pushed for a seat at the table.”
Tahiri’s work didn’t stop there. As Chair of the RWLSEE, she has spent two decades advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda. “But it’s not enough,” she adds. “We need to move beyond this agenda toward real political power-sharing.”
Progress and resistance: The road ahead
“Progress has been made, but it’s still not enough,” says Tahiri. “Women remain underrepresented in decision-making, peace negotiations, and justice systems. We must keep transforming systems to reflect women’s full participation.”
To the next generation: Don’t wait, lead!
Tahiri’s message to young women is clear: “Don’t wait for permission. Lead. The power of women will prevail. The world today is less peaceful under male-dominated leadership. It’s time for a new paradigm - one shaped by women’s leadership, for peace, security, and justice.”
She ends with a call to action: “Never give up. Until equality becomes reality.”
1 References to Kosovo should be understood to be in the context of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).