The EmpowerHER: Bridging Gender Equality, Mental Health, and Entrepreneurship for Female Students project officially launched its training activities with the delivery of the first training module session on “Gender Equality and Gender-Sensitive Challenges”, held on 2 February 2026. The training was delivered by Prof.dr. Dritëro Arifi and Prof.dr. Katarina Babnik and brought together project participants for a full-day, interactive learning programme focused on strengthening knowledge and practical understanding of gender equality in higher education, research, and society.

During the first part of the module, participants explored key legal and policy frameworks on gender equality in Kosovo, including the implementation gap between formal rights and real practice, the role of political representation, and current regional trends in gender balance. Through case-based discussions and an applied group exercise, participants examined how evidence can be translated into concrete micro-interventions to promote gender-sensitive practices.

In the second part of the module, the focus shifted to gender equality in research and development and broader workforce diversity. The session addressed gender bias and stereotypes, horizontal and vertical segregation, recruitment and career advancement, and the impact of unpaid care work and crisis situations on academic careers. Practical group activities included hiring experiments and qualitative reflections on the experiences of early-career researchers.

This first training module marked an important milestone for the EmpowerHER project and laid a strong foundation for the forthcoming learning activities aimed at empowering female students through inclusive, evidence-based and gender-responsive approaches.