Atifete Jahjaga
Atifete Jahjaga served as the fourth, and the first woman President of the Republic of
Kosovo. Jahjaga is Kosovo’s first non-partisan candidate, the first female head of state in the
modern Balkans, and the youngest female world leader to be elected to the highest office.
Jahjaga constantly participates in national and international conferences and initiatives aimed
at empowering women and supporting the survivors of sexual violence during the war. She
continues to be resolute in her fight against violent extremism and radicalization and a staunch
promoter of peace and stability for the Balkans and beyond.
During her presidency, Jahjaga worked diligently to bring women to the forefront of Kosovo’s
political, economic, and social life as a means of ensuring a long-lasting democracy. In this
context, in 2012, she hosted the International Women’s Summit “Partnership for Change—
Empowering Women,” which was attended by 200 leaders from Kosovo, the wider Europe,
North America, Africa and the Middle East. The summit provided a venue for women from the
region to cross ethnic barriers and come together to launch and promote a platform for their
empowerment as women throughout the Balkans. The discussions led to the creation of the
Pristina Principles which affirm the rights of women to political participation and
representation, economic resources, and access to security and justice, and calls for actions to
make these principles a reality. These principles were adopted as a resolution by the Kosovo
Assembly.
Jahjaga is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders since 2012 and is recipient of
numerous honors and awards, including the Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of
Durham (2013), the Leadership in Public Service Award from the Clinton Global
Initiative (2014), and the honorary degree of Doctor of Law from the University of
Leicester (2015).
In March of 2018, President Jahjaga established the Jahjaga Foundation- an initiative that
focuses on youth and women empowerment towards achieving social change in Kosovo.