Since March 2024, UN Women Kosovo Office and SPAR Kosova licensed operator for Kosovo Meridian Corporation have partnered in an initiative aimed at the economic empowerment of middle-aged and older women absent from the workforce by promoting their introduction back into work.

The joint initiative, titled “Use Your Potential: Come Work with Us,” targets middle-aged and older women who have been out from the workforce for an extended timeframe, aiming to economically empower them by facilitating their entry into the private sector. The partnership launched on International Women’s Day 2024 and has been promoted through social media campaigns, poster campaigns, as well as via word-of-mouth awareness, including the organisation of events alongside UN Women.

(Re)introduction to the workforce

SPAR Kosova is seen as a standout employer in promoting working opportunities for middle-aged and older women absent from the workforce for long periods of time. At the store level, 35% of employees are women who fit into this demographic. At store and assistant manager level, SPAR Kosova is a leading employer, with 55% of positions held by women in this demographic. Additionally, SPAR Kosova invests in training and development to get participants ready to enter the workforce and continuously develop skills. Women can also utilise the initiative regardless of previous work experience, with some even starting their career this way with their first job.

After the success of the first year of this initiative, SPAR Kosova and UN Women, in partnership with CSR Kosova, are cooperating for a new campaign to promote workplace equality titled “Women Empowerment” in 2025, consisting of various projects which invite middle-aged and older women into the workforce. The main objective of this campaign is to enhance the capabilities in measuring and reporting progress on gender equality through comprehensive gender gap analysis which will create action plans for inclusion and empowerment.

Important strategic commitment

This initiative with UN Women is an important commitment for SPAR Kosova licensed partner, Meridian Corporation, to corporate social responsibility by contributing to the community, investing in people, and providing opportunities for those who have not at the chance to join the workforce.

At the launch of the initiative in March 2024, Agon Gashi, CEO of Meridian Corporation, said: “One of the main goals of the company is in empowering women through the provision of a secure and supportive work environment. We place a specific emphasis on the recruitment of women in the middle age bracket, alongside offering comprehensive training and development opportunities to enhance their professional capabilities.”

Meridian Corporation stands among the first private sector companies to endorse the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) in Kosovo committing to foster practices such as equal pay for equal work, gender-responsive supply chain management, and a zero-tolerance policy against sexual harassment in the workplace.

Source: SPAR Kosova & Kosovo CSR Network

Read more about SPAR Kosova.

About SPAR Kosova

In January 2019, SPAR International granted an exclusive licence to a consortium, SPAR Kosova JSC, to operate the SPAR brand in the country. Since 2021, SPAR Kosova has become a division of the well-established Meridian Corporation which is fully owned by the Gashi family. The Meridian Group has over 1,000 employees throughout Kosovo and has an ongoing strategy to invest in the development of their people’s retail and wholesale skills.