Agriculture and rural entrepreneurship can be a promising source of income for Kosovars who are willing to work the land. In a place where the unemployment rate is a staggering 32.9 percent, growing and selling produce can be the difference in making ends meet.

At the heart of the Western Balkans Sharr/Šar mountain range, southern Kosovo is a place where potential for rural development meets pristine natural beauty. In such an area, with high biodiversity, rich in natural resources, and with low environmental pollution, agriculture and collection of non-wood forest products, such as wild berries or medical herbs, is a primary source of income for many families. With many entrenched traditional gender roles and severe under-representation of women in the labour market, socioeconomic empowerment of women is of utmost importance. In response, and in partnership with the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), UNDP has directly helped more than 200 women develop new skills, become more productive and bring home more income for their families. See at: https://stories.undp.org/women-in-rural-development-in-southern-kosovo