Growing confidence, one harvest at a time

15/10/2026

Shemsije Shabani never imagined that farming would become such an important part of her life.

More than 20 years ago, after meeting her future husband, she moved from the city to Lubovec/Ljubovac, in Kosovo’s  municipality of Skenderaj/Srbica. There, she began helping with the family’s daily work, such as growing vegetables for household use and caring for chickens.

As she became more involved with the farm, Shemsije began to see how they could make better use of the land and the work they were already doing. 

“At the beginning, I was simply doing what needed to be done,” she says. “Later, I realized I could make something more out of it. I started planting more vegetables and keeping more chickens so we could sell the surplus.”

As sales grew, so did the farm. Gradually, Shemsije expanded from one hectare to four and increased the number of chickens she kept. Today, in her fifties, she manages the farm herself, deciding what to grow and where to expand. She cultivates crops such as peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions, and processes some of the harvest into homemade preserves, including ajvar and pickled vegetables.

Over the years, Shemsije has also become a source of information and encouragement for other women in her community. She keeps an eye out for grants, training and other opportunities that could benefit them.

“When I hear about an opportunity, I tell the other women about it,” she says. “Sometimes they hesitate or think it is not for them, so I encourage them to apply and help them with the process.”

After more than two decades of hands-on farming experience, Shemsije wanted to grow her business further. She reflects that what she needed most was a clearer understanding of her business’s growth potential, which opportunities and investments would offer the best prospects for expansion, and where to seek additional financial support. 

She joined the project Promoting Rural Women's Empowerment in Kosovo, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), with financial support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). The project worked with 260 women farmers and producers in Skenderaj/Srbica, Istog/Istok and South Mitrovicë/Mitrovica and aimed to improve their access to knowledge, resources and opportunities to generate sustainable income.

Between 2024 and 2026, Shemsije attended a series of training sessions on vegetable production based on good agricultural practices, strengthening her knowledge of crop production, fertilisation, irrigation and farm maintenance.

She also received practical training on vegetable processing, particularly in preparing pickled vegetables, as well as individual guidance from a food technologist who visited her farm and introduced new recipes and processing methods. She also participated in training on agricultural business planning, grant schemes and financial opportunities available to rural women entrepreneurs.

After the training sessions, Shemsije began processing more of her vegetables into homemade preserves and expanded poultry production, increasing the number of chickens she raised from around 70 to about 200. She also increased sales of eggs and poultry.

“I wanted to expand the business, and the training helped me understand better how to plan that growth and where to look for support,” she says.

As she developed her business plan, she also applied for a motocultivator offered as in-kind support through the project. She now operates the motocultivator herself, with her older son stepping in when he is available to help. Previously, much of the land preparation and maintenance had been carried out without any equipment, with family members sharing the heavier tasks during busy periods. 

“Before, we had to do much of this work by hand, and it took a lot more time and effort,” she says. “Now I can cultivate the land much faster and use that time for the greenhouse, the chickens and processing vegetables.”

According to Sabit Ferizi, Director of the Department of Agriculture in the Municipality of Skenderaj/Srbica, initiatives like this support both agricultural development and women's economic empowerment.

"This project contributed to the development of agriculture and the empowerment of women in rural areas of our municipality," he says. 

He added that the municipality continues to support women farmers through annual subsidies, cooperation with different donors and agricultural training. Farmers can also seek ongoing guidance from the municipality’s agricultural adviser.

“We try to stay close to women farmers throughout the year, whether through subsidies, training or advice,” he says.

Many years after arriving in Lubovec/Ljubovac, Shemsije remains convinced that opportunities can be found close to home for those willing to work for them. Her message to other women, particularly those living in rural areas, is simple and direct.

“Return to the villages and do not leave the land uncultivated,” she says. “It is better to work and build something of your own than to wait for someone else to do it for you.”

This story is part of a series celebrating women farmers worldwide, from producers, fishers and pastoralists to traders, agricultural scientists and rural entrepreneurs. The International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 recognizes their essential contributions to food security, economic prosperity and improved nutrition and livelihoods, despite heavier workloads, less favourable working conditions and unequal access to resources. It calls for collective action and investment to empower women, in all their diversity, and to build a fairer, more inclusive and more sustainable agrifood system for all.


¹References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).