In Kosovo, we continue to talk about unemployment with numbers and statistics, but very rarely do we talk about the invisible consequences that this situation leaves behind: the impact of the lack of stable employment and work without regular contracts on the mental health of thousands of citizens. This is especially evident in Mitrovica and the surrounding areas, where young people, women and people with disabilities face an informal, insecure and often abusive labor market.

But beyond the statistics, there are stories that speak louder than any report. One of them is the story of a young woman with a disability who works in one of the confectionery companies in the Mitrovica district. Her story is a reflection of a grim reality that many women and marginalized workers experience every day.

The 3-month contract that the employee never sees

She has three children. She works almost every day, with only one Sunday off during normal weeks, while during the summer, which is considered the season when the company has a lot of work and before holidays, not a single day. Her salary is 350 euros. She does not enjoy paid vacation; every day off is only taken without pay. She finds it difficult to take a break even when her child gets sick, even when there is a death case in the family, even when the children celebrate their birthdays or have some activity at school.

Although she is tired and exhausted, she continues to work. This job is the only way to provide for her children. And like her, there are about 150 other women who work in the same/similar place, under the same conditions.

But the most shocking part was when I asked her why she doesn’t take two days off a week, as guaranteed by law.

She looked at me briefly and said: “We have no right.”

I asked her about the contract. She told me that every three months they are invited to the office to sign it, but they never give them the copy they are entitled to. They just sign it and go back to work. She has never seen her contract in detail. Not having access to your employment contract is one of the clearest violations of a worker’s dignity and fundamental rights.

When I asked her; why they didn’t report it, she was silent for a moment. Then she said:

“Nobody dares. Even when the inspectorate came, they were close to the factory workers. They didn’t even ask us. Some tried to react, but they didn’t succeed, they just lost their jobs. We need a job to survive.”

For her, and for many other women in the same position, this uncertainty is not just a legal violation, it is daily anxiety, a reality that weighs on them every day, while the state fails to protect them.

When economic insecurity becomes a mental health crisis

Every day for him begins with the same question: “Will I still be working tomorrow?” This type of anxiety is not measured by economic indicators. It manifests itself in much more serious ways: insomnia, emotional exhaustion, chronic stress, irritability and anxiety attacks, depression, feelings of unworthiness, constant fear of losing the only job he has.

Numerous studies by international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO), as well as renowned international universities, have shown that job insecurity directly affects mental health. In some cases, the effects are as harmful as complete unemployment. When a worker lives every day with job insecurity, the body and mind are put into a permanent state of alert. This chronic stress, over time, turns into permanent anxiety and depression.

Women: the double emotional and economic burden

Women like they’re facing double pressure: on the one hand to provide for their children, on the other hand to accept unfair conditions in order not to lose their jobs. They face salary insecurity, lack of maternity leave, lack of annual leave, fear of being fired at any moment without due process, unequal treatment, lack of long-term contracts that would ensure solid welfare.

These are not only legal violations, but direct blows to mental health, creating fear, fatigue and permanent insecurity.

The psychological pressure of not losing their jobs is particularly high for women, as the lack of professional profiling, sufficient skills for the labor market and opportunities for new job are much more limited. This combination of factors creates a state of constant stress, a sense of isolation and a severe impact on mental health, reducing their quality of life.

The silent mental health crisis in Kosovo, precarious work is chronic stress, not a “choice”

In public discourse, it is often said that working without a secure contract is a “choice between two evils”. In fact, it is not a choice, it is an obligation arising from the lack of alternatives, the lack of institutional protection and the lack of economic security. In Mitrovica, for many young people it is the “first step”. For many women it is the “only option”. For many people with disabilities, it is the “only chance not to be locked up at home”.

But this option comes at a price: their mental health. Working without a contract creates constant anxiety. Anxiety leads to a deterioration of the physical, emotional and psychological state. Such a state reduces energy, motivation and well-being.

In a fragmented labor market, where the contracts are 3-months, and where every step towards inspection or denunciation is seen as a risk of losing their job, precarious work is not a choice but a spiral that damages the well-being, mental health and dignity of workers.

This young woman’s story it’s not an exception. She is a symbol of a national problem. And while the state and institutions do not offer real protection, these women and their families remain exposed, exhausted and powerless.

If we want to build a just and healthy society, dignified work must be a priority, not a privilege. Her story reminds us that behind every statistical number that mentions unemployment, there is a face, a family, a life that struggles every day for survival and dignity.

When workers cannot have their contracts, when no one dares to speak up, and when institutions do not react, work is transformed from a source of livelihood into a source of stress, isolation and mental health damage.

If Kosovo wants to build a just and sustainable society, we must act now. This is not just an economic issue; it is a public health crisis and a violation of human rights.

Until there is an institutional response, the women of Mitrovica will continue to be there, among the dough and cakes, exhausted, fighting for survival and for their mental health.

“This article addresses precarious employment not only as an economic problem, but as a direct violation of human rights, including the right to decent work, the right to health (including mental health), and the right to non-discrimination.”

 

This op-ed was produced within the project #HumanRightivism, implemented by the Community Development Fund (CDF) with the support of the Swedish Embassy in Pristina.

The views and interpretations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or the official position of SIDA or the Government of Sweden.