On 8 July, 14 KWN member organizations received grants from the KWN Kosovo Women’s Fund, funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), totaling €43,922. This round encouraged individual organizations’ advocacy initiatives as well as joint advocacy between two organizations via KWN’s new “Networking for Change” grants. Ten organizations received grants for individual advocacy, and four organizations received two grants for “Networking for Change” initiatives. The organizations to receive grants and their initiatives include:

1. Dora Dores’ initiative “Development of Gender Policies in the Municipality of Prizren” aims to develop gender policies by defining both specific objectives for actors and the necessary budget for realizing the new Municipal Action Plan towards Gender Equality. Then they will advocate for the approval of the Action Plan in the Assembly of the Municipality of Prizren (€3,000)
2. The Women’s Initiative Association’s initiative “Women of Sharr Aim to Integrate in Social and Political Life” seeks to integrate women from Sharr in Dragash municipality in social and political life by improving the position of women in both family and social settings (€3,000).
3. The Inter-municipal Organization of the Blind and Partly Sighted will advocate for the “Implementation of the Law for Blind People” in Prizren (€2,620).
4. Top Radio in Gjakova will seek to “Release Women and Girls from Municipal Taxes for New Businesses” for up to a year for all women and girls who seek to open business but do not have financial support (€3,000).
5. Women’s Center ATO’s initiative “Involvement of Women (and Men) in the Community to Advocate in the Municipality to Ensure Free Transport for all Children for Obligatory Education” aims for men and women in the rural areas of the municipality to advocate for transportation for students attending obligatory education (€2,850).
6. The Association of Deaf Women in Prizren aims for “Women to Become Active in Preserving their Health” and to increase the quality of services available for preventing health issues (€2,600).
7. The Centre for Promotion of Women’s Rights has an initiative for the “Identification of Rape Cases,” which seeks to increase efficiency in protecting persons who suffered sexual violence during the war (€3,000).
8. NGO Luna in Priluzje has the initiative: “Prevention is the Key to Health: Regular Medical Exams Save Lives.” They aim to raise awareness about preventive healthcare for women and girls (€2,410).
9. Through their initiative “Violence against Women: It is Not a Family Matter,” NGO Venera will monitor sessions relating to domestic violence cases, as well as court cases on inheritance and divorce. They also will advocate to authorities to treat these cases with seriousness and fairness. Monitoring will be carried out in Basic Court proceedings in Peja (€2,467).
10. NGO Bliri in Drenas will work towards “The Improvement of Women’s Access to Quality Health Care” (€2,975).
11. Open Door and Ruka Ruci received a “Networking for Change” Grant, entitled: “Empowering Vulnerable Women through Knowledge and Awareness on the Law on Gender Equality, Law No. 2004/2.” They aim to empower vulnerable women by increasing their knowledge and awareness about the Law on Gender Equality, so that they can advocate for its implementation (€8,000).
12. Divine Woman and the Association for Education and Family Care also received a “Networking for Change” Grant. “Be Aware for a Better Life” aims to improve physical and mental health among young people from the municipalities of Gjakova and Gjilan (€8,000).

All grant recipients attended an orientation session in Prishtina on 8 July, prior to signing contracts.
“This session is like a training on project implementation, but also capacity building for KWN member organizations because it shows exactly how to act with other donors in implementing projects,” a KWN member organization said. Other organizations agreed, “The orientation session helps us to be more prepared also for other projects.”