On 4–6 June and 12–14 June 2026, the Kosovo Women’s Network organised a 3-day workshop titled “From Caring for Others to Caring for Ourselves: Practices for the Wellbeing of Social Workers in Women’s Shelters through Sustainable Supervision and Burnout Prevention”, with the participation of 60 women professionals from shelters and organisations providing services to survivors of gender-based violence in Kosovo.

The workshop focused on the importance of self-care, stress management, burnout prevention and strengthening professional peer support. Through practical activities and open discussions, participants had the opportunity to reflect on the challenges they face in their daily work and the impact this work has on their emotional wellbeing.

Participants highly valued the workshop, emphasising that the nature of their work often leads them to fully focus on the needs of survivors, while neglecting their own personal needs. They shared that they rarely have the opportunity to pause and reflect on the emotional burden they carry on a daily basis while providing services.

One participant stated:

“In our work, we are constantly focused on the women and girls we support. We often forget that we also need to take care of ourselves. This workshop reminded us that our wellbeing is just as important as the work we do for others.”

Through this workshop, participants gained knowledge and practical tools for stress management, setting healthy professional boundaries and strengthening peer support, contributing to their wellbeing and to the delivery of more sustainable and higher-quality services for survivors of gender-based violence.

This activity is part of the initiative “Institutionalizing Quality Rehabilitation and Reintegration Services for Violence Survivors II” and is supported by International Partnerships Austria.