In the municipality of Fushe Kosovo, marginalized communities face structural and institutional barriers that severely restrict their access to basic rights, especially quality healthcare. Women and girls are particularly affected. Despite constitutional and legal protections, they often encounter discrimination and inadequate treatment in public health services due to their ethnicity and gender. Socio-economic hardship and low formal education can further limit their understanding of healthcare rights, how to access services, and how to report violations.
Adolescent girls face additional obstacles: menstruation remains a taboo subject, causing many to neglect hygiene or avoid discussing health concerns. This can lead to school absenteeism, negatively affecting both their health and education.
To address these inequalities, the NGO EcoKosWomen (EKW) launched an initiative aimed at empowering women and girls to claim their right to health with dignity.
Educating, Empowering and Advocating for Change
Grounded in a holistic approach to community health and empowerment, the initiative worked on multiple levels, raising individual awareness, fostering peer support, and encouraging institutional change.
The first component targeted 38 women from marginalized communities. Through interactive sessions, they deepened their knowledge of legal healthcare rights and learned how to report violations and demand accountability from medical staff. This space also allowed them to share experiences and realize they were not alone in facing systemic neglect.
Simultaneously, the initiative reached 293 girls aged 12-15, including Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian, and Turkish students at a local lower secondary school. A psychologist-led lecture addressed reproductive health, menstrual hygiene, and patient rights, often for the first time in an open and respectful setting.
The third pillar of the initiative focused on institutional advocacy. Six municipal officials participated in a session on improving healthcare access and reducing discrimination. EKW also researched and documented violations in community healthcare, sharing their findings with local authorities to support ongoing advocacy, even beyond the life of the project.
Building Lasting Impact
EKW’s initiative made a clear and meaningful impact. Women who once felt powerless now report greater confidence and knowledge. One woman who participated in the interactive sessions stated, “This project made us feel stronger and more informed. We are now ready to negotiate and demand better healthcare. It has increased our self-confidence and awareness of our health rights.” Another added, “We are now more aware of menstrual hygiene and will share this knowledge with our daughters.” They now understand how to file complaints, what treatment standards to expect, and how to support their daughters in managing reproductive health as a normal part of life.
Girls at the local school have gained greater awareness of bodily autonomy and their rights. According to EKW staff, since the project’s completion the girls have become more willing to seek support from the school psychologist and now discuss personal topics with greater ease. Their increased awareness also has influenced their peers and families, helping to foster broader community change. “The impact on society is evident, as the girls share information with their friends and encourage them to speak openly,” says Shpresa Gosalci, Project Manager at EKW.
At the institutional level, the initiative strengthened authorities’ attention and commitment. The session with municipal officials led to initial steps toward establishing a local budget line for sanitary products in schools – a key policy measure to normalize menstrual hygiene and reduce absenteeism. Building on the healthcare violations documented during the project, EKW has continued its advocacy through periodic meetings with the Directorate of Health and the municipal Gender Equality Officer, supporting the municipality’s ongoing efforts to provide equitable healthcare services to all residents.
This initiative is an example of how lasting progress requires both awareness and structural reform, which can be brought about by addressing community education and institutional change simultaneously. Even modest, well-designed projects can promote dignity, equity, and justice for marginalized women and girls.
EKW’s initiative “Promotion of healthcare; an essential part of life” was carried out with support from the Kosovo Women’s Network’s (KWN) Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF), financed by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and co-financed by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), in the amount of €4,937, from June to November 2023. The initiative contributed directly to KWN’s Programme “Right to Health” by encouraging women to advocate for their health rights, and by urging local institutions to address barriers.
