Today, on 24^th of March, the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) held an Orientation Session on which occasion it allocated grants to 28 beneficiary organizations and shelters in Kosovo within the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF), amounting to a total of €276,548. More specifically, 28 grants were allocated to 19 Civil Society Organizations (CSO) and nine shelters within this round with support of the European Union Office in Kosovo (EU) via KWN’s initiative: “Enhancing the Capacities and Resilience of CSO’s: Furthering Gender Equality Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Their initiatives will contribute to realizing the Strategic Goals identified by KWN members in the KWN Strategy for 2019-2022, towards supporting, protecting, and promoting the rights and interests of women and girls, using a rights-based approach and sustainable change, particularly related to government response to the socio-economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

KWF 17th round grant beneficiaries (CSO’s) include:

• Medica Kosova with the initiative “Raising the welfare of children / students for a life without violence” (€9,998)
• Handikos Mitrovica with the initiative “Challenges of women and girls with disabilities amid Covid-19 in the municipality of Mitrovica” (€9,906)
• Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired with the initiative “Managing the Covid-19 pandemic situation for the blind and visually impaired” (€9,562)
• Foleja with the initiative “The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Women and Girls” (€9,989)
• CECD Friends with the initiative “Life without domestic violence – promoting domestic violence protection mechanisms” (€9,351)
• Shoqata për Edukim dhe Përkujdesjen e Familjes with the initiative “Improving knowledge and empowering young people to live a life free of violence and sexual harassment” (€9,900)
• YMCA Movement with the initiative “Promoting the feminist movement through the empowerment of young women and men” (€9,868)
• Lulishtja with the initiative “Economic empowerment of women after the crisis from the COVID-19 pandemic, through creation of family-friendly workplaces (€9,998)
• Sundimi i Demokracisë në Kosovë – SDK with the initiative “Strengthening gender mechanisms for gender responsive budgeting” (€9,994)
• Femrat Aktive të Gjakovës with the initiative “Providing legal and psychological support to women who are victims of gender-based violence” (€9,975)
• Instituti për Dialog dhe Mosdiskriminim with the initiative “Treatment of psycho-social and economic problems in women caused by the Covid-19 pandemic” (€9,965)
• Shoqata e Gruas Pensioniste “Vita Jeta” with the initiative “Covid-19 and Diabetes in the Elderly” (€9,794)
• Bliri with the initiative “Raising awareness on reproductive health among young people” (€9,668)
• Omladincski Gracanica with the initiative “Empowering young women with the aim of achieving economic independence and active participation in decision-making processes” (€10,000)
• Violete with the initiative “Raising awareness of girls and women in the Municipality of Podujeva for a life without gender-based violence” (€9,980)
• Zana with the initiative “Economic and political empowerment of women in the municipality of Klina” (€9,506)
• You Can Do with the initiative “Promoting state mechanisms that women and girls with disabilities live life free of sexual abuse” (€9,978)
• OJQ Rikotta with the initiative “Prevention of violence through economic empowerment of women in the Municipality of Prizren” (€9,996.50)
• Organisation for Research – OMNES with the initiative “Advocating to relevant institutions for protection against violence and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress and depression in women” (€9,802.50)

KWF 17th round grant beneficiaries (shelters) include:

• Center for Protection and Rehabilitation of Women and Children Liria with the initiative “Involvement of relevant state institutions and services in a coordinated approach to violence against women and domestic violence under the Istanbul Convention” (€9,565)
• Zenski Centar with the initiative “Promoting the rights of victims of domestic violence through digital and advocacy activities” (€9,996)
• Qendra për Mbrojtjen e Grave dhe Fëmijëve (QMGF) with the initiative “Sheltering, rehabilitation and reintegration for women and children, victims of domestic violence” (€9,993)
• Center for Women’s Wellness with the initiative “Providing housing, legal and psychological support to women survivors of violence” (€9,996)
• Safe House Gjakova with the initiative “Psychosocial empowerment of women survivors of domestic violence and raising awareness of abusive partners through psychosocial counseling” (€10,000)
• QMGF “Raba Voca” Mitrovica with the initiative “Raising awareness against violence against women” (€9,993)
• Qendra për Strehimin e Grave dhe Fëmijëve Prizren QSGFP with the initiative “Raising awareness and empowering victims of domestic violence” (€9,983)
• Center for Protection of women and children, My home – Ferizaj with the initiative “Strengthening the Coordination Mechanism for Protection from Domestic Violence for the Ferizaj Region” (€9,837)
• Center for Protecting Victims and Preventing Trafficking in Human Beings with the initiative “Protecting, advocating for and promoting the rights of Victims and Potential Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings” (€9,952)

KWN’s KWF provides small grants to women’s organizations that do not have access to other sources of funding and who seek to work for women’s rights, especially for groups working in rural areas and/or marginalized persons. Since 2012, KWF has allocated 252 grants, thus supporting 149 organizations, by a total amount of €1,477,067. It has had more than 24,387 beneficiaries. In 2022, the KWF is supported by the EU, the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Sigrid Rausing Trust.