Over the past months, the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) met with five municipalities to formalize  the partnerships with their Municipal Coordination Mechanisms against Domestic Violence (MCMDV). KWN held initial briefing sessions in Lipjan, Peja, Podujevo, Ferizaj and Fushë Kosovë to introduce the “Strengthened Capacity and Mechanisms to Address Gender‑based Violence” initiative and to outline the activities planned in collaboration with each municipality’s MCMDV.

During these meetings, mayors, deputy mayors, and gender‑equality officers were briefed on the support KWN will provide to their coordination mechanisms. All five municipalities have agreed in principle to a Memorandum of Understanding, and signatures are currently being collected.

On 24 July 2025, KWN and the Municipality of Fushë Kosovë officially signed their MOU, laying the foundation for a sustainable partnership.

This week, KWN began conducting a detailed needs assessment of each MCMDV’s capacities and gaps in addressing gender‑based violence, including emerging online forms of abuse. Once data collection and analysis are complete, KWN will roll out tailored training modules for MCMDV members and provide ongoing support based on each municipality’s specific needs. These efforts are part of KWN’s contribution to improve the implementation of the Regulation for the Local Coordination Mechanism for Protection against Domestic Violence, Violence Against Women, and Gender‑Based Violence.

This cooperation is part of KWN’s and East-West Management Institute’s (EWMI, ewmi.org) initiative “Strengthening Capacities and Mechanisms to Address Gender-Based Violence,” supported by the U.S. Department of State: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Through this initiative, KWN will identify the needs of the mechanisms and provide tailored trainings that enhance institutional responses to victims of gender-based violence, particularly technology facilitated gender-based violence.

KWN provides free legal counseling and representation for all cases of gender‑based violence via the hotline: 048 105 800.