Kosova Women’s Network (KWN), in cooperation with the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the European Union Office in Kosovo, on 19 Nov., held a press conference dedicated to the Kosova Women’s Fund (KWF). Through this conference the 14 beneficiaries of the eighth round of KWF signed their contracts.  This round was supported by ADA (18,084.00 €) and EU Office in Kosovo (31,651.50 €). 
   The conference was opened by Igballe Rogova, Executive Director of KWN, she explained the history of the Fund and its achievements during these three years. Through these grants, KWF not only offered a chance to the organizations to implement their initiatives, but also helped them raise their capacities. It also helped them to apply to other donors. 

    Christian Geosits, Head of Office of the Austrian Development Agency added “Based on the cooperation that KWN had with Kvinna till Kvinna (first supporter of KWF), we decided to support this fund and today we feel that through KWN we can offer support to small organizations.” 

    While Libor Chlad, Deputy Head of Cooperation in the EU Office in Kosovo said that “KWN is one of the18 organizations that we support and we are very happy with the cooperation until now."

  The 14 organizations that received grants from this round are:

• Centre for Protection and Rehabilitation of Women and Children “Liria” & NGO Legend (€7,780.00). They will undertake the initiative: "Improving the position of women in the processes of peace-making and gender budgeting". Based on the successful practices of the municipality of Kamenica with the integration of Gender Responsive Budgeting, these two organizations will advocate to municipalities in Gjilan and Viti, to implement the same practices there.
• Association for Education and Family Care & NGO Divine Woman (€7,190.00).Will undertake the initiative "An educated woman – a healthy society,". Based on their successful cooperation they have established from before through a KWF grant, this time they will continue to work together in eight villages of Gjakova and Gjilan raising the awareness of girls and their mothers about the importance of reproductive health. They will also advocate for the establishment of a counseling office that will offer advice to young girls.
• Partners Center for Conflict Management, Partners-Kosova & NGO Aureola (€7,604.00) Will undertake the initiative "Women’s advocacy for their rights to property and inheritance". The two organizations will work together to inform women and girls of Vushtrri, Podujevo and Kastriot to obtain their legal rights in property and inheritance. They also will offer continued assistance to women who want to register their property or heritage.
• Organization of Persons with Muscular Dystrophy of Kosovo & NGO Visionary Woman of XXI Century (€7,827.50). Will undertake the initiative "Improving the position of women who care for their family members with disability". The two organizations will work in Prizren and in all the villages of Has, to improve access to services provided by municipalities for persons with muscular dystrophy and their families. Also, they will engage in raising awareness among the urban and rural community for the position of people with muscular dystrophy.
• NGO Eagles of Dardana & NGO Window (€7,492.00). Will undertake the initiative "Advocacy to empower women farmers in the villages of Lipljan and Gracanica". Their main purpose is to organize women from the surrounding area of Lipljan and Gracanica so they advocate together to relevant institutions in the two municipalities for the women farmers to have more favorable conditions and benefits from state subsidies of Kosovo.
• NGO Udruzenje Nas Dom (€2,936.00). Will undertake the initiative "Integrating gender responsive budget planning at the local level". This association will work towards the establishment of mechanisms for the integration of gender equality and gender budgeting at the local level in four villages with Serbian majority.
• The Centre for Promotion of Women’s Rights (€2,988.00). Will undertake the initiative: "Raising awareness about women’s rights in healthcare." Based on their previous successful experience in empowering women who have suffered sexual violence during the war, the organization will continue to advocate for this category of women to get better health services by health institutions in Glogovac and its surrounding area.
• NGO Prehja (€2,938.00). Will undertake the initiative "Together against domestic violence" This organization will monitor court hearings in relevant institutions in Skenderaj and Mitrovica, who will review cases of domestic violence. Also, they will advocate for the implementation of preventive mechanisms to domestic violence based on the the National Strategy against Domestic Violence and Trafficking in Human Beings (2013-2017)
• Women’s Wellness Center – WWC (€2,980.00). Will undertake the initiative "Together Against Domestic Violence". This center will raise awareness and inform teachers, school directors and municipal officials in Peja, how to prevent cases of violence and where to refer them. They will also engage in raising the awareness of students about the consequences of gender-based violence.

  Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF), founded in 2012, offers grants for women’s organizations who do not have access to other sources of funding, and who work for women’s rights, especially with women from rural areas and other marginalized groups. Until now KWF has supported 74 women’s organizations, members of KWN, with a total amount of €230,691.95, from which 6656 people benefited. In 2015, KWF is being supported by Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the Office of the European Union in Kosovo.