FOTO: Novo Brdo shelter activity, 2020

The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) for a long time now has been working closely with its member organizations, particularly shelters, to empower women and girls who have experienced violence and have sought access to state services.  

These efforts have recently received support from the EU-supported UN Women-funded Implementing Norms, Changing Minds program. Throughout 2020, KWN collaborated with nine shelters around Kosovo, as well as other women’s civil society organisations (WCSOs) to increase the availability psychosocial support for survivors, refer them to the correct and relevant institutions, and increase diverse women’s awareness of violence and their support options. In cases where women were mistreated by institutions, KWN collaborated with the Ombudsperson Institution (OI) in order to seek remedies for survivors.  

For one-year period time, KWN managed to help over 753 women victims of domestic violence which were counselled, supported, and/or referred by WCSOs. Although a majority of these women were Albanian, women and children from the Serbian, Bosniak, Roma, Egyptian, and Ashkali communities, as well as foreign women, also received support. Women of different abilities and those from the LGBTQIA+ communities were also supported.  

Moreover, 948 women were referred to different institutions. Including Police, Centre for Social Work, Victims’ Advocates, Prosecutor, Court, different Embassies, ‘’Jetimat e Ballkanit’’ (Eng: Balkan’s Orphans), Hospital etc. 15 of these cases were referred to OI. Of the original 15 cases, two cases are still being monitored by the Ombudsperson Institution and more than 800 women were informed about the role and the responsibilities of OI. 

KWN through collaborations together with Kosovo Gender Studies Centre (KGSC), Women’s Alliance for Integration, Kosovo Blind Women Committee (KVGK), “HENDIFER”, and Nas Dom, were able to reach diverse women throughout Kosovo. The aim of this was to raise awareness of women in vulnerable communities, so they would know what support was available to them, and which institutions they could refer to. Overall, through in person and online campaigns, these organizations were able to reach more than 10,000 members of their communities.  

KWN has been committed to women’s rights and a life without violence since its inception, and “A Life Free from Gender-based Violence” remains one of KWN’s key programs.  

Many of the recommendations that KWN has made have been taken into account in standard development procedures as well as in the design of various policies by governments over the years.  

KWN will continue to work with women to obtain information about relevant institutions and to enable them to be referred to these institutions and to combat gender-based violence in various forms.