Kosovo Women's Network

KWN part of the gender equality panel at DokuFest 2017

05.09.2017

With a rich artistic diversity, at the same time touching the concerns and the current issues in the country and in the region, this year with the motto ‘the future’, DokuFest Festival for the 16th time once again gave a different spirit to Prizren, respectively all citizens of Kosovo.

Enriched with films, events and discussion panels on August 10, a panel discussion on gender equality and women’s rights in Kosovo was organized by UN Women in cooperation with Dokufest.

By sharing personal experiences, and during the activism for gender equality, the power relations between women and men in Kosovo, women’s rights and education of the younger generation to these issues, the panel was composed by speakers from various profiles such as: Flora Macula, Head of the UN Women Office in Kosovo; Igballe Rogova, Executive Director of Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN); Besnik Leka, an activist for the rights of women, minorities, youth and children; Daniëlle Bremer, director of the movie "The Lord of the House"; Gjejrane Lokaj, director of "Women’s Initiative" in Dragash; Ruken Tekes, human rights activist in Turkey; and Valdete Idrizi, Executive Director of the CiviKos Platform.

During her speech, Rogova shared with attendants the activism of the 1990s when the "Motrat Qiriazi" association went and advocated for the education of girls as the most important tool of an equal society. She reminded that "To reach our goals we have always met with men, either on the street, or on a bus or school", emphasizing that gender equality can only be reached when working together.

Meanwhile, for the importance of education spoke also Gjejrane Lokaj, otherwise the protagonist of the film "The Lord of the House" directed by Daniëlle Bremer and produced by Edon Rizvanolli, who appeared in the framework of DokuKino, after the panel. Gjejrane was the brave girl who in the 1970s fled from her home late at night to pursue her dream, to be educated.

"The Lord of the House," referring to the head of the family who decided when the girls should stop the school and when she should get married, brings all the hard road that Gjejrane had to pass only to become an example for many girls and women, including her sisters, who later finished their education and with much admiration called her now "the lady of the house".

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Albanian and Serbian women discuss about participation of women in decision-making processes

05.09.2017

On 8 August in Prishtina, “Open Door” organized a training on empowering community women activists to further women’s rights and gender equality, which was attended by 15 Albanian women from Prishtina, Bardhosh and Hajvalia. The same training was organized on 18 August by “Ruka Ruci” in Dobrotin village of the Municipality of Graçanica, attended by 17 Serbian women. These two trainings, provided by these two Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) member organizations, were organized in the framework of the Empowering Women Community Activists to Further Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equality through Participation, Information and Social Media Project.
The Project aims to empower and actively engage women in decision-making processes as well as in sustainable development of communities where they live. In addition, “Open Door” and “Ruka Ruci”, through this project, aim to enhance inter-ethnic dialog by uniting Albanian and Serbian community women, organizing joint project activities and sharing experiences.
“Raising the awareness of women on the importance of participation in decision-making processes and informing them of the mechanisms related to the decision-making process at the municipal level is the only way for women to understand the importance of advocacy and active participation”, Nevenka Rikalo, representative of “Ruka Ruci” organization, said. She further noted the fact that the problems faced by the women in the Municipality of Prishtina and in the Municipality of Graçanica are similar and that she believes that sharing experiences will positively affect the inter-ethnic dialog of these communities. “After sharing experiences and establishing advocacy strategies, women will have the opportunity together with us to participate in advocacy meetings in their respective municipalities”, Belgjyzare Muharremi, representative of the “Open Door” organization, said. She further mentioned the fact that participation of women in advocacy meetings will have a direct impact in empowering women and in their active engagement in decision-making processes.
The attendants expressed their gratitude for this project, leaving satisfied with all the knowledge gained. One of the women said, “I look forward to the meeting where women of the two communities would sit together and discuss about the problems in the communities in which we live”.
This project is supported by the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF), and funded by the European Union Office in Kosovo.

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CBWK advocates for blind women and their rights

05.09.2017

On 15 August, the Committee of Blind Women of Kosovo (CBWK) held in Pristina a training on blind women’s empowerment in the framework of the project titled “More rights for blind women”, attended by 15 blind women, men and children from the Municipalities of Pristina, Gjilan, and Ferizaj, and representatives of CBWK and Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN).

The project aims to advocate at the Ministry of Education to create better conditions for the education of women and blind persons in general. Through this project, CBWK also aims to raise the awareness of the greatest possible number of blind persons, their family members, and representatives of various institutions concerning the blind persons’ rights to education.

CBWK Director Bajramshahe Jetullahu opened the training emphasizing that, “The number of blind persons studying in universities is considerably higher compared to previous years; however, the lack of Braille-written literature is still a great challenge as it prevents students from progressing thus leading to them putting a stop to their education”.

Trainer Halil Kurmehaj informed the attendees, among others, of Law no. 04/L-092 and the rights guaranteed by this law. “Although not accurately known, the number of blind and visually impaired persons in Kosovo is estimated to be somewhere around 2500. Lack of accurate data on the number of blind persons demonstrates the lack of interest of local government institutions in dealing with this highly sensitive category of people. For this reason, I believe that it is the obligation of all of us to raise our voice and demand the rights that the law guarantees to us”.

The blind persons requested that more work be done by the institutions and the society so that this category is provided with a better life and higher living standards.

"Every day, from sunset to evening, the blind persons face with numerous difficulties such as lack of pavements, Braille-written books, etc. A very small number of blind persons are employed, and this also has an impact on their economic and social situation”, one of the attendees said.

This project is supported by the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF) of the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) and funded by the EU Office in Kosovo.

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OPMDK seeks a better approach to health care for persons with muscular dystrophy

05.09.2017

On 17 August, Organization of Persons with Muscular Dystrophy of Kosovo (OPMDK) held an informative meeting with persons with muscular dystrophy and their family members. Director Antigona Shestan informed the attendees of the purpose of the project and activities they will carry out during the 5 months of project implementation.

The project titled “Healthcare is better when it is accessible by everyone” focuses on improving the health care for women and girls with special needs and for persons with muscular dystrophy in general. In addition, this project aims at rising the awareness of municipal and health institutions to provide women and girls with easier access to quality services.

In Prizren Municipality, there are 34 persons with muscular dystrophy, of which 24 are women and girls in wheelchairs. The greatest challenge is the health of these women and girls with special needs, which are, in most cases, taken care of by their mothers and sisters who have very limited knowledge on how to provide health care. On top of this, there is stigma in family, society and institutions. Because of their physical situation, women and girls with special needs are highly disposed to suffer from various communicable diseases, so the lack or delays of health care provision might have severe consequences for their lives.

One of the attending women said that, “There are numerous cases where even doctors, mainly dentists, do not accept children with special needs because of fearing that their situation might worsen and this makes us ask private doctors for help who also usually reject us”.

The attendees were given a questionnaire containing questions for persons with muscular dystrophy and their family members who take care of them. Most of responses pointed out that mothers and sisters were those who took care the most because fathers are, in most cases, at work. Meanwhile, when it comes to pain, the responses indicated that, “they try to endure pain until it becomes unendurable”.

Resma, a member of the organization and a person with muscular dystrophy, stated that, “usually, her father says that she is the one who bears the pain better than all of us”, because girls feel free to discuss about their menstrual cycles only with their mothers or sisters. “Parents overreact so much to a health concern, no matter how small it is, that “they exaggerate the care”, another attending girl said.

By discussing like this, numerous problems faced by persons with muscular dystrophy and their family members hope that more work will be done for with this social category so that they are integrated in the society in the best way possible while putting a special emphasis on employment and education.

This project is supported by the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF) and funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

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Justice for Zejnepe: Increased sentence to 17 years in prison for Zejnepes murderer

05.09.2017

Organised by Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), on Friday Aug. 4, starting from 10:00, around 50 activists, civil society organization representatives and citizens organized to peacefully protest in front of Justice Palace, to demand maximum sentence for Nebih Berisha, killer of Zejnepe Berisha domestic violence act victim.
       Since the justice institutions were not responding appropriately, after numerous reactions, including the April 14 protest (#drejtësipërzejnepen), KWN engaged lawyer Fehmira Gashi Bytyqi to represent Zejnepes family. As a result, following appeal by Zejnepes family representative, the Appeals Court in Pristina has decided to hold a hearing on August 4 at 10:00.
After Zejnepe was killed, with the decision of the Basic Court of Prizren on Apr. 12, the killer of the victim of domestic violence was sentenced to only 12 years in prison. The Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo, in Article 179 on Serious Murder states that "A punishment of not less than ten (10) years of imprisonment or life imprisonment shall be punishable by a person who: … 1.3. Deprives family member of life ". Taking into account the circumstances of the murder, the weight of the offense and systematic violence the victim had experienced, KWN had considered this decision as not propitious to the offense, therefore deciding to engage above-mentioned lawyer.
       Taking into account all the circumstances, the Court of Appeals approved the appeal of the prosecution and the representative of the injured party, amending the decision on the punishment. This court, the assassin of Zejnepe Berisha, sentenced to 17 years in prison for "Serious Murder" under Article 179 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo and "Light Body Injury" by Article 188 of the same code.
       KWN believes that with fair decisions, justice can influence the reduction of violence, respectively crime, considering that domestic violence is a crime!

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Teuta Changes her Family Tradition

04.09.2017

Teuta worked hard ever since she was a little girl. Being an independent woman who wanted to make a change in her community, she decided to pursue a career in education. For 30 years now, she has worked as a teacher in Gjakova.
      Teuta continued to work after she was married, unlike many women of her generation who chose to leave their jobs. She became the sole breadwinner in the 1990’s after her husband was laid off and continued to support her family for the next two decades. She paid the bills and invested in the family house, but she never felt entitled to ask her husband to register their house as a shared property, fearing her community or family would judge her.
      One day she came across an event that a women’s group had organized in her town to raise awareness about property rights. Teuta noted that Femrat Aktive të Gjakovës (FAGj),a member organization of the Kosovo Women’s Network, gave her the courage she lacked her whole life. “Suddenly I felt I needed to raise my voice for what is mine, and I decided, I don’t care what others think, I’m going to talk to my husband about our house,” said Teuta.
     They filed a request to register their property in the name of the both spouses which is now in its final phase. Thinking back about her case, Teuta says she feels frustrated no one had ever talked to her about her rights. Maybe if they had, she would have started the process sooner.
      “I will never make the same mistake with my two sons and their wives,” she promises. “I will talk to all of them, make sure they exercise their rights granted by law, as I am doing now after 25 years.”
Teuta is one of the 15 womenFAGJhelped reclaim their rights to property and inheritance since January 2017. In total, 150 women have received legal help about their property from the Kosovo Women’s Network, which began its efforts in May 2016 with funding by PPSE Swiss Contact.

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Women in Gjakova Seeks their Right to Inherit Property

04.09.2017

Time Zenuni is a 49-year-old single mother of four who tragically lost her husband during the war in Kosovo in 1999. She had to work hard to raise her three daughters and one son without their father, and without much familial support.
     She felt that her hard work and creativity could pay off, so four years ago, she started making postcards, packages, and envelopes. However, she struggled to get a loan and could not afford to register her business.
Her land was in the name of her mother-in-law, who had long passed away, and Time had nothing to use as collateral for a bank loan. It wasn’t until she met with a Nora Shehu from Medica Kosova that the single mother learned about her property rights. Representatives from Medica Kosova informed Time that she could register the land in her name and walked her through the procedure.
     Time has filed the papers to inherit the property, and her case is in its final steps. Once she receives her title to the land, the single mother wants to expand her business. “I want to invest in my business. After my case is completed, I can apply for a loan from the bank, since I will have property to pledge as collateral.” But this is not all. Her land, located in the Dobrosh village, is blessed with fertile soil and a warm climate that is well-suited for agriculture. Time now hopes to grow walnuts, and her sisters-in-law Florie and Behigje, who have also received legal help from Medica Kosova to register their property, plan to cultivate raspberries. “I checked the open calls in September, and we will apply there for a grant to start cultivating walnuts and raspberries in Dobrosh in Gjakova,” says Time.
       Time, Florie, and Behgjie feel that they are setting an example and empowering other women in their village with their work. And they’re not the only women that received free legal support. Thus far, Kosovo Women’s Network with support of PPSE Swiss Contact has helped 150 women initiate action to register or inherit real property.

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Kosova Women’s Network Helps Fatime Register her House and Land

04.09.2017

Fatime Limaj from Banjë, Malisheva, defeated cancer, but her prolonged battle left its scars. What began as a treatment for an abdominal tumor led to complications that claimed her foot. She is now cancer free, but unable to find work because of her disability.
         Although Kosovo law guarantees protection and benefits for the disabled, the government has turned its back on Fatime.
With three children at home, an unemployed husband, and no income, she began to work her family’s land. She couldn’t apply for loans, nor did she qualify for any of the grants from the government or international donors. The land was not in her name, and she had no money to register as owner.
      She learned by word of mouth that a nonprofit group had begun assisting married couples register their shared property for free, covering all their administrative costs. Fatime talked to her husband about it, and they both decided to apply. With the support of Arta Shushka, the coordinator of the Open Door Association, Fatime registered her house as shared spousal property and her land as her own separate property.
       Now Fatime wants to apply for grants to double her arable land. “I think I will get the grants,” she says, “since I now have 20 more points according to the ministry’s application, just for having my own land.”
She is also contemplating using solar energy to raise crops all year through and employ more women in need.
“Right now I can only hire five women during the summer. I usually try to find women who are heads of household and help them. I intend to employ more workers in the future.”
        Parents of a daughter and two sons, Fatime and her husband want their children to inherit equal shares of their property.
“I have three children. I don’t care if they are girls or boys, they are still my children, and their sex does not determine their worth to me. They are all the same in my eyes.”
Thus far, Kosovo Women’s Network with support of PPSE Swiss Contact has helped 150 women initiate action to register or inherit real property.

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Remembering an Inspirational Activist: Dua Dauti Kadriu

01.08.2017

On 6 July, an angel departed from our earth. We at KWN continue to mourn the loss of our dear friend and fellow activist, Dua Dauti-Kadriu (36).

Dua’s name means love. In all her acts and words, she fulfilled the prophecy of her name. Dua was always patient, kind, honest, caring and ready with an encouraging word. Full of light and life, she refused to dwell on anything negative and constantly emphasized the positive aspects of every situation.

Dua’s life was full and her contributions many, likely far more extensive than those that we know. Here we humbly recount only some of her contributions to the women’s rights movement.

In 2005-2006, she worked as a researcher at the Kosovar Gender Studies Centre, where she contributed substantially to researching History is Herstory, Too. She spent several days (and nights) conducting oral history interviews with leading women’s rights activists and artists from Prizren, Krushe e Madhe, Vushtrri and Prishtina, documenting and preserving their stories of activism for generations to come.

In 2011-2012, she joined the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) as a staff member, researching and writing At What Cost? Budgeting for the Implementation of the Legal Framework against Domestic Violence in Kosovo. Dua was an intelligent and perceptive researcher, skilled at gathering information from diverse institutions and actors, with a flair for insightful analysis.

In the years that followed, whenever KWN was in need, of peer reviewers or last minute researchers (because someone had dropped out), Dua would jump in, travelling to Mamushe, Prizren and other municipalities at a moment’s notice. A skilled communicator, she conversed freely with diverse women in men in Turkish, Bosnian, Albanian and Serbian, including with regard to difficult topics like domestic violence. She volunteered regularly for KWN, donating thousands of hours to contribute to furthering women’s rights. She attended nearly every KWN bimonthly meeting, actively following the network’s initiatives.

In 2015, Dua became an individual member of KWN. She was a constant promotor of KWN and its work, recruiting several friends, family members and co-workers to join KWN as individual members, as well.

In 2015, KWN member organizations elected Dua as a member of the KWN Board of Directors, where she served in 2016 and 2017, including briefly as Chair of the KWN Board. In this position, she continued contributing substantially to KWN’s work with her positivity, encouragement and ideas.

With her unwavering energy and commitment, Dua was an inspiring role model for other women. While caring for her two children as a dedicated mother, she also worked full-time. Meanwhile, she simultaneously continued her own education. For years, she studied late into the night in order to finish her degree in psychology, as well as to finish in Law, passing the Bar exam.

Dua always divided time from her busy schedule to support others. She utilized her degree in psychology for counselling, not as paid work, but by lending a friendly ear to anyone who needed one, always ready to listen and offer support. She was an exceptional friend, and she always brought life, light and joy to social gatherings.

Dua served her community in many other ways. She was a member of the Independent Media Commission in 2017, and advocated for children’s rights, in her own way, for years. For example, after enrolling her children in school, she was concerned by the poor diets of children and the negative impact that it had on academic achievement. She worried for children who could not afford “cool” (albeit unhealthy) snacks and soda during recess, as they were teased by other children; and for the negative impact that consuming sugar has on children’s ability to focus and learn. She advocated both within schools and on television for parents and teachers to ban junk foods from school, promoting a healthy diet for all children. She also appeared regularly on television, discussing parenting techniques and child health.

Dua has left behind her wonderful and supportive husband, Halit; children Diella and Alpi; and the Kadriu and Dauti families from Prishtina, Gjilan and Prizren. We share our most heart-felt condolences with her family. Dua will forever live on in our hearts, memories and work.

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KWN Udpdates its Statute

01.08.2017

On 1 July 2017, the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) held its members bimonthly meeting, and it was attended by representatives of member organizations, staff members, Board members and other supporters of KWN.

Given that the agenda for this meeting was updating and amending the KWN Statute, Igballe Rogova, Executive Director of KWN, recalled to the participants the information that since the Annual Assembly of Members, held in December 2016, it was discussed to change the name of KWN in Albanian, shortening it to Kosovo Women’s Network (in Albanian: Rrjeti i Grave të Kosovës), since in Albanian the name has been longer.

Further, based on the change of name, it was decided that KWN’s Statute should be updated based on the latest version of the Statute of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

The last model of the KWN Statute has been approved on 4 December 2011, by the Assembly of Members, at a meeting held in Durres. The current model is based on the latest model (17.10.2014) published on the website of the Ministry of Public Administration (MPA), the NGO Department, in consultation with Law No. 04 / L-57 on Freedom of Association in Organizations Non-governmental organizations, as well as some comments and suggestions from members.

According to this Law, there are two models of Statutes, by the Assembly or the Board, depending on the highest governing body of the Organization. Since KWN’s highest governing body is the Assembly of Members, all changes made in the 11 articles are based on the respective model.

After the revision of all articles, the members agreed and approved all the changes. KWN staff continued with the procedures required by the Department of NGOs’ at the MPA in order to conclude this process.

The next meeting of KWN members will be held on September 11th. This activity has been supported by the European Union Office in Kosovo.

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