The Kosovo Lobby for Gender EqualityandKosova Women’s Network (KWN)held their first joint meeting, on Thursday, May 28. The meeting gathered 250 participants, including members of the Kosovo Lobby for Gender Equality and KWN, members of the families of war martyrs from the Municipality of Dragash, donors, friends and supporters of KWN. The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga, also participated.
The meeting was opened by activist and actress Safete Rogova, she recited the poetry “Ti je vetë universi” dedicated to women. During the first part of the meeting, members of the Lobby and KWN gave President Jahjaga dresses and skirts that they had collected to contribute to the artistic installation “Thinking of you” by artist Alketa Xhafa-Mripa. The installation is dedicated to women survivors of sexual violence, perpetrated during the war in Kosovo and is being organized by theNational Council of Survivors of Sexual Violence during the War, established and led by the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga.
“The subject that unites us today is the handling of a very sensitive issue for our post-war society, a long-time taboo. We purposefully hold this initiative towards closing a painful chapter of lives and of the lives of our sisters, our mothers, our daughters,” said President of the Republic of Kosova, Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga. “You have heard me often say that guilt lies not upon them, but upon those who committed this macabre crime; and we, only by sticking together, by supporting each other, can rid them of this [false] guilt by placing it upon the perpetrators. They seek only one thing, justice, and we must provide this justice, both within our society and outside our borders, by internationalizing this issue.”
The installation “Thinking of you” will be realized by placing thousands of women’s dresses and skirts on hangers in the field of Prishtina stadium. Dresses and skirts are being collected until Jun. 6th at collection sites around the country with support from nongovernmental organizations. Each donated dress and skirt will become part of the installation.
This installation aims to portray the innocence of women victims, who are now in need of recognition and support from the entire society.
“After the war, survivors of sexual violence perpetrated during the war in Kosovo, didn’t receive support from society or institutions. Our society stigmatized, undervalued and isolated them. There were women’s NGOs that stayed close to them for all these years, up to the moment when they decided to break the silence” said Igballe Rogova, Executive Director of KWN. “We, through KWN, together broke this silence: we protested with the motto ‘We demand legal protection and justice.’ That year, for the first time, a debate took place in the Parliament, and many debates took place in media and society. We broke the wall! Later, a very important mechanism was established, for which we should be proud, thanks to our President, Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga, and this is the National Council of Survivors of Sexual Violence during the War. Through the Council, the President gave her contribution in different fields that relate with the survivors of sexual violence during the war, raising this issue in national level, but also internationalizing it.”
This installation is part of an awareness-raising campaign organized by the National Council on Survivors of Sexual Violence during the War (for more information on this activity and regarding the collection points click here).
During the meeting, it was decided that all Lobby members would plan when they would screen the movie “Three windows and a hanging” (“Tri dritare dhe një varrje”), between September and December. The movie, which deals with sexual violence perpetrated during the war, is being screened as part of the campaign of the National Council of Survivors of Sexual Violence during the War, towards raising public consciousness about this crime and the rights of persons who suffered this crime.
During this joint meeting of the Kosovo Lobby for Gender EqualityandKosova Women’s Network (KWN), Lobby members presented, discussed and promoted their successful advocacy initiatives undertaken in 24 municipalities of Kosovo. These included:
· Lobby members from the Municipality of Peja advocated to municipal officials and encouraged women to run for the position of the Head of Local Units. Shemsije Seferi from NGO Alma was selected for the Council of the Local Unit, though not as the Head of Local Unit.
· In Dragash, Lobby members advocated successfully for girls to become more involved in sports, specifically volleyball, which was previously unavailable in this municipality. Now, teachers of sports within the municipality, together with heads of schools, have promised to offer more support in this field.
· In Gjilan, Lobby members advocated successfully for 53 women to be employed by different schools of this municipality.
· Lobby members from Vushtrri promoted the production of traditional foods by women heads of households; thanks to a donation from a Swedish municipality, they secured funding for this project, as well as for financing day care for pensioners.
· In the Municipality of Drenas, Lobby members advocated for eight women to be employed in two school kitchens. Meanwhile they plan to advocate for the employment of four more women in another kitchen. Also, they advocated successfully for more women to take decision-making positions, including: two Heads of primary schools in the Municipality of Dreanas, one Deputy Head of a school and the Head of the Health Centre in Drenas.
· Lobby members in Municipality of Prishtina have advocated for day care for people with disabilities, which also received a budget line from the Municipality. In this way, employed women who have children with disabilities will now have a place to send their children for day care, which will enable them to work more outside of home.
· In Ferizaj, Lobby members secured free of charge day care for children of single mothers. Also, via joint advocacy with NGO Hendifer, members of the Municipal Assembly and the Municipal Department of Health, secured a mammography machine for their municipality. In this municipality, they also secured financing for a child to receive medical treatment abroad. Meanwhile, an advocacy initiative that has just begun will involve positive discrimination towards securing at least five scholarships out of 50 oferred by the municipality for young Roma, Egyptian and/or Ashkali women.
At this meeting, another municipality joined the Kosovo Lobby for Gender Equality: the Municipality of Shtime.
This meeting was supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).