Kosovo Women's Network

Violence against women is not a family matter

03.10.2014

As part of the initiative “Violence against women is not a family matter” NGO Venera organized a round tableon 1 October. The roundtable gathered 10 beneficiaries of the project, who were assisted by NGO Venera’s staff to write the required documents depending on the case they raised.
     Flora Memia, representative of Shelter “Operacioni Mekemebja” in Peja, was also present at the meeting, and she informed participants on the conditions of the Shelter.
     Afterwards, women shared their personal stories with each other; their cases varied greatly and included stories related to issues of property and Legal disputes, denial of paternity and domestic violence cases.
     “All women were victims of physical and mental violence and also victims of institutionalprocedures. Some of these women were mistreated by the institutions that are in charge to guarantee their protection. This is why we are trying to help them,” said Miradije Gashi, Executive Director of NGO Venera.
      Besides sharing their stories, women also had the opportunity to obtain information about each-others problems and to express solidarity.
     Participants also received leaflets with informative content about domestic violence, created by NGO Venera as part of the project "Violence against women is not a family matter".
     This initiative is supported by the fifth round of KWN’s Kosova Women’s Fund (KWF), funded by Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and Kvinna till Kvinna (KtK).

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“Women Speak Out for Peace” Globally

24.09.2014

Women can and have played an important role in peacebuilding the world-over, including in Kosovo and South East Europe. However their role is seldom acknowledged publicly. Rather, media often display women only as passive victims. The Global Network of Women Peace-builders (GNWP), of which the Kosova Women’s Network (KWN) is a member, is seeking to change this homogenizing portrayal of women through their Global Media Campaign “Women Speak Out for Peace.” Organized to commemorate the International Day of Peace, 21 September, the campaign from 15 to 21 Sep. aimed to shift the dominant media coverage of women as victims, to that of agents of change, peace-builders and decision-makers. The campaign brought together women and men, girls and boys in speaking up for peace and human rights. Further, everyone was invited and encouraged to share information and stories regarding the role that women played in peacebuilding via mainstream and social media.

In Kosovo, women have played a substantial role in contributing to peace and security since UNSCR 1325 was adopted in 2000, and before. Here are some ways in which women in Kosovo have contributed to peace:

· When women were left out of negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia, KWN and the Women in Black Network in Serbia formed the Women’s Peace Coalition, which sent several letters on issues being discussed during negotiations, towards making women’s voices heard in this process.

· The first public apology ever made with regard to the decades of oppression and crimes committed by the Government of Serbia against Kosovars was made by Women in Black activists during a Women’s Peace Coalition meeting in Struga, Macedonia in 2006. This apology, covered by Kosovo’s mainstream media, was of particular importance to citizens in Kosovo, towards healing and peace processes.

· The Women’s Peace Coalition also was important for (re)building relations among women in Kosovo and Serbia, sharing stories from the period of war, and beginning a healing process.

· KWN supported the creation of the Regional Women’s Lobby for Peace, Security and Justice in South East Europe, which has brought together women from politics and civil society throughout the region in advocating on issues of shared concern, towards furthering peace and women’s security.

· Activists from KWN have spoken to and trained hundreds of NATO/KFOR troops on the special approach needed in working with women who suffered war-time violence, towards furthering a gender perspective within peace-keepers’ work.

· Peace is not only the absence of war; after war women continue to face many forms of violence, including trafficking for sexual exploitation, domestic violence and sexual harassment in the streets and at work. KWN and its members have contributed to peace in post-war Kosovo by advocating for an improved legal framework and institutional mechanisms for protecting women from GBV.

· KWN itself, as an interethnic network of 86 diverse women-led organizations, continually provides a space for peace-building among women of various ethnicities via joint initiatives towards the shared aim of furthering women’s rights in Kosovo.

For more information, please read KWN’s 1325 Fact and Fables, a collection of stories about the implementation of UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in Kosovo, available on KWN’s website.

UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820 on Women, Peace and Security acknowledge women’s role in peacebuilding processes and call for women’s greater participation in these processes.

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Shqiponjat e Dardanës advocate to improve the status of women in the Municipality of Gracanica

22.09.2014

Shqiponjat e Dardanes, (Eagles of Dardana) NGO based in Gracanice, has successfully conducted a research on women in decision-making.
This initiative was inspired from the workshop “Doing Research: Quantitative & Qualitative Methods”, Organized by KWN on 9 Jun. as well as individual mentoring that KWN offered to grant recipients through Kosova Women’s Fund (KWF).
The staff of NGO Shqiponjat e Dardanes conducted a successful research by interviewing 120 respondents.
   “This is the first time that we took an initiative like this in a closed environment like ours” said Havushe Bunjaku, Executive Director. “From the workshop organized by KWN I learned the proper way to conduct research. Before, I thought that you should go inside every house of neighborhood, but during the workshop we learned that it should be in every fourth house.”
The research will be used as a tool to advocate to local institutions to increase the number of women in decision-making processes in Kishnica and other regions of Gracanica.
    After the research was successfully conducted, on 16 September, the staff of Shqiponjat e Dardanes held an official meeting with the Officer for Gender Equality, Mrs. Sunçica Trajkoviç, also head of the Non-Formal Group of Women in Graçanica Municipality; Marijana Simiç and Nevenka Rikallo members of this group. During the meeting NGO Shqiponjat e Dardanes got the information that they can be part of the Non-formal group of women in order to coordinate their activities more effectively. During the meeting they also received information that Municipality of Gracanica had conducted a research regarding the challenges that women in this region face.
   “Based on our experience, we recommend to invite media when you present the results from research so you have more people informed about this issue; we can help you in this case” said Mrs. Sunçica Trajkoviç.
     This initiative is part of the project “Breaking the silence about women’s position in the municipality of Gracanica" supported by Kosova Women’s Fund (KWF).
Kosova Women’s fund is supported by Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and Kvinna till Kvinna (KtK).

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Microsoft Donates Licensed Programs to KWN

17.09.2014

KWN received a software donation worth $54,090.00 from Microsoft.
KWN staff and its organizations will greatly benefit from this donation, since KWN will be more productive and efficient in its work.
“At Microsoft, we believe technology can do amazing things. That’s why we partner with thousands of organizations like yours around the world to help each one achieve its mission. Through our Microsoft Citizenship efforts, we provide technology tools, training and resources that can help create opportunities and transform communities. "Congratulations on being part of our global community!”- said Lori Forte Harnick from Microsoft in the e-mail sent to KWN.

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Women Should Automatically Receive Their Inheritance

16.09.2014

KWN member organization NORMA Lawyers Association organized a roundtable titled “Gender Equality in the Right for Inheritance” on 16 Sep. They presented findings resulting from three months of monitoring courts in Gjilan, Prizren, Mitrovica, Lipljan and Podujevo. Afterwards the discussion was opened for suggestions for further steps.
    The roundtable gathered more than 20 people from civil society, courts, notary offices and the University of Prishtina to discuss this important issue.
Even though the Kosovo Law on Inheritance exists, not much has been done on raising awareness towards its implementation.
     “In so many cases women hesitated to demand their right about inheritance, sometimes because of traditions and other times from lack of information on the existence of these opportunities and the procedures that should be taken,” said one of the representatives of NGO Norma.
   “Alone, the court cannot do anything in this direction; we should raise awareness among both women and men that traditions should not take precedence; the law exists and should be respected,” said a lawyer from the Kosovo Court of Appeals.
   Mr. Haxhi Gashi, professor at the Law Faculty at the University of Prishtina, explained that death registration of citizens is important for Kosovo’s development, including the issue of inheritance. Otherwise the procedures for obtaining inheritance become so difficult that women give up this right.
     “The existing law is very thorough, but there is a section called ‘renouncement to inheritance’, and it is used very frequently,” said Mr. Gashi. “The wife has equal rights with her husband to inherit: first from her family and then from her partner after they marry.”
    One of the many proposals was to change this provision in the existing law so that inheritance occurs ex officio (automatically) and need not be claimed. The final recommendations that will result from this roundtable and Norma’s research will soon be published by the Norma Lawyers Association.
    This roundtable was part of a project funded by Kosova Women’s Fund (KWF).KWF receives support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and Kvinna till Kvinna.

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Young Feminist Continue Their Meetings

16.09.2014

Young Feminist from all over Kosova have been meeting, discussing, and debating. The meetings gathered 44 girls from Prizren, Gjilan, Mitrovica and Gjakova, from 8 to 11 of September.
Participants continued to discuss the difficulties and problems they face in their everyday lives.
     Girls in all municipalities raised very similar and worrying issues, such as lack of access to education, sexual harassment in streets, schools and work.
      “Questions on your marital status, or photo requirements in job applications should be legally forbidden”. Said one participant
Other problems raised included early marriages, lackof knowledge onreproductivehealth and the absence of qualified psychologists in schools.
     Girls stated that these problems can be avoided only if there is dedication and hard work.
The initiative has been renamed to “FemACT – we go beyond talking” and will continue its activities in the months to come.

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Culture for all Organizes Craft Design Exhibition

14.09.2014

The second weekend of September marked the Craft Design Exhibition organized by the project Culture for All, funded by EU. This exhibition was organized after an assessment of craft work produced in Kosovo, conducted by Caroline Winckel French designer and trainer.
   In December 2013, Ms. Winckel held an intensive training for 23 women artisans and designers from all regions of Kosovo focusing on giving their products a creative touch.
At the end of this training, each participant defined a new product line for the coming 4-6 month period. The new products concerned fashion accessories, items and home decoration objects and were displayed in the exhibition organized at Zahir Pajazit Square in Prishtina until 14 September.
   “Every exhibition organized is important for women from Kosovo because it is the only place where they can display their work, and benefit from it financially,” said Selvete Gashi from NGO Lulebora, an organization that participated in the exhibition, and simultaneously a KWNmember organization.
     Winckel will select a range of products which best combine craftsmanship, creativity and design and present them at the “Creativity Pavilion” that will also host creations from other countries such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France and Turkey.
     “The importance of this activity has many aspects: first, the economic one that allows the ladies to live decently from their art; the second is cultural, to give more value and contemporary creativity to handicrafts and to traditional values; also, socially speaking because we consider that handicrafts is one of the art sectors that link people together because of the common memory and the ways of lives,” said Lila Skarveli, Team Leader at Culture for All. “So we insist very much on giving the culture its social and economic role in Kosovo society like everywhere, and we think that following the evaluation we have done on crafts and on creative industry in Kosovo, this is a very promising sector and it is worth it to promote and support it.”
     Additionally, a selected number of the participants in this exhibition will take part in a study tour in Paris that will take place at the end of this year.
     The main aim of the project Culture for All is to increase the development of the cultural sector in Kosovo, aiming towards the social and economic development of the country.

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Regular Check-ups Save Lives

14.09.2014

On September 10 Serbian women from Priluzhe village, municipailty of Vushtrria held a meeting at the officeses of NGO Luna.
Marina Miloshevic opened the meeting by talking more about its purpose, and distributing questionnaires on breast and cervical cancer, in order to see how informed the participants are about these diseases.
“We have offered free medical check-ups for breast cancer at our organization before,” said Stanica Kovacevic, Executive Director of NGO Luna. “We had one member that had a check-up from the doctor that will be present today. Back then, the doctor recommended she have an operation; at first our member was very confused because of the lack of symptoms, but after further check-ups that concluded that she should get the operation, and is now safe.”
Ms Nafije Latifi and Minire Zuna gynecologist shared information on breast and cervical cancer and after the meeting they offered free check-ups for all the participants at NGO Luna’s office. These checkup were part of the project “Çelësi i shëndetit është tek parandalimi: Kontrollet e rregullta sistematike shpëtojnë jetë” (Key of health is preventing: Regular check-ups save lifes.) funded by KWN’s Kosova Women’s Fund (KWF) sixth round of grands, financed by Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

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“What Was the Difference Between a Mission and a Vision?!”

10.09.2014

"What makes an effective mission statement?" This question may sound benign, but much thought must go into its creation, as Delina Fico, member of KWN Advisory Board and Director of Civil Society Programs of East West Management Institute (EWMI),explained to KWN members in Prizren. On September 4^th, 30 members from 22 different KWN member organizations assembled to take part in the workshop on "Writing Effective Mission Statements”.
By providing definitions of key concepts regarding an organization’s vision and mission statements, Ms. Fico illustrated the differences between the two. Furthermore, during the lecture, Ms. Fico referred to mission statements as "the passports of an organization," and proceeded to explain that a clear formulation of a succinct mission statement should contain the following components:
1. Name of the organization; 2. Its goals; 3. The way an organization operates; 4. Expected results of activities of the organization; 5. Groups with which the organization works; and 6. Values ”‹”‹that it prefers.
Together with the participants, she then analyzed KWN’s mission statement, by showing where these elements are located within this mission:

“The Kosova Women’s Network (KWN) mission is to support, protect and promote the rights and the interests of women and girls throughout Kosova, regardless of their political beliefs, religion, age, level of education, sexual orientation and ability .KWN fulfills its mission through the exchange of experience and information, partnership and networking, research, advocacy, and service.”

“This workshop was more than nessecary to strengthen the capacities of my organization and I believe that it applies to the other organizations present as well,” said Bahrije Deva, Executive Director of Association for Education and Family Care. “Such workshops should be repeated often and last longer, so that we can take time to focus on the topics that are more important for us."
Subsequently, participants sat down in groups and worked on re-wording or re-writing their mission statements. In order to assist member organizations to really change and enhance their mission statements, at the end of this workshop, Delina Fico and Nicole Farnsworth offered them the opportunity to submit potential alterations to their missions to info@womensnetwork.org by Sep 10th. Ms. Fico and Ms. Farnsworth will then provide feedback.
The workshop was supported by Kvinna till Kvinna (KtK) and EWMI. And is part of KWN support to members in implanting the KWN code of conduct.

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Active Board = Successful, Active Organization

08.09.2014

What are boards really good for? Are they just fancy additions trying to make organizations sound more professional? According to a workshop held by KWN in Prizren, 4 September, active boards are way more than that, as they should be an essential part of every organization. The workshop, was supported by East West Management Institute (EWMI) and Kvinna till Kvinna (KtK) And is part of KWN support to members in implanting the KWN code of conduct.
    Delina Fico Director of Civil Society Program of East West Management Institute and member of KWN Advisory Board, discussed the main roles of boards, such as ensuring that the organization’s work is done well; determining the reason for which the organization exists; ensuring that the organization has adequate resources, and that organizational resources are managed responsibly.
She also identified strategies on creating the ideal board for an organization; the incentives potential board members may have to become part of a board; ensuring diversity within the board, and that the board members are committed to carrying out their functions; and also about the separation of boards into decision-making and advisory boards.
“While selecting board members we should make sure that they are as diverse from each other as possible,” said Delina Fico. “The Board embodies and ensures that the audience has confidence in the organization.”
    “I am a board member of an Austrian organization and I was able to see how a functional and active board operates,” said Drita Vukshinaj, Executive Director of the Association Women for Women with Dissabilities. “I am also aware that most of our organizations do not have active boards; we need to work more towards this goal, and we can easily take KWN’s board functionality as a positive example to follow”.
“Apparently KWN knows us better as organizations than we know ourselves and the fact that KWN organized this workshop shows this, since that tells us that our demands for capacity building are heard and our needs for improvements where we standoff were identified by KWN,” said Xhejrane Lokaj, Executive Director of Women’s Initiative Association.

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