Kosovo Women's Network

NGO “ATO” Advocates for Free Transportation for Students Attending Compulsory Education

05.09.2014

  The path a student from villages within the municipality of Vushtri needs to cross in order to get to school is a challange in itself. Lack of infrastructure and educational facilities in each village make it almost impossible for all students to attend compulsary primary and secondary education.
    Termination of school attendance is also a consequence of the lack of implementation of the law for free transportation for all children in compulsory education who have to travel more than 4 km to attend lessons.
   “There are four girls in our village who have successfully completed ninth grade, but cannot attend secondary school since their new school is too far away, and their families have no financial means to provide transportation”, said one representative of the village.      Precisely for these reasons, the Women’s Center "ATO" in Vushtrri, a KWN member organization, with a project financed by KWN’s Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF) has advocated to representatives of the Municipality of Vushtrri for the students of the villages of this municipality to be provided with free transportation.
   Apart from meetings with the village leaders, this organization has also organized a roundtable with Assembly representatives of the Municipality of Vushtrria and heads of villages Skrom, Ropic Samadrexhe, Cecelija and Sllakovc, on ”‹”‹September 2014 on the topic “The discussion about enabling free transportation to students who travel more than 4 km to attend compulsory education."
      The Director of the Education Department at the Municipality of Vushtrria was also present at the discussion. He said that "municipal representatives are aware of the existence of the law and the obligation they have to enable free transportation, but until now it has been impossible to implement because of cuts in the budget."
     Thereafter, he promised free transportation for the students of these villages starting January 2015.
While the representatives of the NGO "ATO" felt more optimistic after this meeting, they added that their work will not stop here. “We will continue to advocate for the fulfillment of this legal obligation by the Municipality of Vushtrria," said y Ferizi, Executive Director of the organization.
    This initiative is supported by the sixth round of KWN’s Kosova Women’s Fund (KWF), funded by Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and Kvinna till Kvinna (KtK).

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KWN Members Hold Bimonthly Meeting

04.09.2014

On 1 Sep. at Hotel Prishtina, KWN held its Bimonthly Meeting. The meeting was opened by Igballe Rogova, Executive Director at KWN, who introduced Dafina Rexha, Specialist on Scholarships and Trainings and Diana Macula, Program Assistant who informed members on the scholarship program entitled “Transformational Leadership”.
     This program, implemented by World Learning, is funded by USAID and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST). Ms. Rexha told that during the next five years the program will offer 160 professional certificates as well as 185 Master studies scholarships to interested and qualified candidates. She added that the professional certificate program has no age limit, and shared the story of a 50 year old woman who successfully completed the program. She also mentioned that “more than 50% of all scholarship recipients so far have been women.”
     Afterwards, members were informed on the application process, criteria as well as the different fields of study that they can apply for. The application deadline for the certificate programs is the 10th of September, whereas the second call for applications for the Master scholarship will open on the 15^th of September.
After the presentation, Ms. Rexha opened the floor for questions and offered in-depth answers. If interested for more information, members can contact USAID.
      Further, Shqipe Malushi gave a summary of the workshops she held with KWN members in Drenas, Gjakova, Prizren, Vushtri, Peja, Viti, Gjilan, and Prishtina during this summer. She talked about the needs of the women she met during the workshops, and gave recommendations on future actions.
Mimoza Paçuku, Coordinator of Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF) at KWN, presented the grant winners for the sixth round, and informed members about the initiatives of the grant recipients. This round was funded by Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
     Also, it was discussed about new nominations for both KWN boards. Shqipe Malushi, accepted to be a member of the Advisory Board, meanwhile the mandate of some members of the Board of Directors expires this year.
Afterwards, KWN members shared information on activities they undertook during this period of time.

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Young Feminists²

04.09.2014

The Young Women’s Empowerment Initiative (YWEI) re-launched its activities for this fall with its second meeting of young feminists of Prishtina, held on 2 Sep. 2014 at Si n’Bahce.During this informal meeting, young feminists discussed issues that concern them, potential solutions to those problems, the feminist movement more generally and future actions that KWN and YWEI could take.
      Participants discussed the immense pressure that young women face from family and friends to conform to certain beauty standards; the lack of independence in making personal decisions regarding their bodies and lifestyle; street harassment and sexual harassment. They sought information as to whether any legal mechanisms exist for combatting street harassment. They also discussed young women’s lack of access to information about sexual and reproductive health. “If it were not for the internet, I would be entirely clueless on these issues”, one girl said, telling us how her biology teachers skip chapters about sexual health and sexual organs.
     In discussing this Initiative more generally, participants agreed that there would not be any strict age limit in defining “Young” Feminists. They want Young Feminists to include both women who are young in age and those who are new to the feminist movement. A suggestion for the name of the group was “Feministet e Reja²” implying that members are young and/or new feminists.
      Lastly, young women expressed their interest in becoming more involved in activism towards women’s rights and welcomed KWN’s support in providing them with the right tools. They conveyed their interest in learning more about feminism and the women’s movement more generally. They look forward to future regular meetings, since they crave for a space to sit and talk with other women about sensitive issues that they cannot discuss with friends or family. Thus, the plan from now on is to have “Feminist Tuesdays” every week.

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The Journey Back Home

04.09.2014

By Shqipe Malushi

Hundreds of women from KWNmember organizations and their beneficiaries joined workshops and individual coaching on “Resilience and Wellness of Being” in villages and cities throughout Kosovo from 4 Jun. through 1 Sep. 2014. Workshops helped women reflect on the past and find new ways of moving forward. The journey for women was painful. Memories of war were still very fresh in their minds, and no one had really helped them heal or given them tools for releasing their pain and nightmares in order to find forgiveness.

In the city of Gjakova, women held pictures of sons and daughters missing since the war. They cried for hours for the injustice done, powerlessness and lack of support. After hours of mourning, release came by remembering victims in light of the living: by bringing out their values and qualities, not their loss; by focusing on their contribution, not their disappearance.

“For 15 years I have never felt lighter than today,” said one mother. “You are late. We needed this 15 years ago.”

In another village where many women had suffered rape, they called themselves “faceless women” without hope. There were many heartbreaking stories. One mother was gang raped by nine soldiers. She swore to fight this evil act for the rest of her life to protect her daughters. She encouraged other women to stand up and be proud for being survivors. She asked them not to carry the burden of shame because they were not guilty for this act. Together we managed to build a bridge of hope, a net of support through positive thinking and a new vision for life. In Prizren many young people with disabilities joined the workshop, finding hope for their future. A blind girl, the first in Kosovo to study for her master’s degree in Law, expressed a desire to study psychology in Turkey. We connected her with a Turkish university that expressed a desire to offer her a scholarship.

In the village of Krusha e Vogel, where almost all the men were killed, half the village had moved forward. From a single sewing machine gifted to her in 2003, one woman now had 10 machines and employed many women as successful tailors.

KWN members considered the workshops a breeze of fresh air. They gave me an opportunity to connect with people’s pain, and together we turned pain into hope. We created a platform of positivity where women could identify their pain, commit to healing and release their pain. Workshops helped women bond, forgive and let go of the past. New critical thinking and communication tools were taught. Many women regained their self-confidence in creating a better life. For me, this journey back home was very insightful. I was able to reconnect with my own land, my own people; to remember my heritage; and to discover some of my own shortcomings that I, too, had to forgive and let go. Love is in every heart of my people who need healing in order to move forward and regain all of their values, which were stripped away from them. I am committed to raise my voice to all professionals, artists and humanitarians to ask for helping my people heal and build a new vision of hope.

Born in Peja, Kosovo, Shqipe Malushi has lived in the U.S. since 1980. A woman’s rights activist, she has worked in New York and travelled the world, providing mentoring, healing and empowerment to women and men. This summer, after many years away, she returned home to Kosovo.

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KWN Work Highly Relevant, Effective, Review Concludes

04.09.2014

KWN recently underwent a successful independent mid-term reviewof the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF)grant scheme and support for municipal Gender Equality Advocacy Groups (GEAGs). The project that underwent review, supported by the Austrian Development Agency and Kvinna till Kvinna, seeks to increase and improve women’s participation in decision-making at the municipal level. KWF provides grants to KWN members, enabling them to further their organizational and advocacy capacities while undertaking initiatives tailored to addressing challenges in their municipalities and beyond.

The midterm review assessed KWN’s work to be “highly relevant” to Kosovo’s development needs, and based upon a well-researched and highly evidence-driven understanding of the country’s current position. The project also was considered highly relevant to KWN’s Strategic Plan for 2011-2014. Further, the report found that the project has made strong progress on all of its expected results, and therefore is on track to achieve its expected results and overall project goal. It assessed the achieved results thus far as very likely to be sustainable even after project completion.

Good progress, according to the report, has been made towards the goal of establishing five new GEAGs and supporting the work of the remaining eight. As of now, three new GEAGs (in Dragash, Drenas/Gllogovac, and Podujevo) have been established, and the Groups have strengthened their capacities with KWN’s support. They have undertaken several successful advocacy initiatives at the municipal level towards furthering gender equality.

With regard to KWF, the report found that the project already has brought about “visible positive changes” on both the individual and organizational level. Individually, it was found that representatives of KWN members and project beneficiaries have been empowered with skills, knowledge from training and events and networking contacts, among others, as a result of the project.

On the organization level, KWN members displayed stronger development capacity (particularly with regards to project cycle management, project implementation, reporting, fundraising and advocacy) and improved internal processes and procedures. During interviews with grant recipients, many emphasized the on-going support they received during implementation, which they believe helped them complete their projects successfully, acquire new skills and strengthen their organizations overall.

The full report can be read online.

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Dokufest Participants Discuss Gendered Professions

04.09.2014

On 21 Aug. 2014, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)organized a roundtable titled “Professions have no Gender” at Dokufestin Prizren. The discussed how different stakeholders can concertedly and comprehensively shape perceptions on gender equality, especially with regard to employment. The discussion was moderated by Donjeta Morina, Gender Project Assistant at UNDP. People shared their ideas and personal experiences. The discussion surrounded the results of the UNDP Public Pulse Report on Gender published in July 2014. The report recommended more awareness-raising activities, which led to this discussion. They noted how society creates and continuously reproduces social norms that limit career choices, based on a person’s gender.

Debate surrounded UNDP’s recent film, ”Professions have no gender”, which depicted the career aspirations of girls and boys. The conversation touched upon the effect of family, media and school on limiting the career choices of boys and girls, by imposing on them certain gender-specific norms and values.

“I am satisfied with this discussion, and I learned a lot from everyone present,” said Donjeta Morina.

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Film Presents “Different Life” of Persons with Disabilities

04.09.2014

Three hours before the movie began tickets were sold out. This amplified audience members’ curiosity about the film to be screened at “Kino në Lum” (Cinema in the River) on 20 Aug. at Dokufest in Prizren. Ticket-holders watched the film from seats within the cinema, while others tried to watch from a distance.
   The film, Fotografia: Një Jetë Ndryshe [Photography: A Different Life], was produced by the Organization of Persons with Muscular Dystrophy of Kosova (OPMDK) and directed by Galdim Vagangjiu. The film told the story of a photography workshop that changed the lives of a group of people with disabilities. The film was produced without any funds, on an entirely voluntary basis.
     The Executive Director of OPMDK, Antigona Shestan, said that the special thing about this movie is that, despite their physical difficulties, the members of the organization that participated in the photography course led by photographer Nafis Llokvica completed this course. “We worked very hard to finish this film, and I didn’t except so many people to show up and support us,” she said. “I am so glad that so many people came to see our movie.”
    This movie is not about people with special needs but is for special people, said Galdim Vagangjiu. “Their physical difficulties don’t stop them from being great photographers and to realize their own expectations. The main reason why I wanted to do this movie is because these people had a tragedy in their life once, but they didn’t stop and they had the great will to continue with their lives.”

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Active Women Advocate to End Domestic Violence

03.09.2014

Active Women of Gjakova (AWG), an NGO and KWNmember, is working towards implementing the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence. They are working with girls and women of different ethnicities, especially Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians, to ensure domestic violence is treated justly and as per the full extent of the law in Kosovo.

Although the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence (Nr.03/L182) sets a fairly comprehensive framework for dealing with domestic violence in the country, it is not yet fully implemented. Women and youth still do not have equal access to protection against violence, and the system for providing information about the assistance available remains inefficient. This is especially salient for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians.

“We are aware that domestic violence does happen to well educated women, that stand well economically also, and we’re willing to work with women from different communities and backgrounds. But, as we’ve noticed from our everyday work, the biggest number of women who seek help in our NGO for domestic violence issues belong to Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities; few have attended school, and they have bad economic conditions,” said Valbona Rizvanolli, AWG Executive Director. Thus, AWG has undertaken an initiative to provide information sessions on topics including domestic violence in general, the laws that pertain to domestic violence and strategies for monitoring Gjakova Municipality’s implementation of the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence.

Additionally, they have worked on publishing a monitoring report on the implementation of this Law, including with findings and recommendations. “It’s very important to have such lectures with women from our community, but also with their husbands, children and other family members,” said Tabe Maliqi, a member of the community. “Their family members should also be informed about the consequences they will face in case they carry out violence against others within their families.”

By organizing these activities, AWG aims to ensure that the existing laws for protection against domestic violence are applied and enforced in Gjakova. It also seeks to help women become more aware about the law and their rights under it.

“After the workshop, I will see the effect of the lecture,” said Sakibe Doli, Executive Director of the Safe House in Gjakova, which shelters women and children who have suffered violence. Previously, in other neighborhoods and villages where we have held such lectures, the effect has always been immediate. Their awareness was increased and they undertook actions to stop domestic violence perpetrated against them.”

AWG’s work has been made possible through a grant from the KWN Kosovo Women’s Fund, supported by the Austrian Development Agency and Kvinna till Kvinna.

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Peace Corps Learn about Women’s Rights in Kosovo

03.09.2014

On 8 Aug., KWNExecutive Director Igballe Rogova spoke to approximately 20 Peace Corps volunteers about the position of women in Kosovo. The volunteers are the first-ever group to volunteer in Kosovo. They underwent a three-month comprehensive cross-cultural, language and technical training before leaving for their specific regions across the country to teach English in primary schools.

“On behalf of our U.S. Mission, I am proud to support Peace Corps in opening its newest post here in Kosovo,” said U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo Tracey Jacobson. “We are excited by the prospect of volunteers working with Kosovo’s citizens and making significant contributions to communities throughout the country. The friendships they make will serve the people of Kosovo and the United States for years to come.”

The Peace CorpsProgram in Kosovo was launched on 9 Sep. 2013 with an official signing ceremony at the Office of the President in Pristina. The Program was invited to start its work by Atifete Jahjaga, President of Kosovo,who signed the agreement along with Helen Lowman, Peace Corps former Regional Director and current Associate Director of Volunteer Recruitment and Selection.

“With the great support of USAID and the U.S. Department of State, the Peace Corps looks forward to establishing a vibrant and enduring program in Kosovo,” Lowman said following the signing ceremony.

Upon signing this agreement, Kosovo became the Peace Corps’ 140th country of service since its establishment in 1961. It is also the organization’s first entry into a new country since opening a program in Cambodia in 2007. Peace Corps staff visited Kosovo after the agreement was signed and worked together with Kosovo’s government to identify the local communities that would be best served by the agency’s volunteers.

On 20 August President Jahjagawelcomed Peace Corps volunteers .

Peace Corps volunteers are also encouraged to participate in community and school-based projects. This offers opportunities to share experiences, exchange skills and knowledge and establish increased understanding between volunteers and their host communities. The Peace Corps approach is built on the importance of people-to-people, grassroots exchange of ideas.

Since its founding by U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961, more than 210,000 Americans have volunteered across the globe. The Peace Corps’ mission is to promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three main goals: help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women; help promote a better understanding of Americans by the peoples served; and help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. Currently, volunteers are working in local communities in the focus areas of agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health and youth development.

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KWN Thanks Our Stellar Interns

03.09.2014

Every year, KWNoffers internships for students from Kosovo and abroad. This summer we welcomed two interns from the U.S., Jennifer Davidson from Dartmouth College in Pennsylvania and Monique Nicole Morin from The New School in New York.

Jennifer and Monique worked during the summer at KWN offices and helped and made a huge contribution.

"I learned so much from my time at KWN about everything from how to write grant proposals to the impact of EU integration on women. The hands-on work really helped me grow, and I couldn’t have asked for a more rewarding experience." – said Jennifer.

Jennifer and Nikki contributed to KWN in a myriad of ways, from contributing to our newsletter and public relations materials to drafting concept notes and project proposals to assisting KWN in carrying out research that we have always wanted to do but lacked the time. We thank them for their hard work and contributions!

If you would like to intern with KWN, please send your CV and a cover letter explaining your motivations, what you’d like to do and what you’d like to learn from the experience to info@womensnetwork.org.

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