KWN Organizes Bimonthly Meeting

Approximately 46 people attended the KWN Bimonthly Meeting on 9 Jun. 2014 in Prishtina. Participants included KWN member organizations, board members and other interested persons.    
    Igballe Rogova, KWN Executive Director, opened the meeting by sharing information about important activities since the last meeting, such as the launching of the Oral History Initiative website during the Femmes Fatales Festival; the progress made by the National Council on Survivors of Sexual Violence Perpetrated during the War, initiated by President Jahjaga; and the second meeting of Gender Equality Advocacy Groups, which will be held in the end of June.     
    KWN also presented progress resulting from cooperation with GIZ and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. KWN and GIZ are providing assistance for the integration of gender-responsive budgeting within the budgetary process of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the Municipality of Kamenica. Nicole Farnsworth, KWN Project Manager, informed members that the municipal and ministerial Budget Circulars now encourage Kosovo institutions to use gender responsive budgeting. She provided examples of how members can use these to encourage citizens to participate in the budget process and to encourage officials to ensure that specific indicators in budgets refer to gender. KWN and        GIZ have developed a tool to facilitate gender responsive budgeting, available online.Following requests by KWN member organizations, Shqipe Malushi will be providing workshops and counselling towards the Wellbeing of Activists. With KWN support, she will visit various regions of Kosova where she will provide workshops for all KWN members. 
 

Norma

Although legal provisions ensure equal treatment, these provisions do not apply in practice for many reasons and in this way patriarchal traditions are more powerful than the law. This situation is clearly obvious when it comes to the implementation of legal provisions which regulate family issues and heritage: women are deprived of the right to family heritage. This can be proved with the fact that in Kosovo 90% of the property belongs to men, even though legal provisions (Article 12 of the Law on Inheritance of Kosovo no. 2004/26) provide equal treatment.

Having on mind the aformentioned facts, NGO Norma realized the initiative "Gender Equality in the Right for Inheritanc". The activities perforemed as part of this initiative included:  a research conducted in the Office of the Civil Service of 5 Kosovo Municipalities and a research conducted in basic courts and notary in five municipalities of Kosovo. After that a report was prepared regarding the findings of the research. 

A one-day debate regarding the lack of Implementation of Sections 127 and 133.1 of the Law on Non-Contested Procedure, followed the aforementioned activities.

Partners Kosova

Partners Kosova (PK) invited not only women, but men as well to their one-day presentation on “Women’s rights in property division and inheritance” in Lipjan municipality on May 28. The Municipal Officer for Gender Equality attended the presentation as well.
“While advocating on this topic, we should work on raising awareness among both genders and among people of different ages and backgrounds,” said Hilmije Ramabaja, Training Program Manager, Mediator and Trainer at PK. “Only in this way we will be able to reach as many people as possible and change the patriarchal mentality, which denies women this basic right.”
     PK plans to organize similar presentations in three other municipalities: Skenderaj, Drenas and Ferizaj. Afterwards, groups will advocate further on the topic during a second meeting in each municipality, where representatives of institutions and other stakeholders will discuss the topic.
“I liked this idea very much, and I would suggest to widen the discussion of this topic as much as possible, so there is harmony between the existent legal framework and the practical aspect,” said Gafurr Ademi, Officer for Legal and Property Issues within the mayor’s office. “In our society’s circumstances, it is very important that men also are present where such topics are discussed in order to raise awareness.”
     This initiative was supported by the KWN Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF), financed by Kvinna till Kvinna (KtK).  

Visionary Woman of the XXI Century

Health is the biggest problem the region of Has faces, but it remains a problem for the entire Kosova also. 

"The fight against cancer" was called the initiative undertaken by Visionary Woman of the XXI Century, which aimed to raise awareness in Has about breast and cervical cancer using local media, giving in this way a controbution towards the fight against this diseasse. 

The awareness campaign was performed through TV shows in the local tTV station "TV Opinion" with a specialized doctor in this field.
Meetings, debates and roundtabled with women from the aforementioned region were also organized, as well as a voluntary action to fund raise for the two most severe cases of cancer.

Shqiponjat e Dardanës (Eagles of Dardana)

"Breaking the silence about women’s position in the municipality of Gracanica" is the title of the initiative undertaken by the nGO Eagles of Dardana. The initiative aims to in ncrease the awareness of women and girls for their rights; establish a network of cooperation between women in villages and village councils; create an environment of trust for women in the decision-making; and encourage girls in politics.

Violete

NGO Violete undertook the initiative "Leader of Education in my Community" aiming the promotion of the compulsory education of RAE girls in rural areas in accordance with the requirements of the labor market.

This helped on raising awareness of girls and  their families on the importance of their education; on the uninterrupted continuation of their education and the importance of advocating to the local authorities for educational integration of RAE community girls.

The Foundation for Education and Development

Since the end of 2013, public transportation of passengers that has been for free for the villages and the municipality is now stopped. This has become very serious problem for citizens of all communities living in the region. Therefore the Foundation for Education and Development (FED) undertook the initiative of " Organizing and interethnic cooperation of the women in Novobrdo.

FED identified the participants of the project; selected them in consultation with several municipal councilors and activists in Novo Brdo; antd then it organized a five days training in the field of advocacy. After the training women advocated to the Mayor of the MUnicipality regarding this topic.

In this way there was interaction of the group, aiming for their issue to be considered in the chairmanship of the Assembly, and directly affect the decision/ solution of the Mayor; socialization of the women among themselves by exchanging ideas; and their achievement to advocate to the mayor for the solution of the problem.

Vita-Jeta

Given the lack of knowledge about osteoporosis among the elderly in Kosovo, and the diseases’ difficult to observe nature, Vita-Jeta (“Life”), an association of approximately 850 retired women, launched an information campaign about the disease. They organized a lecture about osteoporosis and provided free of charge medical exams for diagnosing the disease.
“Even though I was once a nurse, I never realized I was suffering from osteoporosis,” said Remzije Pireva, a Vita-Jeta member. “It was only through Vita-Jeta that I took the initiative to do the test for diagnosing it.” Since then, she has followed the doctor’s orders and taken the recommended medicine. “Now I am feeling much better,” she said.

Remzije was among 243 retired women tested for osteoporosis by Vita-Jeta. Through these free exams, nearly one-third of the women learnt that they suffered from osteoporosis. Like Remzije, some have received treatment thanks to Vita-Jeta representatives who convinced a local pharmacy to provide free medication to retirees living in poor economic conditions.
“We are very keen to offer the same possibility to all members of our NGO,” said Ajshe Nuhiu who leads Vita-Jeta. Such free screening and medication can be crucial for elderly persons living in Kosovo, many of whom struggle to survive in dire economic conditions.

Vita-Jeta also assists its members with doctor-prescribed therapies. “Since they are members of our NGO and attend regularly our meetings, it is easy for us to see if they are following the medical advice that they have received,” said Ajshe Nuhiu.

Due to Vita-Jeta’s accomplishments in only two months, 500 of the association’s members are knocking on their door, hoping that they too can receive this diagnostic test. Vita-Jeta’s awareness-raising efforts have successfully educated their members about the importance of the test.

Vita-Jeta representatives say that they will apply to the Kosovo Women’s Fund again so that they can build on this success and provide similar services to more members. They also plan to seek funding from other possible sources, using their new fundraising skills, developed with support from KWN staff.

Active Women of Gjakova (AWG)

Although the Kosovo Constitution provides the framework for the realization and actualization of commitment to justice in a democratic society, the above commitment is faced with many challenges in implementation. There is a huge need to enlarge the support in order to achieve substantial justice.The implementation of the legislation which is generally associated with protecting women from violence is not in the desired level. The information system to provide help for women and youth, is not efficient and women and youth don’t have equal access to their rights and legal protection against violence in general.

Therefore, the NGO Active Women of Gjakova undertook the initiative "Implementation of the law on protection from domestic violence" which was realized through informative sessions on topics: domestic Violence in general and the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence Nr.03/L182; monitoring strategy for the Municipality of Gjakova for domestic violence; Debates on the topic of the implementation of Law on Protection from Domestic Violence; and the publication of the monitoring report (findings and recommendations from the monitoring).

By organizing these activities, thew NGO aimed to ensure that the current existing laws for protection against domestic violence, are applied and enforced in Gjakova and to  promote the slef f-initiative of women for their capacity building based on the laws.

Women and men discuss the topic “Women’s rights in property division and inheritance rights” at a presentation organized by Partners Kosova, on May 28 in Lipjan.

Partners Kosova Advocates for Women’s Right to Property

Partners Kosova (PK) invited not only women, but men as well to their one-day presentation on “Women’s rights in property division and inheritance” in Lipjan municipality on May 28. The Municipal Officer for Gender Equality attended the presentation as well.
“While advocating on this topic, we should work on raising awareness among both genders and among people of different ages and backgrounds,” said Hilmije Ramabaja, Training Program Manager, Mediator and Trainer at PK. “Only in this way we will be able to reach as many people as possible and change the patriarchal mentality, which denies women this basic right.”
    
PK plans to organize similar presentations in three other municipalities: Skenderaj, Drenas and Ferizaj. Afterwards, groups will advocate further on the topic during a second meeting in each municipality, where representatives of institutions and other stakeholders will discuss the topic.
“I liked this idea very much, and I would suggest to widen the discussion of this topic as much as possible, so there is harmony between the existent legal framework and the practical aspect,” said Gafurr Ademi, Officer for Legal and Property Issues within the mayor’s office. “In our society’s circumstances, it is very important that men also are present where such topics are discussed in order to raise awareness.”
    
This initiative was supported by the KWN Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF), financed by Kvinna till Kvinna (KtK).