The innovative documentary “SEVEN” was screened on 30 Nov., at the Palace of Youth and Sports in Prishtina.

SEVEN Involves Women’s Rights Activists in Kosovo

07.01.2014

On 30 Sep., the innovative documentary “SEVEN” was screened at the Palace of Youth and Sports in Prishtina. SEVEN is a Swedish documentary that portrays the stories of seven women’s rights activists around the world, including women from Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Northern Ireland, Cambodia and Guatemala.
     The innovative concept of the show involves bringing on stage seven women’s rights activists, public figures and politicians to read the stories of the seven women portrayed in the film.
     SEVEN’s ensemble in Kosovo included: Suzana Novoberdaliu, Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo and Head of the Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights; Anamari Repic, Deputy Head of public television station RTK; Saranda Bogujevci, an artist and survivor of the Bogujevci family massacre that occurred in March 1999; Rajmonda Sylbije, a Human Rights Activist from NGO CEL; Linda Gusia, a sociologist and feminist; Vesa Qena, a playwright and performer in “Have It” performance group; and Shpresa Agushi, Director of the Network of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Women’s Organizations of Kosovo.
   SEVEN was initially created by Paula Cizmar, Catherine Filloux, Gail Kriegel, Carol K. Mack, Ruth Margraff, Anna Deveare-Smith and Susan Yankowitz, together with the Vital Voices Global Partnership. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and Civil Rights Defenders (CRD) supported SEVEN’s screening in Kosovo.

 

08.07.25

From “Caring for Others” to “Caring for Self”

01.07.25

“The Shirt of Freedom”: A Theater Tour Amplifying Women’s Voices Against Violence 

27.06.25

Art, Activism and Healing Flourish at FemArt 2025  

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms 

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security  

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence?  

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Activists Demand Women’s Participation in Kosovo Talks

07.01.2014

Women’s rights activists from Kosovo, Serbia and Sweden sent a letter to High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, EEAS, Baroness Catherine Ashton on 4 Dec. regarding failures to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security during the ongoing talks between Kosovo and Serbia. Activists noted that women from civil society had not been included in the talks. Activists urged Baroness Ashton to: ensure that the principles of right to information, participation, and non-discrimination are observed in the dialogue; facilitate regular consultations with women’s organisations and civil society and include their input in the dialogue; request that government representatives of Kosovo and Serbia participate in civil society consultations; ensure that UNSCR 1325 is mainstreamed into any future agreements; consider supporting women groups financially and politically, as appropriate; and ensure that the governments of Kosovo and Serbia adopt and implement their national action plans on 1325, updating plans with targets related to the dialogue, in consultation with women groups.
The signatories of the letter, sent via Kvinna till Kvinna, included: Igballe Rogova fromKWN; Vetone Veliu from the Mitrovica Women’s Association for Human Rights; Stanislavka Zajović from Women in Black Belgrade; and Lena Ag from the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation in Sweden. The letter also was sent to the ambassadors of all EU member states. The full letter is available here.

08.07.25

From “Caring for Others” to “Caring for Self”

01.07.25

“The Shirt of Freedom”: A Theater Tour Amplifying Women’s Voices Against Violence 

27.06.25

Art, Activism and Healing Flourish at FemArt 2025  

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms 

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security  

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence?  

Mayor of Prishtina, Shpend Ahmeti, visits KWN on 23 Dec.

New Prishtina Mayor Ahmeti Meets KWN Representatives

23.12.2013

The recently elected Mayor of Prishtina, Shpend Ahmeti, visited KWN on 23 Dec. He was the first mayor of Prishtina to ever visit KWN’s office.
KWN shared information about the organization’s Strategic Plan and programs. Mayor Ahmeti expressed his readiness to cooperate with KWN, particularly towards empowering women and girls.

08.07.25

From “Caring for Others” to “Caring for Self”

01.07.25

“The Shirt of Freedom”: A Theater Tour Amplifying Women’s Voices Against Violence 

27.06.25

Art, Activism and Healing Flourish at FemArt 2025  

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms 

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security  

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence?  

Women members of Ikebana in Shtrpce dry teas with support from the KWN Kosovo Women’s Fund.

Ikebana Functions Independently, Produces Teas

19.12.2013

An interethnic group of women in Shtrpce always dreamed of forming an organization through which they could collect and market herbal teas. They aimed to prepare products with quality ingredients in an environmentally friendly manner. Some of medicinal plants with which they wanted to work are well-known in the pharmaceutical industry.  With support from the Kosovo Women’s Fund (from ADA) and Caritas Switzerland, they were able to realize their dream, opening their organization, “Ikebana.”
However, establishing a new organization is no easy task. Ikebana members needed support in order to establish systems, policies and procedures for their organization to function independently. KWN staff members provided mentoring to support them in developing these. With KWN support, they also purchased machines for drying and producing teas. They began work, learning from each other. They also took part in trainings that equipped them with theoretical and practical information. They used their knowledge to begin collecting and producing teas in June. Although they began as a small group, with time their group has grown.
“We were constantly looking to find a way to start working, to show that we can work,” said Ankica Zivkovic, the Executive Director of Ikebana. “Now with funds from KWN, we are showing our potential. We are very thankful to the Kosovo Women’s Fund for this opportunity.”

08.07.25

From “Caring for Others” to “Caring for Self”

01.07.25

“The Shirt of Freedom”: A Theater Tour Amplifying Women’s Voices Against Violence 

27.06.25

Art, Activism and Healing Flourish at FemArt 2025  

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms 

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security  

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence?  

Participants celebrate the new Centre for Gender Studies and Research at the University of Prishtina.

University Establishes Centre for Gender Studies, Research

19.12.2013

The Institute for Social Studies and Humanities (ISSH) of the University of Prishtina and Gender Research Institute at Dartmouth (GRID) College launched together the Centre for Gender Studies and Research (CGSR) at ISSH on 24 Nov.
Earlier in the day, ISSH and GRID organized a workshop, which resulted from one year’s cooperation between ISSH and Dartmouth College. The workshop gathered representatives of civil society, Kosovo institutions, national and international agencies and academic staff in identifying the objectives of this initiative.
     The Centre’s goal is to provide a national body of scholarship and analysis that will help leaders in Kosovo and the Balkans as they implement policies that support gender equity. The Centre also will serve as a forum for events and programs designed to foster skills that prepare women for leadership roles. The need for such a Centre has been articulated by scholars in the region. The initiative to establish the Centre arose as a result of the President of Kosovo’s International Women’s Summit and its resulting “Prishtina Principles”.
     “This initiative reflects upon the responsibilities which we carry and which we must take upon ourselves in order to advance the position of women in our society, whether we are leaders of the public, political or academic institutions, members of the private sector or civil society, ordinary citizens,” said Atifete Jahjaga, President of the Republic of Kosovo, during her speech at the Centre’s official opening ceremony.
     This Centre will address the aforementioned problems by conducting research and analysis that can be used to inform policy and create a core of scholarship that will serve the nation and the region going forward. The centre will also provide a forum where scholars can exchange ideas and partner with government agencies to move those ideas directly into action. 

08.07.25

From “Caring for Others” to “Caring for Self”

01.07.25

“The Shirt of Freedom”: A Theater Tour Amplifying Women’s Voices Against Violence 

27.06.25

Art, Activism and Healing Flourish at FemArt 2025  

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms 

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security  

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence?  

Forum Theatre Empowers Women from the Region

19.12.2013

Women from the region gathered in the beautiful city of Prizren on 8-11 Nov. for a workshop on “Using Theatre as a Tool for Empowering Women.” Organized by KWN’s member organization Artpolis, this was the first regional workshop of its kind. The training involved Forum Theatre, an innovative and influential type of theatre created for teaching people how to change their world. It includes interactive sessions between players and audience. At the end of the play, the audience can discuss issues raised by actors and make suggestions. Using Forum Theatre, Artpolis aimed to empower women participants from Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia. During the three-day workshop participants learned Forum Theatre. Via small groups, they created Forum Theatre plays on different topics. Debates followed, during which other participants shared ideas and experiences.
     “I had a really good time,” said Nadja Duhacek from Women in Black in Serbia. “We had the chance to exchange experiences with one another. I met old friends and created new friendships. The activity was all very practical and empowering.”
     In the evenings, participants walked around the historic city of Prizren and celebrated during a party on the third evening of the training. The workshop received support from Kvinna till Kvinna.
     “It was a very good experience and we had a great time together,” said a participant. 

08.07.25

From “Caring for Others” to “Caring for Self”

01.07.25

“The Shirt of Freedom”: A Theater Tour Amplifying Women’s Voices Against Violence 

27.06.25

Art, Activism and Healing Flourish at FemArt 2025  

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms 

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security  

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence?  

Forum participants show their power, wearing T-shirts that state, “This is what a feminist looks like,” at the 2013 Regional Young Feminists Forum, held on 13-14 Nov. in Prishtina.

Young Feminists Strategize, Impress Officials

19.12.2013

 On 13-14 Nov., 40 young feminists from throughout Kosovo and neighbouring countries (e.g., Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia) gathered in Prishtina to spend two amazing working days. Organized by KWN and supported by Kvinna till Kvinna, the 2013 Regional Young Feminists Forum involved young women in deliberating over domestic and global issues. The main issue raised by young women was access to education.
Young women from Kosovo and the region presented advocacy activities in which they are involved. They exchanged information and learnt from each other’s experiences as well as struggles. Then they divided into groups to discuss issues raised during Young Women’s Empowerment Initiative (YWEI) meetings held throughout Kosovo, advocacy strategies, feminism and women’s participation in decision-making. They created advocacy strategies for the next day.
The second day, groups focusing on the need for psychologists in schools and access to education met with officials from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Officials willingly responded to their questions and the ideas presented.
“I was amazed by the will of the MEST officials to answer our questions and give practical recommendations to us,” said one young feminist. “The meeting lasted an hour more than was foreseen.”
Another group visited Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga, President of the Republic of Kosovo. They presented orally the main issues raised by young women during the Forum. The President was very attentive, engaging and supportive. She said that young women are the future of Kosovo, and they should have support. After the official meeting, the President continued the discussion with young women, exchanging ideas.
“The President of Kosovo warmly welcomed us, expressed interest about what we had to say and even hosted us for 15 minutes extra,” said one young feminist. “Meeting the President is not something we can do every day, so it was special.”
The “Media” working group focused on how to write a simple article and speak on camera. They also discussed how media portray women and girls with unacceptable language and unethical reporting.
“A very important thing that we learnt was that in case we read, hear or watch inappropriate or incorrect news, we should report it to the Press Council of Kosovo or Independent Media Commission, depending on the type of media,” said a young feminist.
The next day, three young women put their new skills to use, appearing on RTV21’s morning program to present issues discussed at the Forum.
Finally, seven young women in the working group focusing on “Art & Organizing” prepared a Street Action, supported by Artpolis. It addressed “Discrimination at work – Promotion at work” for women. All Forum participants gathered in front of the National Theatre for the performance, which was later shown in most Kosovo media.
“The street action was a concrete example of what you can achieve by organizing and working in groups,” said a young feminist. “We really passed the message to people passing by, as well as through all TV stations present there.”
In the end, Forum participants reviewed the Forum Declaration, amended it and voted for its approval. The Declaration demands implementation of the 30% quota for women’s and men’s participation in decision-making processes; implementation of the pre-university education law; transportation and books for all students attending compulsory education; psychologists in schools; and implementation of the Code of Conduct for written and electronic media.
The Declaration was sent to Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga, President of the Republic of Kosovo; Mr. Hashim Thaçi, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo; the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; the Ministry of Finance; the Agency for Gender Equality; the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo; the Independent Media Commission and the Press Council of Kosovo.

08.04.14

KWN Releases 2013 Annual Report

07.04.14

KWN Organizes Workshop: “Women Advocate Locally”

03.03.14

Members Gather for Bimonthly Meeting

05.02.14

Individual Member Innovative in Supporting KWN

04.02.14

Members, Stakeholders Evaluate Positively KWN’s Work

07.01.14

KWN Exchanges Experiences with Activists in Austria

Maria Melbing from the Swedish Embassy and Arsim Aziri from the Austrian Development Agency discuss research findings during the launching.

KWN, AH Release “Where’s the Money for Women’s Rights?”

27.11.2013

The Kosova Women’s Network (KWN) and Alter Habitus – Institute for Studies in Society and Culture launched the report Where’s the Money for Women’s Rights? A Kosovo Case Study. This event brought together more than 40 participants (donors, non-governmental women’s organizations and other civil society representatives) to discuss the findings and recommendations of the nine-month study.
     In her presentation, KWN’s Nicole Farnsworth said, “organizations for women’s rights play an important role in supporting and developing democratic institutions, promoting women’s rights as human rights, shifting gender norms, raising public awareness, providing services to marginalized groups (especially when they lack support from the state), and seeking accountability from the government through advocacy.”
     The research examines the importance of supporting women’s organizations in relation to social change processes; funding trends between 2000 and 2013; decisions to fund women’s organizations (or not); the sustainability of women’s organizations; and opportunities for collaboration among women’s organizations and donors in creating collective resource mobilization strategies and funding mechanisms for women’s rights organizations. The report makes recommendations for all stakeholders: government, women’s organizations and donors regarding the best ways for improving women’s rights organizations’ access to resources towards promoting gender equality.
     Participants unanimously agreed that better coordination among donors, women’s organizations and the government would help advance women’s rights. Moreover, the KWN Kosova Women’s Fund, which combines small grants, intensive training and mentoring for organizations, was seen as a potential solution for donors who want to support small organizations. While small organizations may not have the capacity to compete with larger organizations, they carry out very important work with rural and marginalized groups.
     Also, women’s rights organizations requested long-term contracts with donors, which would enable organizations to implement strategies towards their long-term visions. For them, long-term support clearly impacts on strengthening the women’s movement in Kosovo and advances social change.
     This research, supported by the Association of Women in Development (AWID) and Kvinna till Kvinna, was conducted between January and September 2013. The report draws from 40 interviews with donors who have worked in Kosovo and a survey of 90 diverse women’s organizations.

For more information about the report and findings, please visit the KWN website:http://www.womensnetwork.org/documents/20131120160749318.pdf.

08.04.14

KWN Releases 2013 Annual Report

07.04.14

KWN Organizes Workshop: “Women Advocate Locally”

03.03.14

Members Gather for Bimonthly Meeting

05.02.14

Individual Member Innovative in Supporting KWN

04.02.14

Members, Stakeholders Evaluate Positively KWN’s Work

07.01.14

KWN Exchanges Experiences with Activists in Austria

OPDMK discusses their contract with KWN.

Seven Organizations Receive Kosovo Women’s Fund Grants

22.11.2013

Seven KWN member organizations received grants from the KWN Kosovo Women’s Fund on 22 Nov. totalling €18,509. Following an orientation session, they signed contracts and energetically set out to begin their initiatives. The Fund enables underserved smaller, rural and/or marginalized organizations to access funds for important initiatives at the local level.
     “I am very happy that through the Network we can reach grassroots organizations, which we cannot do with our internal staff capacities,” said Christian Geosits from Austrian Development Agency (ADA), which funded this fourth grant round. “I cherish the structure that we have created together with the Network because it works very well in reaching grassroots organizations.”
     Grant recipients and their initiatives include:
  • The Organization of Persons with Muscular Dystrophy of Kosovo (OPDMK) will organize various activities for people with special needs from Pristina, Gjilan, Ferizaj, Mitrovica, Prizren and various rural areas. (€2,700)
  • The Women’s Initiative Association will train women from the village of Bresane in Dragash in tailoring, towards enhancing their employment opportunities. (€3,000)
  • Contemporary Woman will organize health lectures, psychosocial training and exercises to replace physiotherapy, as well as advocate for the regional hospital in Prizren to offer better services to persons with disabilities. (€2,155)
  • The Association for Education and Family Care will organize educational sessions for young people in the Municipality of Gjakova on the topic of “Protection from Sexually Transmitted Diseases.” (€2,390)
  • NGO Gora will work to economically empower Gorani women in Dragash by creating handmade products and selling them in fairs. (€2,780)
  • Hendifer will organize gynaecological visits and trainings towards preventing breast and uterine cancer among women in villages. (€2,630)
  • Alma will work on identifying women and economically empowering them in two communities in Peja Municipality: Lutogllava and Leshan. (€2,854)
Through the Kosovo Women’s Fund, organizations also receive mentoring and support in furthering their organizational capacities.
“I appreciate this session very much because we will need all this information when implementing our project,” a grant recipient said.
     During the orientation, organizations learned procedures for narrative and financial reporting, as well as monitoring and evaluation.
“Today they received so many forms, examples and advice on how to manage a project well,” said Arsim Aziri from ADA, who attended the orientation. “It is a lot of work for such small projects, but definitely they will learn from this experience.”
     Through Fund, KWN offers its member organizations new skills and experience from which they can draw in applying to new funders in the future.

 

08.04.14

KWN Releases 2013 Annual Report

07.04.14

KWN Organizes Workshop: “Women Advocate Locally”

03.03.14

Members Gather for Bimonthly Meeting

05.02.14

Individual Member Innovative in Supporting KWN

04.02.14

Members, Stakeholders Evaluate Positively KWN’s Work

07.01.14

KWN Exchanges Experiences with Activists in Austria

Organization of Persons with Muscular Dystrophy of Kosovo (Organizata e Personave me Distrofi Muskulare)

20.11.2013

People with special needs do not enjoy equal opportunities in having an active role in the society they live in and are often excluded from it.
Organization of Persons with Muscular Dystrophy of Kosovo (OPMDK), through their initiatve "My step, my challenge" aimed to improve the living conditions of disabled persons, meaning that the responsible institutions undertake concrete steps to improve access for persons with special needs.

It also aimed to gain respect for equal rights for disabled persons, emphasising the fact that disabled persons play an active role in society and they show to the public and responsible institutions they are part of society and that they can and know how to present their skills. 

Some of the activities organized included: engaging 10 OPMDK volunteers to collect data and photographs in Prizren to verify the access of disabled person to public institutions; preparation and printing of 100 T-shirts for participants with the slogan " Make a difference " ( Make a change); and the of organizzation a roundtable. In the area of sports were included: a competitions with electronic wheelchairs ( zig zag ) and non-electronic wheelchairs; a competition in table tennis and chess; a street ball race. Certificates were given to the winners of the race in different categories.

21.06.24

Public Call for Applications for Capacity Building and Sub-Granting in Gender and Climate Change Financing

19.12.18

Organization of Persons with Muscular Dystrophy of Kosovo (OPDMK)

19.12.18

Women’s Association “Aureola”

19.12.18

The Midwives Association of Kosovo

19.12.18

Handikos Mitrovica

19.12.18

Psychotherapists in Action