President Creates Council for Sexual Violence Survivors

08.04.2014

In another crucial development, Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga established the National Council for Survivors of Sexual Violence during the War on Mar. 7, where KWN is a member.
“Fifteen years after the war, the topic of victims of sexual violence remains a taboo topic to be addressed,” President Jahjaga said during the Council’s first meeting, attended by local and international actors. “Survivors of sexual violence continue to suffer from serious psychological conditions, as well as social and economic hardships. They require institutional and societal support to cope with their difficult reality.”
     The Council brings together representatives of key ministries that can support violence survivors, civil society and international stakeholders towards an improved, better coordinated response.
      The Council was established in response to concerns and issues raised by women who had suffered sexual violence. President Jahjaga met with women to hear their concerns, in discussions facilitated by KWN. Through the Kosovo Women’s Fund (supported by Kvinna till Kvinna, KtK, and the Austrian Development Agency, ADA), KWN has supported women survivors in advocating for institutions to better address their needs. During the launch of the Council, KWN Executive Director spoke about the role of women’s organization played in supporting and advocating for the survivors of sexual violence. 
      British Foreign Secretary William Hague congratulated President Jahjaga and praised her initiative to establish the Council. He considered the work of the Council essential in supporting survivors and addressing the lack of accountability, radio Evropa e Lirë reported.
“It is significant progress since my visit last year when you explained that your country continues to face a number of challenges in addressing the issue of sexual violence during conflict,” said Hague. 

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KWN Organizes Workshop: “Women Advocate Locally”

07.04.2014

KWN organized a two-day workshop in Durres on 28-30 Mar., seeking better cooperation between women in municipal assemblies and KWN member organizations. Within KWN’s Strategic Plan, an important goal is that women participate actively in politics and decision-making at local and national levels. KWN sees that active participation will be possible only via cooperation and joint advocacy on issues that women consider important at the local and nation levels.

During the workshop, women in politics and women’s organizations collaborated to create a joint plan for shared issues on which they can advocate together, towards improving the position of women at the local level.

Fifty women from the following municipalities participated: Prizren, Gjilan, Novo Brdo, Obilic, Dragash, Ferizaj, Viti, Drenas, Lipjan and Vushtrri.

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Terms of Reference: Mid-term Review of Kosovo Women’s Fund

04.04.2014

Terms of Reference 

Mid-term Review of

Kosovo Women’s Fund

 

 

Background

The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) is a network of 77 organizations that supports, protects and promotes the rights and the interests of women and girls throughout Kosovo, regardless of their political beliefs, religion, age, level of education, sexual orientation, and ability.

In 2012-2014, KWN has received support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), co-financed by Kvinna till Kvinna (KtK), for a two-year project entitled “Supporting, protecting and promoting the rights and interests of women and girls.” This project has the overall goal that “Women’s and girls’ rights and interests supported, protected and promoted throughout Kosovo.” The project purpose is “Women’s participation in municipal decision-making processes increased and improved through capacity development of Gender Equality Advocacy Groups (GEAGs) and women’s organizations. The project should have the following expected results by December 2014:

1.    KWN members better able to plan, fundraise for, and undertake effective advocacy initiatives, particularly at the municipal level. This result will be achieved through a “learning by doing approach” in implementing projects funded through the Kosovo Women’s Fund.

2.    KWN members involve more women in decision-making processes, particularly in rural areas and from minority or marginalized groups.

3.    Sustainable GEAGs established in five new municipalities and capacity strengthened of all 13 GEAGs.

KWN seeks an independent mid-term review of this project.

Purpose

This review shall assess KWN’s project, “Supporting, protecting and promoting the rights and interests of women and girls.” It shall have two main purposes: 1) examine the extent to which the expected results and project purpose have been achieved, to date, bearing in mind that the project will be completed in December 2014. The mid-term review will contribute to accountability towards stakeholders and Austrian taxpayers by independently verifying the project’s initial results. 2) The external review will contribute to improving existing methods, policies and processes used as part of this project. The recommendations will inform planning for the potential continuation of this project in 2015 and beyond. It will propose concrete recommendations towards strengthening KWN’s relevant programs (the Fund and GEAGs) in the future.

Objectives

The mid-term review is being carried out for KWN and its supporters, ADA and KtK, to assess progress to date and identify future needs. The review will take place a year and a half into the project so that it can evaluate initial results and at the same time inform planning for the potential continuation of the project. As the project will not have been entirely completed, the review will necessarily focus on initial results achieved. At the same time, review of processes, policies, and methods will occur in time to inform planning for the potential continuation of the project in 2015.

The review will assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of the project, to date, bearing in mind the time period of the project. It will provide an independent view of the successes, challenges, and lessons learnt to date, towards improving both the Fund and GEAGs. It will also discuss the potential for ‘scaling up’ the project.

Subject and Focus (Scope)

The review shall cover the duration of the entire project completed to date, as of the date when the review begins. It shall cover all interventions proposed within the original Project Document submitted to ADA. Its geographic range shall include all of Kosovo, focusing on areas where target groups and beneficiaries are located. The review will focus on efficiency and effectiveness. Where possible, it will discuss impact and sustainability, but will bear in mind that, as a mid-project review, limited assessment can be made of the project’s impact and sustainability. Cross-cutting issues of gender and environment should also be considered, where possible. Evaluators should verify the extent to which KWN has achieved the targets set forth in its intervention logic (e.g., logframe), bearing in mind that the project will not yet have been completed.

Main Questions

More specifically, the review shall address the following questions:

1.  Relevance: How relevant has this project been to the current context in Kosovo, particularly the needs of the project’s target groups and beneficiaries?

2.  Efficiency: How efficient has KWN’s work been as part of this project?

3.  Effectiveness: How effective has KWN’s work been as part of this project? To what extent has KWN achieved the expected results, project purpose, and overall objective set forth in its original proposal to ADA (in accordance with its intervention logic)?

4.  Impact: What has been the impact of KWN capacity development support on its member organizations, to date? To date, what have been the intended and unintended impacts of KWF grant recipients’ initiatives on their beneficiaries at the household, local, and municipal levels?

5.  Sustainability: How sustainable are the changes achieved to date and what may be the challenges to sustainability at various levels: individual (e.g., knowledge, relations with other organizations and institutions), organizational, institutional, financial, and cooperation with stakeholders for grant recipients and their projects (as short-term initiatives by definition)?

6.  Learning: What are the greatest needs of the target groups (including women’s organizations and GEAGs) for the future in terms of future KWN support and/or services (both funding and capacity development options)? What are the capacity development needs for KWN staff involved in this program, if any?

Approach Methods

The consultant (or consulting team) shall be responsible for developing the specific methodology for carrying out the review. They will be requested to further specify their methodology within their Inception Report. The expectations at each phase of the review are as follows:

1.      Start-up meeting (in person or via Skype) with KWN representatives, ADA, and KtK for any needed clarifications

2.      Produce Inception Report with detailed explanation of the methodology, on which they will receive input/feedback from KWN, KtK, and ADA. This will require a desk review of project documents and files, including the recent External Evaluation of the Kosovo Women’s Fund conducted with support from KtK.

3.      Field Study: The study will take place in the Republic of Kosovo (Prishtina-based with day travel throughout Kosovo). It will involve at least the following:

o  Interviews with relevant KWN staff

o  Interviews with a sample of grant recipients

o  Interviews with a sample of grant recipients’ beneficiaries and target groups

o  Interviews with local institutions and other stakeholders with which grant recipients have worked

o  Interviews with a sample of members of GEAGs

o  Interviews with other key external stakeholders (e.g., potential donors)

4.      Oral Debriefing: At the end of the field study, the evaluators shall make a brief oral presentation of initial findings and preliminary recommendations to KWN, ADA, and KtK, receiving feedback.

5.      Draft Report: The evaluators shall prepare a report for review and input by KWN. The evaluators shall respond to (though not necessarily accept) all comments on the draft report.

6.      Final Report: The evaluators shall submit a final report that responds to all comments made on the draft report.

All data shall be collected and interpreted in a gender-disaggregated manner. The OECD DAC Evaluation Quality Standards must be applied and compliance with these must be comprehensible in the review. Further the review shall be carried out in accordance with the Austrian Development Cooperation “Guidelines for Project and Programme Evaluations” (2009).

Anticipated Working Days

The assignment shall take place between 5 May 2014 and 4 July 2014. It is anticipated to take approximately 22.7 working days, as described in the table below.  

 

…continues

For the full call please contact info@womensnetwork.org 

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Nesrete Kumnova from Thirjet e Nënave invites citizens to demand that the government fulfil its promises with regard to missing persons.

8 March: Women Seek Address, Justice for Missing Persons

03.03.2014

On 8 Mar. 2014, International Women’s Day, with the initiative of the association “Thirjet e Nënave” (Mother’s Call), KWNwill organize a protest to support mothers, wives, sisters and daughters of missing persons with the motto: “We are with you.” KWN and Thirjet e Nënave invite citizens to “Zahir Pajaziti” Square at 11:3 0, from which they will march at 12:00 to the Assembly of Kosova.

      A year ago, photos of missing persons were removed from fences of the Assembly of Kosova with the promise that a memorial would be constructed for missing persons. That promise was never realized.
     “For 15 years they have neglected and deceived us, while criminals run free,” said Nesrete Kumnova, Head of Thirrjet e Nënave. “Even those who are punished receive low or decreased sentences.  There has been no justice for the thousands of persons who were murdered, raped and disappeared. We will return the photos of missing persons where they were because the case of missing persons is still unresolved.”

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Participants at One Billion Rising Kosova call for an end to violence against women on 14 Feb., in Prishtina.

One Billion Rise to End Violence against Women

03.03.2014

One Billion Rising Kosovo gathered men and women in Striking, Dancing and Rising at an outdoor street party at the plateau near the Grand Hotel in Pristina.
     On Friday, 14 Feb. men and women in Kosova stood up and danced, calling for an end to violence against women and girls. President Jahjaga and her staff joined this year’s event.
     The event included the traditional dance of One Billion Rising. NGO Artpolis also performed a play called “Justice for Women”. It depicted several unresolved cases of domestic violence,   bringing them to the attention of the courts.
     “This is the best way to protest and raise our voice,” said a participant.
    One Billion Rising in Kosova was organized by a coalition of NGOs and individuals (including Kosova Women’s Network, Artpolis, Alter Habitus, Oda Haliti and Bleona Foniqi) and was supported by Kvinna till Kvinna and UNDP.
      One Billion Rising is a global campaign to end violence against women, rise for justice and promote gender equality. It started in 2012 as part of the V-Day movement. One Billion Rising andV-Day campaigns were launched by playwright Eve Ensler, creator of “The Vagina Monologues”. The campaign highlights the startling statistic that one in every three women on the planet will be raped or beaten in their lifetimes. In 2012, the One Billion Rising campaign culminated in the biggest mass global action to end violence against women ever with tens of thousands of events held in more than 190 countries.
     In 2014 OBR was held in 207 countries.
 

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Hendifer Organizes Trainings on Cancer

03.03.2014

 The number of women endangered by breast cancer appears to be increasing every day, especially in rural areas where people lack information about the importance of early detection and regular visits to the doctor.

     Considering this issue, NGO Hendifer has organized lectures about breast and cervical cancer in different villages of Ferizaj.
      To date, 205 women have taken part in these lectures. Seven villages from Ferizaj Municipality (Jezerc, Cernill, Zllatar, Koshare, etc.) sent written requests to Hendifer to organize this lecture in their villages as well. During lectures women have the opportunity to ask questions about their general health concerns, as well. Women who were worried that they had dangerous lumps received examinations by the doctor who also showed them how to conduct self-exams for breast cancer at home.
    “The number of women participants was surprising high and most of them went to the doctor to take tests,” said Fazlie Bungu, Director of Hendifer. “Unfortunately we had two women diagnosed with cervical cancer, but they were detected in a very early stage, so they are receiving treatment and their lives are no longer in danger.” 

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Elmaze Gashi explains the importance of having a policy manual to KWN members on 19 Feb. in Prishtina.

KWN Members Create Policy Manuals

03.03.2014

     Based on members’ requests, on Feb. 19, KWN organized the first interactive workshop this year, which focused on how to update or create a Policy Manual.
     Around 30 members, including young women, gathered at Hotel Prishtina. Some of them brought their laptops while others had their existing policy manuals in hand, ready to learn more about this topic. Elmaze Gashi led the workshop, explaining the importance of having a policy manual.      
     Using KWN’s policy manual as an example, she went through every article explaining how it was written and how members could adapt it, depending on the way their organization functions. Members understood that everything in the policy manual is written based on the laws of the Republic of Kosova, and that is why it has to be updated as laws change or come into force, as well as when important changes occur within their organizations. Strong policy manuals also make organizations transparent and stronger, she said.
     KWN members who need to work more on their policy manuals will continue working and send their drafts to KWN for review and feedback. In the end, KWN members will seek to update their policy manuals, towards enhancing their implementation of the KWN Code of Conduct.      Later members divided into three groups: organizations who do not have a policy manual at all; organizations who have a policy manual but did not update it for a long time; and organizations who have an updated policy manual but wanted to compare it with KWN’s existing one. Each group worked for more than three hours on their policy manuals. Those who had a laptop made changes directly on their policy manuals, while others took notes. Elmaze Gashi and KWN staff supported each group, answering questions as needed.
     Members were very motivated because the workshop coupled with follow-up mentoring will provided them with a ready-to-use policy manual by the end of March.
     “I’m very thankful to KWN for providing these important workshops free of charge. I would never have had the chance to attend a workshop of this kind,” said a KWN member participating in the workshop. 
     KWN will continue to provide workshops for member organizations, based on its Capacity Development  Plan for Members in 2014. KWN also has started offering individualized mentoring for members, visiting their organizations and providing assistance towards strengthening their organizations. 

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Women’s Initiative Assists Girls’ Advocacy Efforts

03.03.2014

Association Iniciativa e Grave (Women’s Initiative) from Dragash together with the Officer for Gender Equality. Mrs, Lindita Kozmaqi-Piraj, organized a meeting between Dragash Mayor Mr, Salim Januzaj and a group of girls from Opoja.
    During the meeting with the Mayor, girls presented two written requests: financial support to continue sewing courses for two months and the Mayor’s mediation for their employment at the factory that will open soon.
     The Mayor approved the first request to support the course, while for the mediation for their employment at the factory they agreed to coordinate activities between civil society, institutions and the owner of the factory.
    These were not the only topics that the girls discussed. They also asked the Mayor for assistance in decreasing the number of illiterate girls from Dragash municipality. They agreed to start offering informal education this year. He also promised to contribute some of the municipal budget for education.

    “I will continue to support girls in achieving their goals,” said Xhejrane Lokaj from the Women’s Initiative

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Mimoza Paçuku, Kosova Women’s Fund Coordinator at KWN, presents an evaluation of the Fund on Feb. 3 in Prishtina.

Members Gather for Bimonthly Meeting

03.03.2014

    On 3 Feb. at Hotel Prishtina, KWN held its Bimonthly Meeting. In the beginning participants recalled the training provided by Shqipe Malushi in Durres. She encouraged positive thought in overcoming the negative experiences we have in life.
      After welcoming 70 participants, Igballe Rogova, KWN Executive Director, spoke about the possibility of Shqipe Malushi coming to Kosova for three months to visit member organizations in their offices.
    Towards better planning, members were asked to send a request expressing their needs regarding the trainings that Shqipe Malushi will organize.
     Members were briefed regarding the delegation of KWN board and staff members’ visit to Mayor Mimoza Kusari – Lila in her office in the Municipality of Gjakova. They congratulated Mrs. Kusari – Lila for her victory in the local elections and both parties discussed ideas for women’s empowerment in Gjakova.
       Mimoza Paçuku,Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF) Coordinator at KWN, presented information about the Fund, its accomplishments and challenges in 2013.
      In 2014, the Fund will focus on supporting members in their advocacy initiatives. In the past, some beneficiary organizations took part in handcrafts and agriculture. KWN’s Strategic Plan for 2011-2014 includes a program towards Economic Empowerment, so KWF supported these projects in 2013. In the future such initiatives will no longer be funded since other funds exist in Kosova, which support business development.
     KWN informed its members about the establishment of the G7, a group of seven strong women entrepreneurs. This group, supported by the President of the Republic of Kosova and the U.S. Embassy, has created the Women’s Economic Chamber, and they are in the final stages of creating the Women’s Business Network (WBN). In the future KWN will support this network. KWN’s Economic Empowerment Program will not offer support to business development, but will focus solely on supporting advocacy initiatives. KWN will cooperate with WBN, which will directly support organizations involved in supporting business development. All members present at the meeting unanimously agreed to revise some of the activities within KWN’s Economic Empowerment Program, based on these changes in the Kosova context. KWF will only support advocacy initiatives in the future.
     KWN congratulated and thanked Lina Andeer, the Kvinna till Kvinna (KtK) representative in Kosova, for trusting in the Network, and for continuous support from her and KtK. Lina was not present at the meeting, but all members expressed their pleasure to have worked with her. Lina will finish her work at KtK in the end of March. Meanwhile KtK will finish its mission in Kosova at the end of 2014.

08.04.14

KWN Releases 2013 Annual Report

07.04.14

KWN Organizes Workshop: “Women Advocate Locally”

03.03.14

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8 March: Women Seek Address, Justice for Missing Persons

27.02.2014

 On 8 Mar. 2014, International Women’s Day, with the initiative of the association “Thirjet e Nënave” (Mother’s Call), KWN will organize a protest to support mothers, wives, sisters and daughters of missing persons with the motto: "We are with you." KWN and Thirjet e Nënave invite citizens to “Zahir Pajaziti” Square at 11:3 0, from which they will march at 12:00 to the Assembly of Kosova.

     A year ago, photos of missing persons were removed from fences of the Assembly of Kosova with the promise that a memorial would be constructed for missing persons. That promise was never realized.

     “For 15 years they have neglected and deceived us, while criminals run free," said Nesrete Kumnova, Head of Thirrjet e Nënave. "Even those who are punished receive low or decreased sentences.  There has been no justice for the thousands of persons who were murdered, raped and disappeared. We will return the photos of missing persons where they were because the case of missing persons is still unresolved.”

01.04.26

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31.03.26

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31.03.26

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