Kosovo Women's Network

KWN Members Draft the Feminist Strategy

15.11.2021

Representatives of over 100 member organizations of the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) gathered in Durres, Albania for a three day (November 12-14) workshop on planning a KWN feminist strategy.

On the first day, Igballe Rogova, Executive Director of KWN, started the meeting by highlighting the importance of such gatherings for women’s unity towards achieving gender equality and increasing solidarity.

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“During these days we will work together to draft a feminist strategy, and we can only achive our goals when we work and implement it together. We must never forget that solidarity remains the main pillar of feminism”, said Rogova, among others.

Further, Ines Leskaj, Executive Director of Women’s Empowerment Network in Albania, in her welcoming speech mentioned that cooperation between women’s rights organizations throughout the region remains vital in strengthening the feminist movement and beyond.

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Meanwhile, Shqipe Malushi, Activist and Member of the KWN Advisory Board, discussed with the participants about the welfare of feminists. Speaking from her decades of experience, Malushi recalled that the well-being of feminists remains a vital pillar for the movement.

The second day of the workshop continued by sharing experiences and opinions, in five working groups, divided as follows;

Solidarity between activists;
More young women involved in the feminist movement;
Transformation of norms: changes in the early education of children;
Public opinion on feminism;
Access and inclusion of women from rural areas.

This workshop is supported by one of KWN’s longtime supporters, the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation.

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Kosova Women’s Fund Supports Eight Organisations with Nearly €80,000

15.11.2021

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Today, the Kosova Women’s Network (KWN) announced grant awards of the Kosova Women’s Fund’s (KWF’s) 16^th grant round. For the first time, it will provide core support to eight KWN member organisations committed to furthering women’s rights and gender equality in Kosovo by Sigrid Rausing Trust, in the amount of €79,740.

The grants given for core support will directly contribute to implementing the current KWN Strategy for 2019-2022, established by KWN members to address together the main gender inequalities that they identified in Kosovo.

KWF 16^th round grant beneficiaries supported include:

Blind Women of Kosova Committee – €10,000.00
In Time – €10,000.00
Lawyers Association Norma – €9,998.00
Moravski Biser – €9,762.00
NGO “Drugëza” – €9,993.00
NGO “Gruaja Hyjnore – €9,998.00
NGO “Me dorë në zemër” – €9,999.00
Women’s Alliance for Integration – €9,990.00

KWN’s KWF provides small grants to women’s organizations that do not have access to other sources of funding and who seek to work for women’s rights and gender equality, prioritising funding for groups working in rural areas and/or marginalized persons. Since 2012, KWF has allocated 224 grants, supporting 111 organizations, with a total amount of €1,200,519.

In addition to Sigrid Rausing Trust, in 2021, KWF also receives support from the European Union Office in Kosova, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Austrian Development Agency, and the United Nations Population Fund in Kosovo.

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Women Workers Unite Helps Women Claim Their Rights following Gender-based Discrimination

12.11.2021

“Losing a job during pregnancy, because of my condition, especially in times of a global crisis, is very stressful,” a woman worker recalled.

She was fired from her job at a bank in Skopje when her employer learned that she was pregnant.

Amid the global pandemic, the most vulnerable groups of women have faced the greatest risks of gender-based discrimination and rights violations. Meanwhile, at the height of the pandemic, North Macedonia lacked an antidiscrimination, law and its expert equality body the Commission for Protection of Discrimination, was not functioning. This hindered access to justice in cases of discrimination. The lack of legal and institutional support has further hindered women’s access to justice in cases of discrimination.

Once the worker learned that she had been wrongfully terminated, she approached the Helsinki Committee (MHC) for assistance, concerned about the process of seeking justice. She learned about the Helsinki Committee’s work through Facebook post regarding a case of termination of pregnant worker’s employment contract which ended up successfully with the Committee’s help.

“It’s frustrating that access to justice is expensive and slow,” she said. “I wouldn’t be motivated to initiate court proceeding by myself. You gave me motivation, willingness and financial security to initiate the court procedure,” she continued.

Meanwhile, her case has inspired other women to claim their rights. Namely, after informing the public about this case, more than 10 women approached MHC’s office for legal aid regarding pregnant workers’ rights, termination of pregnant workers’ employment contracts, rights of the pregnant workers regarding night time and overtime work.

This initiative provided free legal aid to victims of gender-based discrimination at work. Further, infographics, monthly posts and videos contributed to raising awareness and informing the public about gender-based discrimination against women at work, which led more women workers to seek assistance from the Helsinki Committee.

Another woman worker employed in the textile industry in Shtip informed the Helsinki Committee that as a mother of children under 10 years of age was fired as a result of which her salary for April and May 2020 was reduced to only 50% of the total salary. She was paid only 7.500,00 denars (approximately 120 EUR), insufficient to cover her everyday costs, particularly considering that she lives in a four-member household with two children.

The Helsinki Committee submitted a complaint to the State Labour Inspectorate. After conducting an inspection, it found irregularities in the employer’s work and ordered the employer to pay the employee the full salary.

“With the Helsinki Committee’s help, the employer paid me the full amount of my salary for the months when I had to stay at home and take care of my child,” the employee happily reported.

Since 2020, the Helsinki Committee have documented a record number of beneficiaries seeking assistance as part of their “Women Workers Unite” initiative.

“With support of Reactor and KWN, MHC successfully raised the public awareness about the phenomenon of gender- based discrimination at the workplace, informed many women workers about their rights but also stimulated them to seek for justice in case of their breach.“, said one of the MHC counsellors.

They have provided free legal aid in 33 cases involving 36 women workers as beneficiaries, initiated 10 administrative procedures and one court procedure for gender-based discrimination at work.

The Helsinki Committee’s initiative “Women Worker Unite!” has improved women’s access to justice in cases of gender-based discrimination at work and raised women’s awareness regarding the mechanisms that exist to protect them.

This “Women Workers Unite” action has been supported by the Reactor, Kosovo Women’s Network and their partners through the Action “Furthering Women’s Labour Rights”. This Action is financed by the European Union and co-funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation.

The new Law on prevention and protection from discrimination entered into force in October 2020 and the Commission for prevention and protection from discrimination started being operational in February 2021. The victims of discrimination now have a proper access to the protective mechanism from discrimination.

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DSK holds activities for the involvement of persons with disabilities in decision-making

12.11.2021

Down Syndrome Kosova Organisation (DSK), branch in Ferizaj, has started the activities of the initiative “Involvement of persons with disabilities in political decision-making”. In the framework of this initiative, meetings were held with members of Down Syndrome Kosova, and the organisations Hendifer, Handikos, and Pema, as well as with the parents of these members.

In the first meeting with members, the manager of DSK in Ferizaj, Jetbardha Selmani, said that it is important that such issues are discussed so that institutions have a clear picture of the current situation, and people with disabilities become part of local decision-making.

“The purpose of these meetings is to highlight the situations you face every day. In a meeting with officials of the Municipality of Ferizaj they told us that they do not have a plan for the inclusion of people with disabilities in political, cultural, and social life, so any of your comments is appreciated, because it will be forwarded to the municipality”, she said.

Member Ekrem Karaliti said that it is important to be consulted on various projects in the municipality of Ferizaj.

“I would be involved in drafting laws and policies that affect my daily life, because no one knows better than us the situations we face,” he said.

Whereas, in the meeting with the parents of the members of Handikos, problems that are an obstacle for the social and economic advancement of their children were raised.

Ibadete Ibrahimi, talked about the main challenges she faces for her son’s education.

“Our main problem is the lack of school transportation, but also for various activities in the centres where children are registered. Also, teachers, students, and everyone else, should be made aware of accepting people with disabilities in society, and not bullying them”, she said.

From three meetings held with members, and three with parents, numerous recommendations were made for the municipality of Ferizaj, such as: access to education, lack of assistants and individual plans, lack of a day centre, road and public institutions infrastructure, fund for recovery abroad, higher pensions for people with disabilities, etc.

The next activity of Down Syndrome Kosova is to present these recommendations to local institutions in Ferizaj.

This initiative of the 15th round of the Kosova Women’s Fund is funded by the European Union Office in Kosovo.

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KWN and UN Women Send The Recommendations for 2022 Budget Appropriations: Gender Responsive Budgeting Is Required

08.11.2021

Today, on 8 November, Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) together with UN Women have sent a public letter to the deputies of the Republic of Kosovo, listing the recommendations for the Law on Budget Appropriations for 2022. Addressing these recommendations is vital to furthering the institutionalization of gender responsive budgeting.

Given the important legislative role of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo in representing the common good, KWN and UN Women expect that these recommendations will be pushed forward in the budget hearing. The recommendations are based on a thorough analysis of the draft budget approved by the Government, as well as on various gender research and analysis by KWN and UN Women. Only by considering these recommendations can we ensure that public funds contribute to the further advancement of gender equality in Kosovo.

We recall that gender responsive budgeting requires allocation of funds to address the potentially different needs of women, men, boys and girls, identified through gender analysis. The Law on Gender Equality also makes gender responsive budgeting mandatory for public institutions in Kosovo, including municipalities, ministries, and other budget organizations.

Key recommendations include:

Insist on receiving and reviewing a thorough Gender Impact Assessment of the Law on Budget Appropriations for 2022, in line with Kosovo Gender Impact Assessment standards as required as part of the Regulatory
Request expertise and invite the Agency for Gender Equality and independent gender experts including WCSOs with expertise in gender-responsive budgeting, including KWN, to participate in the Parliamentary Committee on Budget and Transfers, and Committee for Human Rights, Gender Equality, Missing Persons and Petitions hearings on the draft Law on Budget Appropriations for 2022, to provide insight from a gender perspective prior to adoption. This is particularly important considering the insufficient public consultations that occurred prior to the draft law. The government is obliged to consult CSOs in a minimum of two weeks as per the Regulation on Minimum Standards for Public Consultation Process.
Ensure and monitor investment in the care economy, which can create thousands of new jobs in Kosovo. Creating new childcare options creates more employment opportunities, allowing more women to join the labor force due to increased availability. Increased chilcare availability also improves children’s educational outcomes as well as contribute to state revenues.
Allocate resources for implementing the Istanbul Convention, including for hiring more social workers in order to better handle heavy caseloads (including of persons suffering violence); for vehicles and other resources to carry out their work; and for establishing emergency services for cases of sexual violence.
Ensure government expenditures related to addressing COVID-19 are based on sufficient gender impact analysis, towards addressing the needs of diverse women and men. Invest more in related social infrastructure, amid other recommendations in KWN’s “The Pandemic knows no Gender”?.

Kurse, listën e plotë të rekomandimeve mund ta gjeni së shpejti në faqen e RrGK-së www.womensnetwork.org

KWN and UN Women remain ready to support gender-responsive budgeting.

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Sarah Alexandra George: Fundraising for KWN Made my Experience in Kosovo even more Meaningful

04.11.2021

During September, Sarah Alexandra George, together with other KFOR members, organised a charity event to raise funds for Kosova Women’s Network (KWN).

Sarah speaks to KWN and elaborates the inspiration behind this, and what was the best part of this experience.

“When I came to Kosovo as a soldier with KFOR, I was committed to understanding more about women’s lived experiences. I trained as a Gender Focal Point (GFPs) with the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations: there are a number of GFPs within KFOR to ensure that the gender perspective is taken into consideration in our work.”, says Sarah, who is genuinely passionate about the global feminist movement and empowerment of women.

The more she read and understood, the more she wanted to contribute to a charity or organisation that she felt was really making a difference for women in Kosovo and that’s how she found KWN.

Seeing KWN Lobbying for Women’s Rights

She further speaks about the fundraising event and how it motivated her even more.

“At our fundraising event, Igo [KWN Executive Director, Igballe Rogova] talked about the work of KWN and the essential impact it has on women in Kosovo. At one part Igo was talking about the lobbying KWN is doing to try and change sentencing laws and the recent femicide of Marigona Osmani and she choked up with emotion.”

Here, Sarah recalls- she found herself also tearing up seeing her pain.

“It is the shared pain of all women in the face of injustice. For me the best part of the experience was seeing women fighting back, fighting for a better future, fighting for justice.”

The Unique Experience of Visiting KWN Office

During the same month, she also visited the KWN office where the official fund handover took place.

A remarkable experience, according to her.

“It was so amazing to be able to bring the money we raised over in person, to visit the offices and learn more in person about the vital work KWN does. I was really impressed by the breadth of experience and in-depth research knowledge of the team and it was great to hear that team members are furthering their education overseas and returning to KWN to share their new training”, she adds.

She certainly feels like she is part of the KWN diaspora.

“I am looking forward to fundraising for KWN back in the United Kingdom and more trips back to Pristina to visit my new KWN sisters. “

KWN Sustainability Fund- The Place to Donate for Furthering Gender Equality

Acknowledging that the €3,692 raised during this event will go to the KWN Sustainability Fund which helps cover basic expenses, and support important programmes for gender equality in Kosova, she shares how this contribution enriched her entire journey in Kosovo.

“One of the reasons we picked the Sustainability Fund was reading about the work of the Centre for Protection of Women and Children in Drenas, which helps survivors of sexual violence with family counselling and coping with frozen trauma.”

She links this with one of the things that the Me Too movement highlighted-only few of sexual violence survivors speaking openly without stigma and shame.

“Many women around the world have still not been able to share their stories or deal with their trauma and the trauma inflicted on women during the Kosovo war was unimaginable.” she adds.

For her, being able to help the Fund, made her time in Kosovo even more meaningful.

“I want the women of Kosovo to know – you are not alone. We are all around the world and we see you.”, she concludes in a positive note.

You too can become a supporter and help strengthen the women’s rights movement in Kosovo. DONATE to the KWN Sustainability Fund and help us cover crucial costs and support important programs.

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KWN Calls: Vote for More Women in Local Elections

03.11.2021

In recent days, the Kosova Women’s Network (KWN) has conducted the field campaign “Vote for more women in local elections”, and through social networks has called on voting women in local elections, which will be held this Sunday, October 17, 2021.

About 80 volunteers, for five days (October 11-15), talked to citizens in 23 municipalities in Kosovo going door-to-door to discuss with women and men voters the importance of voting more women in local elections.

Prior to this campaign, KWN publicly called on political parties to respect the Law on Gender Equality (LGE), providing equal opportunities for women and men.

Given that neither the parties nor the institutions implemented this law, then it is up to us as citizens to elect as many women as possible in the municipalities.

KWN has campaigned in the field for this issue even in previous years’ elections, and will continue to support, protect, and promote the rights and interests of women and girls, regardless of their political, religious, ethnic, or sexual orientation.

We also recall that supporting women’s participation in politics and decision-making is part of KWN’s 2019-2022 Strategy. KWN values elections as a fundamental element of a democratic state and gender equality as a vital right of each of us, so we consider it more than necessary and important that citizens are given equal opportunities.

Lack of democratization and low participation of women within most parties unjustly deprives women of participation and contribution in decision-making. So, on October 17, whichever list you choose, vote for more women in your municipality!

Vote for equality!

This campaign is implemented as part of the initiative “Strengthening Women’s Participation in Politics“, and is supported by the European Union (EU) Office in Kosovo.

KWN member organisations supporting the implementation of this campaign:

Active Females of Gjakova – Gjakovë

Centre for Education and Development “Elita” – Lipjan

Family Care and Education Association – Gjakovë

Female Emancipation Association ALMA – Pejë

Hendifer – Ferizaj

Independent Women’s Association “Hareja” – Rahovec

Local Reforms Organisation (EULOC) – Viti

Mitrovica Association of Persons with Disabilities “Handikos Mitrovica” – Mitrovicë

NGO Drugëza – Skënderaj

NGO Women’s Centre for Rural Development – Novobërdë

NGO Women’s Centre “ATO” – Vushtrri

Organisation of People with Muscular Dystrophy of Kosova (OPMDK) – Prizren

Psychotherapists in Action – Gjilan

Ruka Ruci – Fushë Kosovë, Graçanicë, Partesh, Ranillug, Kllokot, Leposaviq, Mitrovicë e Veriut, Zubin Potok – Zveçan

Women’s Alliance for Integration – Prishtinë.

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Three KWN Member Organizations with Pre-election Activities for the Empowerment of Women in Politics

29.10.2021

The member organisations of the Kosovo Women’s Network “In Time”, “Aureola”, and “Dardana Eagles”, beneficiaries of the 15th round of the Kosova Women’s Fund (KWF), have held various activities, in order to empower women in the October 17 local elections.

The organization “In Time” has held meetings with current women assembly members, women candidates for assembly, and citizens of Prizren, Vushtrri, and Mitrovicë. In these meetings the problems they encounter in their political journey were discussed. Also, “In Time” presented the data of their research which shows that 94% of women answered that they pay attention to voting women in municipal elections. (For the full article, click HERE).

The organization “Aureola” has also held meetings with women candidates for assembly in Fushë Kosovë, Prishtinë, Kastriot, Lipjan, Drenas, and Podujevë. The Executive Director of the organisation “Aureola”, Sanije Grajcevci, said that they are thankful that they have benefited from the 15th round of the Kosovo Women’s Fund, because such initiatives are necessary to increase women’s participation in decision-making. (Full article HERE).

On the other hand, the organisation “Shqiponjat e Dardanës” has held meetings with women in the municipality of Lipjan and Graçanicë, in order to advocate for the support of candidates in local elections, and to raise awareness of women and girls from rural areas about the role of their vote. (Full article HERE).

The activities of these organisations have been supported by the European Union (EU) Office in Kosovo through KWN’s “Strengthening Women’s Participation in Politics” initiative.

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“Handikos Mitrovica” Holds Training on Reproductive Health

28.10.2021

“Handikos Mitrovica” is continuing with the implementation of the initiative “Reproductive health and sexual education of women and girls with disabilities in the municipality of Mitrovica”, in the framework of the 15^th round of the Kosovo Women’s Fund.

On October 26, the members of this organization discussed the concepts of reproductive health, with special emphasis on women with disabilities, and Kosovo policies that regulate this matter.

The Director of the Organization, Myrvete Hasani, thanked the Kosova Women’s Network (KWN) for its continuous support of girls and women with special needs. She added that access to health institutions for them is limited due to the lack of ramps and elevators; inadequate beds are also a problem.

“These trainings are a good opportunity to get a lot of knowledge about our health. Also, we will work towards improving the conditions so that no girl or woman is denied the right to health care,” she said.

The trainer, Mirlinda Rushiti, said that it is very important for girls and women to have regular medical check-ups.

“I encourage you to consult with health professionals for any doubts you have. Only in this way will you maintain your health, without paying any attention to the stereotypes of society”, she said.

Participant Violeta Klisurica, said that this training has helped her to have a clearer picture of reproductive health.

“We can get a lot of information on social networks, but it is different when such a training is organised and we have the opportunity to discuss in groups and ask questions. Today’s discussion was detailed and very useful”, she said.

In the meeting, the need to include the subject of sex education in schools was also highlighted.

This KWN member organization will continue training with girls and women in this municipality, and follow-up activities include meetings with local institutions in order to address the issues raised.

This initiative is funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and co-financed by the Swedish International Cooperation and Development Agency (Sida), through KWN’s “Further Advancement of Women’s Rights in Kosovo II” initiative.

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Justice Institutions Continue to Encourage the Abusers of Young Women

25.10.2021

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The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) with deep concern followed the report made today by Kallxo.com regarding the decision of the Basic Court in Peja, which sentenced the accused KP to only eight months in prison for abusing a 15 -year girl in 2012.

According to the law, this criminal offense is punishable by 5 to 20 years in prison, the Basic Court of Peja has failed to impose the deserved punishment for violence against girls, thus reflecting once again the lack of institutional response to cases of gender-based violence.

The court used unacceptable and scandalous reasonings to this decision. Reasoning such as, “the victim had not been injured” and “the accused behaved correctly” only prove that the victim was not put as a priority by the Basic Court in Peja.

KWN estimates that these low-level decisions are only motivating perpetrators even more, and are demotivating women and girls to report violence against them.

Therefore, through this press release, KWN requests the Basic Prosecution in Peja to clarify whether they have appealed against this decision to the Court of Appeals. This is recalling that the Basic Prosecution is responsible for handling these cases by protecting the victims and following the cases to the end, and not just by sending the indictment.

KWN reiterates its call on responsible justice institutions such as the Courts, the Prosecution, and the Kosovo Police to prioritize cases of violence against women and girls, always focusing on a victim-based approach.

28.03.25