16 Days of Activism: Raising Awareness and Strengthening Advocacy

18.12.2025

This year, as part of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence” campaign and the ongoing efforts of the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) to empower and protect survivors of gender-based violence, KWN carried out an awareness-raising activity placing posters on buses in Pristina and Fushe Kosovo. The activity was implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (MESPI) and Trafiku Urban. The posters contained information about sexual harassment, as well as guidance on where and how violence can be reported and support sought, with the aim of increasing public awareness and preventing gender-based violence.

In parallel, KWN, together with MESPI, organised a capacity-building training on gender-based violence for the ministry’s staff. The training focused on deepening knowledge of the forms of gender-based violence, the legal and institutional framework in Kosovo, and the role and responsibilities of public institutions in prevention, referral, and providing a sensitive response to victims. Special attention was given to identifying sexual harassment in public spaces and strengthening inter-institutional cooperation, in line with national legislation and international standards.

During the campaign period, KWN also took part in a number of significant activities and events, including the publication of four policies by UN Women, meetings with female politicians and activists from Finland, the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Ombudsman Institution, the finalisation of Minimum Quality Standards for social services for victims of violence against women and domestic violence in Kosovo, the Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality & Trust (Y4IET) initiative, a roundtable on property and inheritance, and Human Rights Week. Additionally, KWN participated in the launch of the Guide for Managing Cases of Domestic Violence, Violence against Women and Gender-based Violence for medical staff.

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Moving Forward Together: Making Transport Accessible for Everyone

17.12.2025

Transportation shapes daily life, but not everyone experiences it equally.

The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) has published the first-ever comprehensive Gender Analysis of Land Transportation in Kosovo, shedding light on how transport systems, or the lack thereof, affect diverse women, men, girls and boys differently across the country.

This pioneering research shows clearly that transportation is not gender neutral. Women are less likely to own or access various transportation modes, particularly in rural areas. Persons with disabilities face persistent physical and institutional barriers, while caregivers (usually women) struggle with infrastructure that does not meet their daily mobility needs. Safety concerns, including sexual harassment and poorly lit or designed public spaces, continue to restrict freedom of movement, especially for women and girls.

Using an intersectional approach, this report highlights how multiple forms of inequality overlap. Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities experience limited access to reliable transport and discrimination, compounded by gender-based discrimination. Residents of rural and remote areas face weak connections and insufficient services. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual/Aromantic+ persons and women, particularly from ethnic minorities, report feeling unsafe or excluded from using public transport.

Beyond social impacts, the research emphasises that transportation plays a critical role in climate change, public health and social inclusion. Insufficient investment in public transport, sidewalks, cycling infrastructure and gender-responsive planning not only deepens inequalities, but also undermines Kosovo’s climate and health goals.

The analysis reviews laws, policies, budgets and municipal practices, with case studies from Pristina and Dragash. It offers concrete, actionable recommendations for central and municipal institutions. These recommendations aim to support the development of transport systems that are safer, more accessible, more equitable and more climate responsive.

This publication was financed by the Austrian Development Agency and Sweden, through the Gender Budget Watchdog Network. The Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure and municipalities of Pristina and Dragash facilitated the research.

Read the full report.

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Activists Support Each Other in Solidarity and Dance

13.12.2025

In times of need, we are here for each other. Solidarity prevails. This was the main message at the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) members’ meeting today.

“In the 1990s, it wasn’t easy. It was a difficult time”, recalled KWN Executive Director Igballe Rogova.

Throughout the nineties, women’s rights activists organised voluntarily to open libraries in rural areas, inspire families to enrol girls in school, deliver humanitarian aid and medicine and document human rights abuses. When they felt fear or stress, they danced to energize and support each other.

“Once a month we organised a party,” Rogova continued. “That positive energy kept us going for another month. Music and dancing are therapy.”

At that time, the Rural Women’s Network, KWN’s predecessor comprised of 11 women’s rights organisations, operated without any budget or office. Activists supported each other by providing small contributions at monthly parties, organised together with local businesses who believed in the cause.

Today, of KWN’s 102 member organisations, more than half have no funds, operating within their communities on a voluntary basis; 57% do not have any funds secured for next year. Despite the challenging situations in which they work, inspiringly, nearly all KWN members said they will continue their work.

“I don’t have, but I won’t stop”, activists said. This is the real activism at the heart of KWN; its members working tirelessly within their communities every day to empower women.

KWN believes that together, in solidarity, we can support each other amid the toughest of times, and we will persevere.

“When we are together, we are strong, and when we have solidarity, we are even stronger,” Rogova said.

Continuing KWN’s tradition of community organising, during the meeting activists contributed what they could to support the Committee of Blind Women in Kosovo, among KWN’s oldest members. Serving and protecting the rights of blind women and girls, their achievements are many, including making textbooks available in braille, encouraging girls to access higher levels of education, supporting independent mobility, advocating for the Law on Blind and Visually Impaired Persons, improving access to public services, economic empowerment and transforming society’s attitudes towards blind women’s autonomy.

Today, the Committee of Blind Women is in dire need of support, and KWN members have stepped up in solidarity to help them continue their important work, collecting more than €1500. [If you want to support this incredible organisation you can too, here, noting funds are for the Committee].

“Like many other organisations, we are in a difficult position. But solidarity has always existed and continues to exist. Women have been and will always be united in solidarity. Thank you very much,” said Bajramshahe Jetullahu, Executive Director of the Committee of Blind Women.

This tradition will continue. KWN plans to organise parties for other KWN members to recognise and support their work in solidarity and action by having fun together.

As Emma Goldman said, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution!”

And the revolution continues with us!

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Can Kosovar Women Influence the European Union?

12.12.2025

This question was posed during the “In Between East and West” event, hosted by the Bulgarian Fund for Women (BFW) and European Women’s Lobby (EWL).

“We have, and we continue to try,” said Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) Deputy Director and Lead Researcher, Nicole Farnsworth.

She shared how Kosovar women’s rights activists have joined forces with other women’s rights organisations in the Western Balkans (WB) for more than 15 years, largely supported by the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation and Sweden, to monitor the European Union (EU) Accession process from a gender perspective and to advocate for improved attention to diverse women and men’s needs in these processes. Successes have included the EU shifting its approach to begin treating gender equality as a Rule of Law issue relevant to judges and prosecutors, and not solely as a gender equality issue, in Enlargement Package reports; and increasing attention to issues of importance to diverse women and men across more chapters of these reports. KWN has also supported more, diverse women’s rights groups to better understand the EU Accession process, engage in this process and monitor progress at a local level, towards accountability and progress.

“We believe strongly in networking,” Farnsworth explained. “We realised long ago that things happening on an EU and global level affect us and our work, but we cannot influence these policies alone. We need to work together with other networks and alliances to bring about changes.” She explained how women’s rights organisations, including as part of the EQUAPRO Coalition, have utilised the EU Accession process to encourage WB governments to make progress towards furthering women’s rights as human rights.

Farnsworth was in Brussels all last week on behalf of KWN, the Gender Budget Watchdog Network and the European Gender Budget Network, for advocacy related to the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the EU’s budget for 2028-2034. Currently being negotiated by the European Commission, European Parliament, and European Council, the MFF and accompanying regulations will shape the financing available for furthering gender equality, safeguarding civil society, and supporting women’s rights organisations in the future.

Knowing the power of networks and coalitions, KWN has joined forces with the Gender Budget Watchdog Network, European Gender Budget Network and European Women’s Lobby to advocate for gender equality to be more explicitly included in the MFF as an outcome with clear indicators and budget allocations.

Towards collaborating with other coalitions, KWN also met with the Civil Society Europe Working Group on Funding, Concord, European Peacebuilding Liaison Office, Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe, ODI Europe “Walking the Talk” Initiative, Friends of Europe, and Prospera to discuss opportunities for potential collaboration towards shared aims.

KWN also met with members of the European Parliament Alexandra Geese, Tomas Waitz and Ilhan Kyuchyuk, seeking their support in gender mainstreaming the EU budget.

While in Brussels, KWN also met with representatives of the European Commission (EC) regarding the Enlargement Package, asking for gender-responsive budgeting to be implemented as part of Reform Agendas across the WB, including in the EC’s direct budget support to governments. This would be in line with the rule of law, given WB governments’ commitments to implementing gender-responsive budgeting as part of the Sustainable Development Goals, among other legal commitments. KWN also shared key recommendations from KWN’s Commentary on the Kosovo 2025 Report, gender analyses on Peace and Security, informality, and digitalisation, as well as key findings from KWN’s forthcoming gender analysis on transportation and analysis of the institutional response to gender-based violence in Kosovo.

KWN met with EC Civil Society Facility representatives to advocate for financing in support of women’s rights organisations, currently under threat. EC representatives stated that most financing related to gender equality for civil society would be delivered through UNDP and UN Women’s ongoing EC-funded Action on women’s economic empowerment and to address gender-based violence, particularly technology-facilitate violence. Some funds will also be distributed by the WB Fund via the soon-to-be established Gender Equality Fund (which resulted from women’s rights groups’ advocacy during the Berlin Process for such a Fund to be established). In the future, most funding will be delivered via strategic partnerships with EU member states. KWN asked that the EC ensure that all implementers co-create their programs and calls for proposals with women’s rights organisations to ensure that financing meets current needs and builds on pre-existing efforts, expertise, and networks in the region.

Additionally, all future financial support for civil society is set to be tied to Reform Agendas. Opportunities exist in 2026 to advocate for governments and the EC to better gender mainstream these Agendas and for monitoring their implementation from a gender perspective. Meanwhile, based on prior research by KWN and AWID, among others, KWN emphasised the importance of flexible, core support to CSOs, particularly in the current climate. EU financing for “Operational Grants” will only be provided at the national level, and CSOs have been encouraged to demonstrate why this form of support is needed, lest it be removed in the future. Meanwhile, the EC is set to develop guidance for gender mainstreaming actions, including gender analysis to inform design and enforcement of commitments in implementation.

On 4 Dec., KWN attended the annual WB Summit hosted by Friends of Europe. The summit focused on geopolitical trends, deliberating over the merit-based versus political process of EU Accession, economic growth, and rule of law. Related to economic growth, Farnsworth emphasised that growth cannot happen without women, as only two in ten women are in the labour force in Kosovo. “If we really want to see growth, we need to get women there [in the labour force]”, said Farnsworth. She called for addressing root causes of low participation, identified by KWN’s and other research, including by transforming unpaid labour into paid labour by addressing informality, establishing care services, and improving transportation.

Related to the rule of law, she highlighted the crucial role that women’s rights organisations play in monitoring justice institutions and holding them accountable for treating gender-based violence cases. She emphasised that women’s rights organisations currently face a funding crisis that could hinder their ability to continue to be the EU’s partner in pushing forward rule of law reforms, calling for the EU to ensure that the Civil Society Facility and Growth Plans earmark funds for women’s rights organisations’ continued contribution to the EU Accession process.

“If we want to enable growth, if we want to enable a rule of law environment, we have to support civil society,” agreed MEP Thomas Waitz, emphasising that a majority within the European Parliament shares this commitment.

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In Between East and West: Feminist Solidarity and Activism in Focus at BFW, EWL Event

05.12.2025

On 5 December, the Bulgarian Fund for Women (BFW), together with the European Women’s Lobby (EWL), hosted an intimate and thought-provoking event examining what it means to exist “in between”. That is, existing in the Global East while navigating philanthropic landscapes and value systems shaped by the Global North. Among the speakers was Nicole Farnsworth, Deputy Director of the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), who joined feminist activists, women’s funds and policymakers from across Eastern Europe to reflect on how identity, resources and activism intersect in the spaces where East meets West.

Centred around the question of how feminist movements experience and negotiate these layered realities, the discussion highlighted both the achievements and the ongoing challenges facing women’s rights advocates and feminist movements in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. Participants reflected on the legacies of post-socialist transitions, the growing backlash against women’s rights, and the rise of conservative narratives, all of which shape the landscape for feminist organising today.

Farnsworth noted the important feminist roots of Women in Black and feminist activists and networks in the former Yugoslavia who have inspired and supported today’s feminist movements to continue to grow. She expressed concern about the widespread cuts in funding from various historic funders of feminist movements, including European Union (EU) member states and private foundations, which present a serious threat to the survival of women’s rights organisations and the feminist movement in the Western Balkans. She voiced a call for expanding alliances across Europe and globally to advocate for the EU’s new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), and specifically the Expenditure Tracking and Performance Regulation, to include specific outcomes and indicators towards gender equality in line with gender-responsive budgeting principles and EU values. Otherwise, future EU financing for women’s rights organisations and feminist movements, as one of the few sources remaining in the region, may be at risk. And, the EU will risk losing one of its most important partners in pushing forward EU Accession and EU values in the region.

Together panellists discussed opportunities for expanding alliances for joint advocacy related to the MFF and performance regulation, related to the advocacy points of the Gender Budget Watchdog Network and the European Gender Budget Network.

Sofia Karakaidou from Prospera – International Network of Women’s Funds emphasised that in the current context we all must be engaged to support each other, even when we are tired. “We all have to show up”, she said, especially as individuals. We cannot depend only on networks to represent us.

“No one is coming to save us … We must save ourselves,” said Maya Doneva from the European Women’s Lobby, who moderated the event. “We are the super heroes!”

Other panellists included: Nadejda Dermendjieva, BFW Co-Director; Dina Loghin, EWL President, who spoke about the administrative burdens women’s rights organisations face in managing multiple small projects rather than long-term funds that contribute to their sustainability; and Pille Tsopp-Pagan, Executive Director of Women’s Support Services and GREVIO Member, who emphasised the crucial role of women’s rights organisations in monitoring the Istanbul Convention and holding governments accountable to addressing gender-based violence.

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KWN Delivers Gender-based Violence Training to MESPI

27.11.2025

On 27 November, the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (MESPI), organised a training dedicated to the officials of the institution, focused on gender-based violence. The training aimed to provide a deeper understanding of the concept of gender-based violence, starting from its definitions, its forms, and the impact it has on the lives of women and girls. Participants also had the opportunity to discuss how gender stereotypes and social norms contribute to the persistence of this violence.

In the second part of the training, Kosovo’s legal and institutional framework for the prevention of and protection from gender-based violence was presented and analysed. Officials were introduced to the procedures they must follow when identifying a case, the correct ways of referring it, and the mechanisms that enable institutions to respond in a coordinated and effective manner. The discussions also focused on the current institutional challenges and the importance of prompt responses in high-risk situations.

At the end of the training, officials emphasised that being informed and strengthening their capacities on this topic is essential to ensure a responsible and legally compliant response. One female official stated that through this session she had gained a clearer understanding of what gender-based violence entails, as well as the legislation that Kosovo has developed for its prevention and for the protection of victims. She added that the training had helped her better understand her role as an official and her institutional responsibility in addressing these cases.

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Kosovo Commemorates 20 Years of the Agency for Gender Equality and 30 Years of the Beijing Declaration with Interregional Conference

27.11.2025

On 18-19 November, Kosovo marked the 20th anniversary of the Agency for Gender Equality (AGE) and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration with an interregional conference that brought together institutional representatives, experts, civil society organisations, and international partners from across the region. The event, organised by AGE within the Office of the Prime Minister, focused on Kosovo’s achievements and challenges in advancing gender equality over the past two decades.

The conference was opened by the Executive Director of the AGE, Edi Gusia, with President Vjosa Osmani, Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, senior domestic and international officials, and representatives from UN and EU agencies in attendance.

On the first day, sessions addressed institutional mechanisms for gender equality in line with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Beijing Declaration, as well as the role of international partners and civil society in advancing women’s rights. Discussions highlighted the need to strengthen gender mainstreaming, improve access to resources, and ensure sustainable political support. In this panel, Adelina Berisha from the Kosovo Women’s Network emphasised, among other things, that “the government and international organisations must support the work of civil society through long-term projects and engage local experts who understand the field and societal dynamics.”

The second day continued with panels on the implementation of Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, and the progress made over 30 years since the Beijing Declaration. Experts from local institutions, UN Women, civil society organisations, and the security sector shared perspectives on survivor protection, increasing women’s representation, gender-responsive budgeting, and challenges in data collection.

Through this conference, Kosovo reaffirmed its commitment to advancing gender equality and strengthening institutional mechanisms and regional cooperation, positioning itself as an active actor in promoting women’s rights. The event was supported by UN Women.

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Info Sessions Across Kosovo Aim to Improve Access to Social Protection Services

27.11.2025

The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) has launched a new series of information sessions across Kosovo to help citizens better understand how to access social protection services and how to file complaints when their rights are not respected. The initiative is part of the Action “Improving the capacities of civil society to increase access to quality social protection for diverse women and men”, supported by the EU Office in Kosovo.

The first session took place on 14 November in Prizren, gathering members of the Roma community for an open discussion on barriers to social services and practical steps for navigating local institutions. The event focused on the theme “Awareness on Social Services in Kosovo,” offering participants an overview of their legal rights, available services, and the procedures for submitting complaints in cases of discrimination or unmet needs.

Participants raised questions about documentation requirements, access to social workers, and the role of municipal authorities. KWN highlighted the importance of understanding complaint mechanisms as a way to ensure accountability and improve service delivery. Many community members welcomed the opportunity to voice concerns in a structured setting, noting that access to clear information remains one of the biggest obstacles.

“These sessions help people understand what support exists and how to claim it,” said Drita Sylejmani, Project Officer at KWN. “When communities know their rights, institutions are more likely to respond effectively.”

Beyond providing information, the sessions aim to strengthen trust between citizens, civil society, and public institutions. By bringing discussions directly into municipalities, the initiative seeks to reduce the gap between citizens and services that are meant to support them.

Additional sessions will be held in the coming weeks in several municipalities across Kosovo, each tailored to local needs and involving community members in direct dialogue with civil society actors. Through this ongoing effort, the initiative intends to equip residents with the knowledge and tools they need to advocate for their rights and access the services available to them.

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Creating Safe Schools: NORMA’s Push for Gender-Sensitive Education

25.11.2025

In Pristina’s secondary schools, thousands of students move through crowded classrooms where teachers work hard to deliver lessons but rarely find space to talk about respect, safety or gender-based violence. With limited collaboration between schools, parents and children, and a shortage of school psychologists and social workers, many young people grow up without guidance on how to recognise violence or seek help.

NORMA Lawyers Association stepped in to break this silence, launching an initiative that gave secondary school students a safe space to openly discuss gender-based violence. Beyond mere definitions, the program helped young people recognise the realities of violence in their communities, understand their rights, and learn about the institutions established to protect them.

Throughout the initiative, 519 students from five secondary schools in Pristina took part in lectures and workshops that combined awareness, education and dialogue. For many, it was the first time that gender-based violence, legal rights and protection mechanisms were discussed openly. Beyond gaining knowledge, students began to build the confidence to recognize abuse and to speak out when something felt wrong. Brochures distributed during the sessions gave students something tangible to revisit privately or share with peers, providing a resource that extended the impact beyond the classroom walls. Teachers voiced strong interest in continuing similar sessions and expressed readiness to integrate gender-sensitive approaches into daily teaching, helping create classrooms rooted in respect and equality.

NORMA knew that increased awareness alone was not enough. To drive lasting change, the initiative engaged also with the Municipal Directorate of Education, as well as 15 school principals, 10 teachers and school psychologists, to ensure institutions became part of the solution. These meetings opened space to discuss how schools could respond to gender-based violence and build trust between students and professionals. Teachers also reviewed textbooks and teaching methods through a gender-sensitive lens, acknowledging that the way lessons are delivered and materials are written can either reinforce harmful silences or promote equality and respect.

What began as a series of meetings grew into a wider movement. Teachers, psychologists and school leaders left with a stronger sense of responsibility, while students walked away not only with knowledge but with the confidence that their voices matter. Step by step, awareness was transformed into institutional commitment, and schools in Pristina began taking real steps toward becoming safe spaces free from gender-based violence.

NORMA Lawyers Association’s initiative “Learn and Act for a Society Free of Gender-Based Violence” was carried out with support from the Kosovo Women’s Network’s (KWN) Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF), financed by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and co-financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), in the amount of €4,970, from October 2021 to March 2022. The initiative contributed directly to KWN’s Programme “Gender Transformative Education”.

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30.04.26

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30.04.26

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Courage Over Fear: Youth in Drenas Learn to Speak Out and Act Against Sexual Harassment and Assault

25.11.2025

The silence that once dominated classrooms in Drenas was slowly giving way to honest voices, nervous at first, then growing stronger with time. Through an initiative involving awareness sessions, open discussions, and interactive workshops in schools, young people began to talk about something that had long been kept quiet: sexual harassment and assault. For too long, uncomfortable comments, unwanted touches, and subtle pressures had been brushed off as “normal,” leaving students unsure of what was acceptable and what was not.

During more than five months, Humanus Vita’s initiative reached 672 students, 432 girls and 239 boys, across 24 sessions in schools in Drenas, Llapushnik and Nekoc. Through interactive discussions and learning activities, students learnt what sexual harassment really means, how it affects lives, and why speaking out matters.

“I didn’t know sexual harassment is a crime,” one student admitted. “Or that there are places where I can report it safely.”

That simple realisation carried weight. According to the latest Kosovo Gender Country Profile by UN Women (2024), about 29% of Kosovar women have experienced sexual harassment at some point in their lives. Yet awareness and reporting remain very low; an earlier OSCE study (2019) found that only 1% of women experiencing violence report it immediately. These numbers illustrate why early awareness is crucial, yet before the initiative, most young people in Drenas didn’t know their rights or where to seek help.

Humanus Vita went beyond schools, reaching deeper into the community. In rural areas such as Krajkovë and Paklek i Ri, 70 women took part in specially designed sessions that combined personal stories with structured discussions on legal rights, harassment definitions and early reporting. Meanwhile, workshops at local schools observed how topics like puberty, sexual identity and unwanted touching were (too rarely) addressed in biology classes, and brought together teachers, principals and students to challenge gender stereotypes and taboos.

One participant reflected, “We were taught to stay quiet. Now I understand that silence doesn’t protect us — it only shields those who cause harm.”

Humanus Vita also brought the discussion into the public eye. Through radio, TV and social media outreach, over 30,000 residents of Drenas learned about gender-based violence, how to report it, and where to seek support. During the 16 Days of Activism, powerful messages and interviews reminded people that help exists and that silence protects only the abuser.

The impact was clear and deeply felt. Students began to recognise harassment, understand its effects, and see how silence and stereotypes allow harm to continue. Teachers, psychologists and school leaders became active allies, guiding discussions on respect, empathy and equality. Schools are now better prepared, and local institutions understand their role in protecting young people.

As per the effects, they are already visible. Students notice behaviours they once ignored and feel empowered to seek help. Cooperation with local authorities, including social services and the police, has strengthened, ensuring harassment and violence are addressed quickly. Slowly, a culture of silence is being replaced by a culture of courage, one voice at a time.

Humanus Vita’s initiative “Awareness of young people about sexual harassment and assault and the importance of early reporting” was carried out with support from the Kosovo Women’s Network’s (KWN) Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF), financed by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and co-financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), in the amount of €4,754, from October 2021 to February 2022. The initiative contributed directly to KWN’s Programme “Gender Transformative Education.”

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