Kosovo Women's Network

KWN’s Contribution is Appreciated Among EU Consultations

02.07.2020

The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) was invited by the European Union (EU) to participate in consultations held with civil society organizations prior to the meeting between EU representatives and the Government of Kosovo. This was done in the framework of subcommittees of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), for Justice, Freedom and Security.

In this meeting, KWN addressed important issues in relation to women’s rights in Kosovo. They emphasized the importance of assessing governement measures through a gender perspective during the recovery from COVID-19 pandemic. KWN highlighted the importance of a gender analysis, which should have preceded all strategic plans of the country during the pandemic, in accordance with the Law on Gender Equality and the International Law applicable in Kosovo.

Furthermore, KWN asked the EU to encourage the Government of Kosovo to engage more in collecting informal economy data, in order to identify violations of labor rights in the private sector as a result of lack of contracts and unregistered work. Moreover, KWN, in the framework of prior consultation with women shelters, provided some recommendations for better treatment of victims of gender-based violence.

The leader of this meeting, Mr. David Cullen, the Head of the Unit for Kosovo in the European Commission, ensured that during the sub-committee for Justice, Freedom and Security, they would discuss the sustainable financing for women shelters in Kosovo. He added that this is an important issue, especially given the critical situation and the increasing number of domestic violence cases happening during the COVID-19.

Present at the consultative meeting was also Mr. Korneel de Schamp, Policy Officer at the European Comission, who recalled KWN recommendations made before the launch of the Progress Report in 2019. He talked about its importance in specifying recommendations for relevant actors and the emphasis it put on monitoring the implementation of the new definitions of the Criminal Code, in terms of domestic violence.

The SAA Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security is one of the committees within the SAA mechanisms, through which Kosovo government priorities are discussed.

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KWN and UN Women Continue their Support for Shelters

02.07.2020

On 2nd of July Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) held an online meeting with Kosovo shelters and UN Women.

During this meeting, Vlora Tuzi-Nushi, Head of Office of UN Women-Kosovo briefed the shelter representatives on the UN Women initiative to sign a memorandum between the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Retail Network and KWN.

On behalf of the shelters, this memorandum was signed by KWN Executive Director Igballe Rogova. Thanks to this memorandum, victims of domestic violence and the survivors of sexual violence during the war will have easier employment.

This meeting continued with a discussion on the possibilities of support for joint activities.

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AWG Advocates For Revitalization Of Coordination Mechanism

01.07.2020

Active Women of Gjakova, with the initiative “Development of a sustainable inter-institutional system for addressing gender-based violence and domestic violence in the municipality of Gjakova”, held informational sessions to raise awareness about the concrete interventions and clear initiatives that should be taken to combat gender based and domestic violence. This would best be achieved through the effective functioning of Coordination Mechanisms.

Regular activities and meetings started in November and lasted until March. AWGj managed to raise awareness among 356 women and 241 men, totalling 597 beneficiaries, on how to combact gender-based violence in Gjakova.

This was achieved by acknowledging the availibility of the main actors of the mechanism, as well as the promotion of the initiative to help the victims of domestic violence.

The main beneficiaries of this project were women who have experienced domestic violence and their relatives in the municipality of Gjakova, as well as villages with minority communities such as: Skivjan, Planqor, B.Bokës, Duzhnje, Damjan 1 dhe 2, Dujakë, Bec, Dol, Orize, Ponoshec, Koronicë, Gropishtë, Piskotë, Brekoc, Koloni, and Gropishtë.

This initiative affacted on inter-institutional cooperation for women or other members/victims of domestic violence. Meanwhile, had a great impact on prevention, as well as on responding immediately to cases that have just occurred in order to reduce the consequences.

AWGj drafted this initiative with numerous activities that can directly affect the prevention of domestic violence, such as:

Providing information sessions for primary and secondary school students regarding domestic violence and the role of the Coordination Mechanism;
Providing multi-disciplinary services through case management meetings;
Providing direct emergency support for cases of domestic violence and reporting to the police and Center for Social Work in Gjakova;
Awareness promotion within the International Campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence;
Providing information sessions for primary and secondary school students regarding domestic violence and the role of the Coordination Mechanism;
Medial promotion on Radio Gjakova on the topic of gender equality and domestic violence.

Excecutive director of AWGj, Valbona Rizvanolli, highlighted the importance of the Coordination Mechanism against domestic violence.

Valbone Rizvanolli, Director of the NGO AWGj, during her the field visits as part of “From door to door” activity, December 2019, Gjakova

“Given the number of cases submitted for assistance in recent years, as well as the experience of the operation of this mechanism, the need to increase its effectiveness is becoming more and more apparent. With the right resources, the situation can be improved much faster than how the responsible institutions are currently handling domestic violence cases, based on the existing legislation in Kosovo.” said Rizvanolli.

It has also increased the effectiveness of addressing and institutional response of the Coordination Mechanism against domestic violence, through the revitalization and monitoring of the functioning of this structure. Through the activities of this initiative, the revitalization, improvement and strengthening of the institutional capacities of the Coordination Mechanism in order to provide the adequate protection and quality services for the survivors of gender-based violence and domestic violence were achieved.

This initative is supported by Kosovo Women’s Fund and financed by Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

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Economic Empowerment of Women and Girls in the Drenica Region

01.07.2020

On July 1, the Association of Women Beekeepers “Okarina e Runikut”, held a roundtable to present the findings and recommendations of the project “Promoting the Employment for the Beneficiaries of Social Assistance Scheme in the Drenica Region”. Officials from the Municipality of Skenderaj: Mr. Sokol Sallahu, Director of the Department of Agriculture, Ms. Hyka Imeri, Gender Equality Officer, Ms. Syka Beqiri, Social Scheme Officer as well as representatives from women’s organizations and civil society attended this meeting.

The main goal of their initiative is to support women and girls in rural areas of the Drenica Region by funding small enterprises which would increase their rate of involvement in the socio-economic life of the country. Gaining employment would also help improve their family life conditions.

“Empowering women and girls in rural areas remains a major challenge for our country. In recent years, Kosovo has made significant efforts to address this challenge through national commitments for gender equality “, said Valbone Sadiku, Moderator.

During March, 100 people were surveyed in Skenderaj region to further research on this project.

“The results of these surveys made it very clear on which areas of this region we should focus on working and advocating for, in order to create more opportunities for women’s employment and economic development of our country,” said Fetije Smakaj, Director of Association of Women Beekeepers “Okarina e Runikut”.

With the completion of the trainings, surveys, and information sessions, Okarina e Runikut compiled recommendations from direct conversations with their constituents.

To reimburse travel expenses for educational purposes;
To increase the number of scholarships for young women;
To respect gender responsive budgeting: equal distribution of funds and subsidies for both women and men;

To have regular information sessions through non-governmental organizations – more participation in budget hearings, roundtables and trainings conducted by organizations and institutions;
To hold a traditional fair where women have the opportunity to sell and promote their products;
To work on the empowerment of women and girls in rural areas;
To have a harmonized dialogue between the Directorate of Agriculture and the Center for Social Work for not stopping the social assistance when the allocation of subsidies is done.

Mr. Sokol Sallahu, Director of the Directorate of Agriculture in the Municipality of Skenderaj, highly appreciated this initiative and added that “We, as a municipality, have drawn many conclusions and managed to be the voice of women in the Drenica Region, while cooperation through institutions and the business community is more than necessary.”

This initiative is supported by the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF), funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), and co-financed by UN Women.

In addition to the Association of Women Beekeepers “Okarina e Runikut”, beneficiaries of the 14th round of KWF are 19 other member organizations. You can read the full list HERE.

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Women Farmers Get Trained in Advocacy

30.06.2020

EcoKosWomen (EKW) in the framework of the initiative “Advocacy for easier access of women to grants in the municipality of Prishtina”, organized a training on advocacy to increase the number of beneficiaries of subsidies and grants of women farmers from The Directorate of Agriculture in the Municipality of Prishtina.

Ten women farmers from different communities attended the training held on June 17 in the village of Slivovo. They learned the most effective ways to address problems or situations when applying for grants, and how organizations can take certain actions to mitigate those risks.

Shpresa Mjekiqi-Gosalci, the presenter, encouraged all participants to advocate to decision makers in their respective communities to find solutions for these problems. The participating women welcomed this initiative, and shared the difficulties they faced. Among them is the farmer Ilmije Bytyqi.

“The main problem in the villages of the Municipality of Prishtina is irrigation. The need for an irrigation system is essential in the agricultural sector. The lack of wells in the village of Slivova, as well as in other villages in this region, has a direct impact on soil fertility, so the Municipality of Prishtina should immediately intervene in this matter and find a solution.” said Bytyqi

While Havushe Bunjaku, a farmer, commented that the training was very useful for learning mobilization and advocacy techniques in order to solve the problems faced by the farmers of this village. She also highlighted the importance of the women farmers, adding that:

“Women do the most work in agriculture. The whole process before the transport and sale is done by women, but unfortunately this work is invisible. Therefore, it is more than necessary for the Municipality to support as many women farmers as possible and to break this inequality that is happening in the allocation of funds”.

This initiative is supported by the Kosovo Women’s Fund, and is funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and UN Women.

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ShVPD Returns with the Braille Literacy Training

30.06.2020

After a three months break, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired (ShVPD), member organization of the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), on June 24 in Rahovec, has continued basic training in literacy according to the Braille alphabet.

This meeting gathered 10 participants from different ethnic groups in Rahovec as well as the villages of Gexhe, Xërxë, Ratkoc, Hoqë e Vogël and Dejnë, who previously did not know how to read or write.

Training leader, Xhylferije Bytyqi, made an overall assessment of the progress the participants have made in the 15 meetings that have been held so far.

“As part of the project, there will be five more meetings, a total of 20 meetings,” said the Project Coordinator, Goneta Mustafa.

Both the meeting and initiative are supported by the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF), co-funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and UNWomen.

In addition to the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired, the beneficiaries of the 14th FGK Round are 19 other member organizations. You can read the full list HERE

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KWN Encourages Young Women to Participate in Peace and Security Processes 

26.06.2020

As part of the initiative “Empowering Youth for a Peaceful, Prosperous, and Sustainable Future in Kosovo”, KWN held and online meetings with young women from the Municipality of Gjakova and Deçan on June 25 and June 26.

These meetings aim to encourage more young women to be involved in peace, dialogue and security processes, as well as encourage them to be part of decision-making positions and processes that society has historically entrusted to men.

Igballe Rogova, the Executive Director of KWN, shared her experiences with these young women and introduced them to the work of women activists over the years. She also shared the work of KWN as a network of 151 member organizations, and their involvement of women and girls in these processes. Further, Rogova shared with them the successes and challenges faced by women while advocating continually for the implementation of legal, national and international mechanisms, guaranteeing the right of women and young women to equally be part of decision-making positions.

During the meeting held with young women from Deçan, Rogova, encouraged them to engage in the country’s processes through the Lobby for Gender Equality (Lobby) or through the KWN member organization in this municipality. In addition to this, they also discussed the problems these young women face.

The young women highly appreciated the opportunity to exchange experiences through these meetings and KWN’s support.

This initiative is a necessity for addressing the role and needs of young women in post-conflict areas. KWN strongly believes that gender stereotypes should never hinder young women from participating in policy-making regarding peace and security.

In the beginning of 2020, KWN has held discussions in the framework of this research with young women from different parts of Kosovo, whereas similar meetings will be held with young women from the municipality of Prizren, Skenderaj, South Mitrovica, North Mitrovica Gracanica and Prishtina.

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KWN asks Institutions to Condemn two Brothers Accused of the Rape of a 20-year-old Kosovo Woman in Kukës

22.06.2020

Kosovo Women Network (KWN) asks for reactions from Kosovo and Albanian institutions, regarding two brothers who kidnapped, held hostage, and raped a 20-years-old woman from Kosovo. She was reported missing for some time and is believed to have been held captive by the perpetrators where she was sexually assaulted.

Based on media reports from both Albania and Kosovo, the two brothers have already been handcuffed by the Kukes police, and the evidence been taken to the Prosecutor’s Office in Kukes.

“Their arrest was made after it is suspected that they raped a Kosovar citizen, 20 years old, taking advantage of her physical and mental incapacity”, it is stated in the notification by the Kukes police. Kosovo Women’s Network would like to add, that this is the definition of rape, not sexual intercourse, and the Kukes police should be more careful in how they talk about victims of assault.

Through this statement, KWN demands that this case must be taken seriously by the justice institutions of both countries, taking all necessary measures to address it and punish those responsible.

The rape of women in our society remains a main concern, for which we must all raise our voices, constantly and without any compromise. However, the mishandling of these cases by police, advocates, judges, and other justice institutions effects reporting to and trust in these institutions.

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08.11.24

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05.11.24

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04.11.24

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EULOC Presents the Research on Gender Budgeting

18.06.2020

Organization for local reforms “Euloc” organized a roundtable on 18 June in Viti, in order to present the findings and recommendations from the the project “Gender budgeting policies and practices at the municipal level”.

Participants in the discussion panel were municipal officials, as well as representatives from NGO Euloc, Florim Brahimi, Executive Director of EULOC, Latife Neziri, Project Trainer, and Melihate Osmani, Manager at EULOC.

The results from the research were presented by Florim Brahimi where he showed graphics and corresponding percentages from the survey conducted in 11 villages of the Municipality of Viti.

“Based on the meetings with various groups, it has been recommended that more women and young people should be more involved in municipal committees so that their voices can be heard.” said Brahimi.

The project coordinator, Melihate Osmani, added that in the framework of this research, during the period of November 2019 to January 2020, volunteers interviewed 200 random respondents (women and men) from small villages in the Municipality of Viti, such as: Viti, Smirë, Pozheran , Drobesh, Beguncë , Fshati Ri , Kabash , Vërban , Skifteraj, Tërpezë, Bincë.

“This survey research focused on gender equality, gender representation and economic empowerment of women, and the obtained results show that the citizens of the Municipality of Viti do not have much knowledge in these areas. Therefore, we as an organization need to continue this project to have more gender involvement in the future.” said Osmani.

The findings of this project, as well as the recommendations obtained from the trainings, can be found in the report of the Organization for local reforms “Euloc”.

This initiative is supported by the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF) and funded by the European Union (EU) Office in Kosovo.

In addition to the EULOC organization, there are 17 other member organizations benefiting from the 13th round of the KWF. You can read the full list HERE.

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NGO Luna Raises Awareness of Women in Reporting Domestic Violence Cases

16.06.2020

Domestic violence remains one of the most prevalent forms of violence perpetrated in Kosovo. Although this is a serious criminal offense, every day women continue to be victims of domestic violence, which sometimes end in homicide. These cases are common in communities throughout the country. The 2019 statistics on domestic violence are extremely concerning.

To address this, the “Luna” organization has been doing fieldwork for six months, working closely with women from the Serb community in the village of Plemetin/Obilic, from Mitrovica, from the village of Ranillug in the Municipality of Gjilan, from the village of Uglarje/Fushe Kosove, and with women from Novo Brdo and Gracanica.

Executive Director of this organization, Stanislava Kovacevic talked about the necessity for the implementation of such an initiative.

“The situation [of the prevalence of domestic violence] is worse among minority groups, such as those of Serbs, Roma and others. Although we do not possess official data, we still know the situation because we are in daily touch with them. Therefore, we implemented the initiative ‘Promoting and Protecting Women’s Rights from Domestic Violence’”, Kovacevic said.

This initiative made possible the implementation of the following activities:

Informing women about their rights in cases of domestic violence,
Aa roundtable discussion on the Impact of patriarchal mind set on women suffering from domestic violence
Aa meeting held within the observation of 16 Days No Violence.
The Kosovo Police has been visited, in order where to show women that it is the first step in reporting domestic violence.

A visit was also made to the Safe House/Novo Brdo, which is available to Serbian women and women from other communities as well, who are victims of domestic violence.

One of the female beneficiaries of this initiative expressed her gratitude for being among the participants, adding that the information gained has been very helpful for her well-being.

An information session was held as part of this initiative. Over ten Serb women in the village of Uglarje/Fushe Kosovo discussed Informing women of their rights in cases of domestic violence, addressing institutions, and recognition as well as support for minority women suffering from domestic violence. Ariana-Qosaj Mustafa, Chairwoman of the KWN Board, Program Director and Senior Researcher at KIPRED lectures, was at this meeting, where she spoke about the most common causes of violence and domestic violence victims.

Mustafa informed the participants about the Law on Domestic Violence Protection, as well as the institutional steps to be taken in case of experiencing violence.

“A life free from Gender-Based Violence” is one of KWN’s key programs aiming to empower women and girls of all communities to live a life free from gender-based violence.

This initiative is supported by Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF), financed by Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

28.04.25