British Delegation Visits KWN Offices

03.12.2019

Deputy-head of mission of the British Embassy in Kosovo Jacob Webber and Policy Delivery Assistant Erëmirë Berisha were hosted at the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) premises on December 3 by KWN Executive Director Igballe Rogova and KWN Advocacy and Research Officer on Gender Based Violence Adelina Berisha.

Rogova spoke to the embassy representatives about KWN’s background and history since its establishment. “Voters Voice”, a mechanism for citizens to voice concerns to politicians through a cooperation between the KWN and British Embassy in Kosovo during the 2008-2009 was a key part of this interactive discussion.

Webber expressed the Embassy’s interest and commitment to working more on gender issues.

Special attention was given to the work and activities of Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF), highlighting that in addition to advocacy, this Fund actually empowers women in a range of social spheres.

Rogova expressed her gratitude to the British Embassy for continuously supporting activities intended to assist and empower war-time sexual abuse survivors in Kosovo.

Berisha explained KWN’s work and endeavors regarding gender-based violence during 2019 and previous years.  Among other issues, she discussed advocacy for the allocation of the Budget for Shelters and the amendment of the Criminal Code.

 

 

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KWN Member Organizations mark their 20th Anniversary of the Establishment  

02.12.2019

Member organizations of the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), the Kosova Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (KRCT), Medica Kosova, and Medica Gjakova have marked their 20th anniversary of the establishment. 

 On November 11, KRCT held the conference “Addressing Sexual Violence during the Kosovo War”, through which justice for war-time sexual survivor was demanded. On this occasion relevant stakeholders discussed and shared best practices toward improving future services and treatment of such cases.  

 

Whereas, on November 14 in Gjakovë the book “I am Anemone” was launched, the first of its kind written in Kosovo, published by Medica Gjakova. The book contains stories of survivors of sexual violence during the war. This event was accompanied by a photography exhibition featuring their two decades of work. 

 

October 24 brought together civil society activists, representatives of institutions and international organizations as well, to mark the 20th establishment anniversary of Medica Kosova. Here were presented “20 Years of Transforming the pain into Force”, along with some data on the number of beneficiaries and the types of services offered throughout these years. 

 

KWN has consistently supported these organizations, as well as other organizations and institutions, in their efforts to seek justice and solidarity for survivors of sexual violence in Kosovo. 

HERE you can access the livestreaming of KRCT’s conference, click HERE to watch the livestreaming of the event of Medica Gjakova, and HERE you can find the video from the event of Medica Kosova. (Available in Albanian only).  

 

 

  

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KWN Member Organizations mark their 20th Anniversary of the Establishment  

02.12.2019

Member organizations of the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), the Kosova Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (KRCT), Medica Kosova, and Medica Gjakova have marked their 20th anniversary of the establishment. 

 On November 11, KRCT held the conference “Addressing Sexual Violence during the Kosovo War”, through which justice for war-time sexual survivor was demanded. On this occasion relevant stakeholders discussed and shared best practices toward improving future services and treatment of such cases.  

 

Whereas, on November 14 in Gjakovë the book “I am Anemone” was launched, the first of its kind written in Kosovo, published by Medica Gjakova. The book contains stories of survivors of sexual violence during the war. This event was accompanied by a photography exhibition featuring their two decades of work. 

 

October 24 brought together civil society activists, representatives of institutions and international organizations as well, to mark the 20th establishment anniversary of Medica Kosova. Here were presented “20 Years of Transforming the pain into Force”, along with some data on the number of beneficiaries and the types of services offered throughout these years. 

 

KWN has consistently supported these organizations, as well as other organizations and institutions, in their efforts to seek justice and solidarity for survivors of sexual violence in Kosovo. 

HERE you can access the livestreaming of KRCT’s conference, click HERE to watch the livestreaming of the event of Medica Gjakova, and HERE you can find the video from the event of Medica Kosova. (Available in Albanian only).  

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Advocacy Efforts for Human Rights Supported by KWN during November  

30.11.2019

During the month of November, the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) supported activities aimed at advancing the implementation of human rights.  

The November 5th march, “One Nation for Justice” (Alb:Një popull për Drejtësi), which demanded justice for the death of activist Astrit Dehari, was a recent activity that highlighted efforts to address the violation of human rights in the country. KWN was one of 153 supporters that attended the march.  

 “The undersigned organizations and individuals call for the full and prompt discovery of the circumstances of Astrit Dehari’s violent death. This should be done by credible, independent and professional investigators and prosecutors. The findings of experts from the Lausanne Institute should guide this new investigation. The subject of investigation and accountability should be all the persons responsible throughout the institutional chain from the Government, Police, Prison Directorate, Prosecutor’s Office and Department of Forensic Medicine”, it stated as part of the call for the march, which was held on the third anniversary of Dehari’s death.  

On November 13, KWN supported an open letter to the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Committee for Political Affairs and Democracy, calling on them to prevent the selection of Alexei Kondratiev, Russian Parliamentary Assembly delegate, as the reporter for Kosovo. 

Immediately following this response from over 40 civil society organizations, the Council of Europe’s Rapporteur in Kosovo elected German Peter Beyer. 

On the same day, The Security and Gender Equality Group (SGG) urged the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to distribute funds to Kosovo shelters, as per the Law on the Kosovo Budget 2019.  

As a member of the SGG, KWN supports the above letter, which you can read in full HERE.   

Whereas, On November 29, KWN joined some 40 CSOs to demand from the Kosovo Government to establish a central emergency headquarters, consisting of responsible institutions that will conduct and coordinate all actions needed to help citizens sheltered in Kosovo as a consequence of the deadly earthquake that hit Albania on November 26th.  

Read HERE the full letter. (Available in Albanian only).  

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Advocacy Contributes to Landmark Indictments in Kosovo Gender-based Violence Case

30.11.2019

Advocacy and monitoring by the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), has contributed to another landmark indictment of six defendants on 30 October 2019 by the Basic Prosecution in Pristina, Kosovo.

The case involves a then 16-year-old girl who suffered sexual violence from her teacher. When she reported the case, the police investigator perpetrated further sexual violence against her. Four additional persons allegedly were involved in her abuse, including her lawyer. All six persons have been indicted.

When the case first became public in February 2019, some media portrayed the case in a scandalous manner, insensitively revealing the identity of the young woman. Further coverage and social media debate ensued, inappropriately “blaming the victim” for the sexual violence perpetrated against her and placing her in grave danger.

KWN immediately sought protection for the young woman and publicly demanded that the justice system be fully engaged in punishing such crimes against women and girls. KWN worked with institutions to ensure her full protection from further abuse.

KWN also participated in an organising group that engaged many citizens and activists in rallying publicly to demand justice. On 7 February, people protested in Pristina. Many protesters continued the following day, with transport supported by KWN, marching from the Drenas Gymnasium to the police station with the slogan “To Learning, against Rape”.

Representatives from KWN and the Kosovo Law Institute also arranged a meeting with the prosecutor engaged with this case.

According to Ariana Qosaj-Mustafa, KWN Board Chair, the meeting sought to ensure that the prosecution took appropriate steps using a “victim-centred approach”, particularly considering the “sensitivity of the case and her young age”. “It is very disappointing that the approach of ‘blaming the victim’ is still widespread, and this affects the way the case is proceeded,” Qosaj-Mustafa said.

Indeed KWN’s report “From Words to Action?”, published in 2018 with support from ADA, also found that several representatives of responsible institutions still blame victims for crimes perpetrated against them.

“These charges filed now by the Prosecutor show the role of civil society in monitoring the rights of victims during criminal proceedings,” added Qosaj-Mustafa. “We will continue to actively monitor this case and continuously seek to enforce the rights of the victim, as guaranteed by law, which unfortunately still lack implementation.”

The results of KWN’s advocacy, together with that of other activists and citizens, can be observed with the recently filed indictment. Although stories of institutional abuse have been murmured in the shadows, never before have they become so public. In KWN’s view, such a wide-reaching indictment against several institutions allegedly engaged in the abuse of a minor also represents a significant shift in how the public reacts to violence against women and how more citizens are becoming engaged in demanding accountability and justice. This is a result of the longer-term awareness-raising, monitoring and advocacy that KWN, among others has undertaken. It evidences that long-term support to work on such an important issue, can contribute to results over time.

“A life free from gender-based violence” remains a programmatic focus area in the KWN Strategy 2019-2022.

Other information: Find HERE the charges against the defendants. (Available in Albanian only).

HERE a recent BBC article on this case.

On November 6 in Drenas KWN launched the traveling exhibition “Break the Silence: Ending Violence Behind Walls”, supported by ADA.

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Kosovo’s Heart Bleeds for Albania’s Suffering

28.11.2019

The earthquake that hit Albania this week has cost many lost lives. People are in despair, out in the open air, praying and hoping that their loved-ones will be miraculously saved after long hours of being trapped in the ruins of destroyed buildings.

In this moment of tragedy for so many families in Albania, the wounds of the war that hundreds of thousands of Kosovo Albanians felt are more alive than ever. Pictures of homeless people who lost loved-ones, people who lost everything they owned, the pain and the suffering, were all too familiar to Kosovo Albanians.

Twenty years ago, they were forced to escape the Serbian regime and its machinery, victims of horrendous crimes, losing loved-ones, leaving everything behind. Tired of escaping and walking for days, thirsty and starving, having not eaten for weeks, wounded, injured by the tortures inflicted on them, with destroyed souls and crushed dreams, nearly one million of them crossed the border into Albania.

In the warmth of ordinary people who came to their rescue, who generously opened their homes to shelter those who now had become refugees, at their modest tables where they shared their food, the Albanians of Kosovo found humanity, solidarity and sacrifice from Albanians in 1998 and 1999.

They saw the first glimpse of hope, a promise that a hand to raise them up and a shoulder to lean on would always be there. A promise was made that in trying times; we would never be alone.

The story today is, of course, different. Albania has been hit by a natural disaster, while 20 years ago the Albanians of Kosovo were victims of ethnic cleansing, of war crimes committed by the regime of Slobodan Milosevic. Nature versus man-made losses.

Yet, in the face of devastation, the bonds that we share as one people have always been there to keep us going.

As soon as the deadly earthquake hit Albania, from the very early hours of Tuesday, the Albanians of Kosovo rushed to come to their aid and support.

While the state undertook all the necessary measures to send specialist teams that would aid the rescue missions in Albania, people in Kosovo from all walks of lives mobilized in a remarkable way.

Gathering points opened all across the country. Fundraising initiatives at which people donated money immediately started. With tears in their eyes, and feeling distress for the tragedy that Albanian families are experiencing, providing food, clothes and shelter for Albanians has become the sole concern of everyone in Kosovo.

Take these small examples. A woman suffering from cancer responded to the call to donate funds; a policeman donated his entire month’s salary; a street chocolate seller in Prishtina donated his daily earnings for families in Albania.

Children in schools have sent food, clothes and books for their brothers and sisters in Albania, learning what solidarity is like. A football fan team tirelessly gathers donations and sends them to Albania. These are only some of the faces of hope we have witnessed in the last two days.

Every Kosovo media outlet is also there to cover every story, showing that Kosovo Albanians are with them, sharing every heart beat with families in Albania.

People open-heartedly call on anyone who wants to pass these devastating times in Kosovo to come and stay in their homes. While hundreds of cars, buses, trucks filled carrying humanitarian aid and people, volunteers have been heading to Albania like a river of hope to offer help.

They are committed to doing everything to relieve the pain even just a bit, to show the Albanians they are not alone, that together we can rebuild our lives, even from the ashes of destruction and despair.

What a unique show of solidarity, of humanity, of human love. It goes to the very core of the human relations we share. A nation whose people hold the torch of hope for one another. A lesson to be learned by everyone of what humanity stands for.

 Jeta Krasniqi is a member of Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) board, project manager at the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI), leading the project European perspective building national consensus for normalization of relations with Serbia. Krasniqi graduated in International Affairs at the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) specializing in EU and Western Balkans affairs.

This article originally appeared on in Balkaninsight.com.

Photo Credits to Kallxo.com.

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EULOC holds its First Workshop on Promoting Gender Responsible Budgeting 

27.11.2019

Gender structure model, gender budget mainstreaming and standard gender budgeting tools were some of the topics discussed at the workshop “Gender budgeting policies and practices at the municipal level” on November 27, supported by the European Union (EU) Office, through the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF) of the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), implemented by the EULOC Local Reform Organization in Viti/Vitina.  

The gender structure model, gender mainstreaming and various gender budgeting tools were a few of the topics discussed at EULOC’s “Gender budgeting policies and practices at the municipal level” workshop. Supported by the European Union (EU) Office, the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF) and Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), the event was implemented by the EULOC Local Reform Organization in Viti/Vitina.  

Melihate Osmani, EULOC Manager, outlined the importance of this project, explaining that it aims to improve the implementation of equitable gender budgeting at the local level. 

Florim Brahimi, Executive Director at EULOC, discussed the implementation phases of this five-month initiative, which will include municipal officials, members of the Municipal Assembly, various committees, women’s groups, civil society members, and other stakeholders. 

Latife Neziri, Training Consultant, emphasized the importance of involving women and men in all stages of the decision-making process. 

“Gender budgeting is a budget analysis from a gender perspective, resulting in differences in its impact on men and women,” Neziri said. 

Workshop participants included officials from different directorates of the Municipality of Viti/Vitina. They all received guidance about incorporating a gender perspective into budgeting. 

As part of this initiative, EULOC signed cooperation agreements with the Municipality of Viti/Vitina to ensure greater implementation of the Law on Gender Equality and gender budgeting practices in Viti/Vitina.  

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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OSCE Finds Violence against Women Widespread in Kosovo 

26.11.2019

More than half of ever-partnered women in Kosovo say that they have experienced psychological, physical or sexual violence at the hand of and intimate partner since they were 15, according to a new report launched by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The report, ‘The Well-Being and Safety of Women in Kosovo’, was researched by IPSOS with support from the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN). 

The survey which was presented by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo’s Gender Adviser, Ms. Biljana Nastovska revealed several important findings.  

“Nearly two-thirds of women surveyed think that violence is not just indeed common, but very common in Kosovo,” said Ambassador Jan Braathu, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. He emphasized the importance of mechanisms for victims to report misconduct or institutional failures to protect them.  

Similarly, Adelina Berisha, KWN Advocacy and Research Officer on Gender-based Violence, highlighted the important role of women’s rights organisations who have worked hard for decades to improve the position of women and girls who have experienced different forms of violence.  

“At a time when the country was still paving the way for local institutions, women-led organizations began to provide shelter for women and girls who were experiencing different forms of violence. Many organizations have been providing these services for over 20 years now,” said Berisha.

The report offers several specific recommendations for addressing violence against women.  

Other keynoted speakers included: Vlora Nushi Tuzi, UN Women Kosovo; Ambassador Jan Braathu, OSCE Mission in Kosovo; Ambassador Nataliya Apostolova, Europe Union Office in Kosovo; Naim Qelaj, Kosovo Government Coordinator on Domestic Violence; and President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi.  

Read the report HERE

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Kosovo Lobby for Gender Equality Holds its Second Meeting for 2019

22.11.2019

More than 50 members of Kosovo Lobby for Gender Equality (KLGE) gathered for its second meeting in 2019, which was held today, on 22 November.

The meeting started with a discussion about the October 6th Parliamentary Elections. The discussion was generally positive since women won a large number of seats without the gender quota. Participants also discussed the success of KWN’s “Vote for more women in Parliament”, campaign, which took place September 25-29 and was supported by the European Union (EU) Office in Kosovo.

 “Early Parliamentary Elections brought to us an extraordinary big win, 26 women won without gender quota, and for this we have to thank each of you, because every one of you was engaged in strengthening and supporting women. This year was the year of solidarity”, remarked Igballe Rogova, Executive Director of Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN).

KLGE members from Vitia, Peja, Vushtrria, Dragash, Novobërda, Gjilan, and Obiliq shared their experiences from the campaign.. They discussed the feedback they received from citizens during their door-do-door visits, including the willingness of men to vote for more women in Parliament.

test caption

Arijeta Skeraj, assembly member from Dragash, spoke  of the solidarity among women, emphasizing even though Luljeta Berisha and I belong to different parties, I  lobbied for her and we have always supported each-other”.

Shemsije Seferi, CSO Alma Pejë also appreciated the achievements of the campaign.

“Lobbying for women was so appropriate that all competing parties came to cooperate with us. All of them were eager to know about our campaign”, she said.

The lack of implementation of Law on Gender Equality (LGE), by institutions as well as by political parties, was also part of this joint-discussion. The lawsuit by the Ombudsperson Institution in Kosovo against the Central Election Commission of Kosovo is seen as motivation for parties to implement the law.

Selvie Rexhepi, deputy-mayor of Kllokot Municipality, greeted participants with the poem “A true friend”.

test caption 2

Lobby is with you, when life takes you down,

It is with you when fate abandons you,

Lobby is with you when your legs can’t walk,

They are all with you when your soul is shedding tears,

Lobby is with you when hopes are dashed,

Lobby is with you when dreams are ending,

It is still with you, when you find the courage,

Lobby is with you when you are seeking salvation,

Lobby is with you when you already won,

It is always with you, so do not stop moving,

Because you deserve it!

Participants had the opportunity to contribute to girls’ education by buying the book “The Journal of a Kosovar Woman” by activist Sevdije Ahmeti.

At the end of this meeting it was announced that the KWN Membership Annual Meeting will take place on 7 December 2019.

The KLGE meeting was supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

*****

Click HERE for the article about KLGE’s first meeting of 2019.

Click HERE to see pictures from the event.

*****

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KWN Contributes to the Discussion: The Progress and Challenges of Recognizing the Status of War-time Sexual Survivors  

15.11.2019

Women’s organizations, Kosovar institutions, political representatives as well as international organization representatives and the diplomatic corps discussed the process of recognizing and verifying the status of Sexual Violence Victims from the war in Kosovo 

The November 15th debate took place in Prishtina at the conference,  Progress and Challenges, and was hosted  by the Government Commission on Recognition and Verification of the Status of Sexual Violence Victims during the Kosovo Liberation War and the US Embassy Department of Justice.  

The conference was organized to correspond with the 19th anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. Kosovo’s practices, the challenges of status verification, the importance of institutional cooperation, and fighting the stigma were all part of a two-panel discussion. During the discussion, Kosovo was cited as a positive example of a country who has successfully addressed this issue. Nevertheless, there is still a need for cooperation and ongoing progress. 

The Commission has dealt with a promising number of cases that address the recognition of sexual violence victim status. 1143 applications were received, 730 decisions were made, and over 2200 cases were reviewed.  

So far the Commission has made decisions on an average of 1.53 cases per day and has reviewed 4.62 cases per day. In the past 22 months the Commission has made decisions for 18.33 cases each month. These figures were publicly presented by Shpend Haxhibeqiri, psychiatrist and member of the Government Commission, at this Conference. 

The Commission’s Chairwoman, Minire Begaj-Balaj,  acknowledged that  the verification process is difficult, but still encouraged survivors to apply for status recognition.  

“In recent years treating the violence has gained global attention. The Commission started [this process] in 2018 and is taking its job seriously. The ongoing process is conducted with full confidentiality with each official representative doing their job [from start to finish] Kosovo’s efforts to [address the issue] have become a world model,” she said.  

Alison Kosnett from the US Embassy, also discussed the importance of recognizing survivors of sexual violence.  

“It is the responsibility of everyone, not just of the Commission, to ensure that survivors are treated with dignity and respect. Everyone has a responsibility to encourage survivors to seek the help needed for participating in society. I call you to resist stigma, in all its forms,” she said.  

Igballe Rogova, Executive Director of Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) took part in the First Panel which was titled: “The progress made in the process of verifying and recognizing the status of war victims. Practices and standards built in Kosovo, challenges of the verification and recognition process.” 

“2012 was the year that woman sought to be recognized as civilian victims of war. The implementation of the Law on the Rights of Civilian Victims of War began this year. We have had many challenges, but together we faced them. Today, I want to speak with positivity so I can reach the survivors. Another challenge is the application for the verification of this status. Some people were saying: Where are these 20.000 cases? We cannot expect that all of them will apply. Not all have the possibility to apply, and [we need]to respect their decisions, and [not] put pressure on them”, said Rogova.  

Vlora Tuzi-Nushi, Head of Office for UN Women in Kosovo, also praised the work of this Commission, which is the first of its kind.  

“This commission was rated better than those in Bosnia & Herzegovina and Croatia. Croatia has asked for our expertise, even though it has an entire team on it. Croatia is interviewing all applicants, while Kosovo interviews only when necessary,” Tuzi-Nushi said. 

Participants of this conference appreciated the Commission’s work and stakeholders expressed their willingness to support the Government Commission in dealing with the numerous and ongoing challenges. During the event, participants also called for re-allocation of the Commission budget, explaining that needs of the Commission and the Secretariat still need to be met.  

The Commission, was established to work on the recognition and institutional support of war-time sexual violence survivors so its role in sustaining human rights and advocating for all citizens of Kosovo, especially women, remains vital and irreplaceable. 

During a visit to the Commission in June 2019, KWN expressed its unconditional support for the transparent and tireless work of the Commission. Further information about this visit can be found HERE. 

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