Kosovo Women's Network

KWN Presents at Sweden’s International Gender Forum

02.06.2018

On 15-17 April, the Stockholm Forum on Gender Equality gathered “change-makers” from more than 100 countries to identify strategies for “strengthening women’s and girls’ rights, representation and access to resources”. The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) Executive Director Igballe Rogova was invited to attend, and KWN’s Program Director and Lead Researcher Nicole Farnsworth was asked to present KWN’s latest research, Mind the GAP: Independent Evaluation of the Implementation of the EU Gender Action Plan in Western Balkan Countries at the Forum, in a panel discussion organized with the Kvinna till Kvinna (Woman to Woman) Foundation.

Following a brief presentation of Mind the GAP, panelists discussed: “How well is the EU really doing when it comes to implementing its Gender Action Plan?” There was an interactive discussion regarding findings, recommendations and how gender advocates can use the EU Gender Action Plan II as an advocacy tool towards furthering gender equality worldwide, drawing from lessons learned from Western Balkan countries.

Moderated by Brigitta Jaksa, the panel involved Ambassador Mara Marinaki, Principal Advisor on Gender and on UNSCR 1325/WPS, European External Action Service; Karolina Vrethem, Deputy-Director, Department for Conflict and Humanitarian Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sweden; Petra Tötterman Anforff, acting Secretary-General, Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation; and Nicole Farnsworth.

Participants later stated that they found the discussion “fruitful and informed”, and that it was very relevant for activists and other actors working in different contexts, countries and regions.

During the Forum, the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation also initiated a Call to Action, presented by 60 women human rights defenders from around the world to global leaders, entitled “Countering the shrinking space for Women Human Rights Defenders – A Global Call to Action by the Bravest Women in the World”. It calls for improved attention to the Personal and Organizational Safety and Security of women human rights defenders, funding for women’s rights organizations and movements amid the financial shrinking space, and better recognition of the important work of women human rights defenders.

The Forum also provided an important space for KWN’s advocacy, networking and building alliances with other activists from around the world.

For further information about the Forum: @GenderEqlWorld #StockholmGenderForum #GenderEqualWorld www.genderequalworld.com.

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence? 

30.05.25

Budget Red Lines: Community Session Calls for Action on Menstrual Poverty

30.05.25

The Institutional Crisis Continues to Contribute to Discrimination Against Women

29.05.25

Preventing and Protecting Blind Women and Girls in Kosovo from Violence

Activists, Donors Strategize for Better Funding for Feminist Movements

02.06.2018

The Count me IN! Consortium brought together 100 diverse activists and donors from around the world at a “Money and Movements” convening on 11-13 April 2018 in Naivasha, Kenya to discuss how, together, we can “create a future where feminist movements are strong, resilient and thriving”. Following our advocacy work related to funding for women’s organizing and the rather innovative approach of the Kosovo Women’s Fund, Nicole Farnsworth, Program Director and Lead Researcher at the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), was invited to attend.

The first day we “Got Oriented”, discussing expectations, as well as several challenges facing the feminist movement and individual activists, related to:

The human body: mental health for activists and activist burnout; autonomy over our own bodies, particularly for Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, and Transgender, and Intersex persons; access for women with disabilities; physical safety for activists facing security threats.
Power and government, amid structural adjustment policies, deregulation of big business, growing influence of private actors on the State, and religious extremism – leading some governments and providing “justification” for the “war on terror” (and its subjective definitions) for other governments – contributing to increased spending on “security” and surveillance (including of activists).
People and demography, including in the context of migration.
Technology, which can be utilized to support, but also to undermine feminist organizing.
Planet, including how the accumulation of wealth contributes to inequality and how the current economic model involving extractive industries irreversibly harms the earth as well as communities.

The second day we “Got Disoriented”, entering three creatively crafted scenarios of what the world could look like in the year 2035, based on research related to real, current trends. In one scenario, we entered a room in which the planet was in crisis with oceans filled with plastic, cities submerged in water, and all government funding channeled to rebuilding infrastructure following one environmental emergency after another. What was the role of feminist activists amid such environmental catastrophe, and what is our role now in preventing such a scenario from happening?

In a second scenario, we entered a dark room, with Star Wars-like print running on the wall. It informed us that globalized technology and “The Company” owning it had taken over the world, replacing nation-states. Feminist activists could only organize an underground, primarily at the community level. They involved feminist hackers in using “acupuncture activism”: inserting activists into The Company, towards undoing the system. The scenario raised questions, such as how can small, localized organizing undo huge power hierarchies and hold global companies accountable? What do activists need to do now to prepare themselves for the changes that technology is bringing, including ever-growing surveillance? How can we use technology to support our cause?

In the third scenario, we entered a party scene: feminism had entered the UN system and pop culture with magnificent marketing, fancy award ceremonies, and parties to rally crowd funding for different feminist initiatives. Funding feminism was hip, and it seemed the most ideal potential scenario of the three. Yet, activists still competed for resources, and we knew nothing of the existing power structures in place. Also, who was in the room with their pocket books full of money, and where did they get their resources? How do we avoid grotesque competition for funds and/or the commodification of feminist organizing?

The third day, we “Got Creative and Committed”. AWID presented an initial model for a “Feminist Funding Ecosystem”, which would seek to reach diverse forms of feminist organizing and movement building, towards transformative feminist changes, both locally and globally. Such a model would include a holistic approach; interconnectedness among actors; reflectiveness of context and environment; complexity, reaching diverse actors; and be movement-driven. Then, funders entered one room while activists convened in another, strategizing and identifying concrete commitments for the future.

“We call upon donors to commit to tackling the power imbalances that exist in financing: shifting from resourcing that involves competition that divides feminist movements, to resourcing that supports solidarity that contributes to justice,” stated the call to action made by the activist group on “Influencing Donors” that KWN joined. Moreover, activists requested:

Political support from donors in advocating to other donors: 1) that feminist movements bring about real change; 2) for long-term grants that support activists’ own strategies; 3) for institutional support; and 4) for less time-consuming application and reporting procedures, as these draw time away from activism.

Support for continuous networking that links local, national, regional, and global feminist organizing (ensuring that its inclusive, bottom-up, not elitist), including support for spaces like this convening where feminist activists can develop a clearer strategy for organizing and identify allies.

Avoid knowledge extraction from activists (e.g., in programming, consultations), without compensation for their time and proper recognition of their expertise.

Support research and evidence to “Make the Case” for funding feminist movements, including a healthy ecosystem of different types of funding that reach diverse forms of feminist organizing.

The group also discussed what activists can do: undertake solidarity-based fundraising: supporting each other to access resources (rather than compete with each other), including through advocacy. Other activist working groups discussed integrating attention to activists’ health, including activist burnout, within funding mechanisms; and modalities for self-financing, among other themes.

Donors discussed:

How can they improve internal policy coherence, ensuring that their funding sources are not undermining feminist causes, and that they support the aims of feminist organizing in political and policy dialogues?
How can they influence other donors to fund feminist movements?
How can they prevent larger international organizations from taking over feminist activists’ space (and resources) for organizing?
How can they collaborate to use evidence to debunk myths that funding feminist activism is “too risky”?
How can they come together to jointly fund feminist movements in a better way?

Participants jotted down their commitments on postcards to be reminded, months later, of the commitments made.

Overall, the convening was an energizing and empowering experience. Organizers succeeded in deconstructing the power relations that often exist between donors and activists, providing a space to think and strategize together about future funding for feminist movements, as well as to build diverse allies for shared aims.

The Count Me IN! Coalition that organized the event includes MamaCash, CREA, the Association of Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), Urgent Action Fund Africa, the Red Umbrella Fund, Urgent Action Fund Latin American & the Caribbean and Just Associates (JASS).

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence? 

30.05.25

Budget Red Lines: Community Session Calls for Action on Menstrual Poverty

30.05.25

The Institutional Crisis Continues to Contribute to Discrimination Against Women

29.05.25

Preventing and Protecting Blind Women and Girls in Kosovo from Violence

Artpolis organizes the sixth edition of FemArt

02.06.2018

Artpolis–Centre for Art and Community, organized the sixth edition of FemArt Festival from 25 to 30 May 2018. FEMART—Festival of Women Artists and Activities, gathers hundreds of women artists and activities from across the world, which exhibit their creative works through: Theatre shows, movies (documentaries, short and feature films), exhibitions, shows, concerts, speeches, workshops, discussion panels, and various art presentations. Under “YOU LEAD” moto, FemArt encouraged sustainability and solidarity for women and men whose fundamental rights are violated due to their ethnicity, race, sexual preferences, and social position.

FEMART Festival artistic program addressed many various topics, including: human rights and feminist movements, sexual right and reproductive health, transitional justice and peace building, LGBTQI+ rights, women’s empowerment, violence against women, including promotion of women’s successful regional and global stories.

The festival is a platform for developing and presenting ideas and creative works which bring forward feminist concepts and their development in Kosovo, thus engaging in seeking equal rights for women and serve as a bridge for peace building and dialogue in the region.

“Women’s Virtual Museum” took place on 28 May in the framework of this edition. This museum, which appears as a digital entity that takes the characteristics of a museum, plays a more important role in promoting the value of peaceful activism held by women who protect human rights. This museum, the first one of its kind in Kosovo, is an interactive platform that showcases inspirational and life stories, photographs, and videos of women activists.

Activists–Safete Rogova, Igballe Rogova, Lepa MlaÄ‘enoviÄ‡, Tatjana NikoliÄ‡, Fjolla Vukshinaj, More Raça and Manushaqe Nura–panelists, shared their stories of how they started their activism journey. During this event, Lepa MlaÄ‘enoviÄ‡, activist from Serbia, said, “I feel very happy and excited that I am in Prishtina among these fantastic feminists.” She paid particular attention to Sevdije Ahmeti’s yearlong contribution.

Furthermore, Igballe Rogova, Executive Director of Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) told stories about their activism during ‘90.

“We and Safete have worked at Motrat Qiriazi association in ‘90, and we included men and boys right from the outset, because we knew that we cannot bring about change in Has if we work only with women; we should work together to change this society,” she said. Rogova emphasized that solidarity among women was the greatest support at that time, because being an activist was not easy back then and is not easy today, either.

Activist and renowned actor Safete Rogova said that it is impossible to speak about activism and feminism without mentioning Sevdije Ahmeti and her yearlong work. The panel went on with extraordinary stories of activists. The attendees were given the opportunity to ask various questions.

Conference “Justice for Women Killed in Kosovo” was held on 29 May. Speakers in this conference were: Atifete Jahjaga, Igballe Rogova, Annete M. Faith-Lihc, Sevdije Morina, Linda Sanaj, Hilmi Jashari, Vjosa Osmani, Valdete Idrizi, and Arbërie Nagavazi. The conference was moderated by Ariana Qosaj-Mustafa. Former President Atifete Jahjaga opened the conference stating that she is disappointed with the relevant institutions which are failing to timely hand-cuff, bring to the bench, and punish the perpetrators of these criminal offenses.

“It saddens me to recall the women who lost their lives in Kosovo over the last months and years due to violence perpetrated against them”, Ms. Jahjaga said. She added that it is unfortunate for the society and the country that women in Kosovo do not feel safe in their houses yet.

Vice Chief State Prosecutor, Sevdije Morina, emphasized that violence against women goes underreported. Morina added that justice system should not play a conciliatory or intermediary role, and should not impose heavy punishment on women who kill their abusing men in self-defense.

“There are cases where a woman kills her husband, but these cases usually happen after yearlong abuse that their husband has caused them. These cases pose issues, too. When a women kills her partner after suffering continuous abuse, she must be treated differently, which is something we have not done, because judges and prosecutors need to be educated and trained”, she said.

Igballe Rogova spoke about a case for which institutional support had been sought, but such request had been rejected.

“I know a woman who is in Lipjan, who had been violated for two years in row, and killed her husband in self-defense. Do you know her imprisonment term? 30 years! Although we have requested several times to reduce the years of her imprisonment, but this never happened”, she said.

Rogova recalled the case of Diana Kastrati, who was killed by her husband as a result of institutions neglecting to provide a protection order, despite subsequent requests.

Among others, Rogova harshly criticized Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, who promotes the Canun. She commented, “Gun shooting should be OK, then, since Canon allows it”.

The conference continued with debates during which the participants were given the opportunity to ask questions.

This year, the festival marked over 40 events in Pristina, Ferizaj and North Mitrovica. For more detailed information about the participants and the program you can click on the website www.femart-ks.com or on the FemArt Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FemartPrishtina/.

This edition of FemArt was supported by donors, media sponsors and various institutional partners.

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence? 

30.05.25

Budget Red Lines: Community Session Calls for Action on Menstrual Poverty

30.05.25

The Institutional Crisis Continues to Contribute to Discrimination Against Women

29.05.25

Preventing and Protecting Blind Women and Girls in Kosovo from Violence

Kosovo is the next to join #WikiGap global campaign

02.06.2018

UN Women, in partnership with Swedish Embassy in Prishtina and Kosovalive, organized an event called “Wiki-Edit-A-Thon” (wiki editing marathon) in order to give a stronger, voice to girls and boys online and increase women, peace and security related online content.

“Wiki-Edit-A-Thon” gathered tens of girls and boys from all across Kosovo, who contributed in increasing the number of online articles about women, peace, and security.

Considering the ever increasing evidence showing that women are powerful actors for sustainable peace in their communities and people, there is still a need to ensure the women’s representation at all processes of transitional justice in Kosovo.

Speeches were delivered by: Henrik Nilsson, Ambassador of Sweden to Kosovo; Annette Fath-Lihic, Chief Political Advisor to EUSR/Executive Coordinator at the Office of the European Union in Kosovo; Rozafa Kelmendi, Project Manager at UN Women; Annea Hapçiu Director of Development, and Igballe Rogova, KWN Executive Director.

“Lack of gender equality is a universal problem, and we all would benefit from this situation being changed. Research, our experience, and other people’s experience show that gender equality contributes to improved welfare and more peaceful society. Sweden is the first country in the world that follows a feminist foreign policy. Doing so stems from a moral conviction for justice and human rights, and because gender equality is the basic condition for peace, security, and sustainable development”, Ambassador of Sweden to Kosovo, Henrik Nilsson said in his opening speech.

During her inspirational speech about her journey as an activist, Igballe Rogova emphasized the importance of the young people’s engagement in processes linked to gender equality, peace, and security. She informed the participants more about the activation of women during ‘90s in Kosovo, and the history and activities of “Motrat Qiriazi” Association, and went on to tell stories about the journey of women’s inclusion in decision-making processes.

This event is part of #WikiGap global campaign, initially initiated by Wikimedia in Sweden and the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Similar events have already been held in more than 50 different countries across the world in order to improve the women’s online participation and help create a more gender-equal world.

The event, which took place in Prishtina, is part of UN Women project titled Gender Perspectives in Transitional Justice, funded by European Union.

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence? 

30.05.25

Budget Red Lines: Community Session Calls for Action on Menstrual Poverty

30.05.25

The Institutional Crisis Continues to Contribute to Discrimination Against Women

29.05.25

Preventing and Protecting Blind Women and Girls in Kosovo from Violence

KWN introduces psychology students to its programs and activities towards gender equality

02.06.2018

On 24 May, at the invitation of Prof. Dr. Kaltrina Kelmendi, Adelina Berisha from Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) held a presentation on KWN program and activities to the students of the Gender Psychology class, Department of Psychology, Hasan Prishtina University of Prishtina. The attending students were informed in detail of the program and strategy that KWN follows in order to reach to a society where women and men are equal and have equal opportunities to access education and employment, participate in politics and health care system, and live a violence-free life.

In the framework of this presentation, the students were informed of the current gender equality situation in Kosovo. The attendees were informed of the conducted research and advocacy initiatives taken by KWN. “The Network is one of the sources that keeps us informed of the factual situation of the gender equality. KWN surveys have been conducted in a professional manner, and I have personally referred to them during my post-graduate studies”, Prof. Dr. Kaltrina Kelmendi said, thanking KWN for sharing information and for its contribution to achieving gender equality.

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence? 

30.05.25

Budget Red Lines: Community Session Calls for Action on Menstrual Poverty

30.05.25

The Institutional Crisis Continues to Contribute to Discrimination Against Women

29.05.25

Preventing and Protecting Blind Women and Girls in Kosovo from Violence

Activists, Donors Strategize for Better Funding for Feminist Movements

30.05.2018

The first day we “Got Oriented”, discussing expectations, as well as several challenges facing the feminist movement and individual activists, related to:

The human body: mental health for activists and activist burnout; autonomy over our own bodies, particularly for Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, and Transgender, and Intersex persons; access for women with disabilities; physical safety for activists facing security threats.
Power and government, amid structural adjustment policies, deregulation of big business, growing influence of private actors on the State, and religious extremism – leading some governments and providing “justification” for the “war on terror” (and its subjective definitions) for other governments – contributing to increased spending on “security” and surveillance (including of activists).
People and demography, including in the context of migration.
Technology, which can be utilized to support, but also to undermine feminist organizing.
Planet, including how the accumulation of wealth contributes to inequality and how the current economic model involving extractive industries irreversibly harms the earth as well as communities.

Political support from donors in advocating to other donors: 1) that feminist movements bring about real change; 2) for long-term grants that support activists’ own strategies; 3) for institutional support; and 4) for less time-consuming application and reporting procedures, as these draw time away from activism.
Support for continuous networking that links local, national, regional, and global feminist organizing (ensuring that its inclusive, bottom-up, not elitist), including support for spaces like this convening where feminist activists can develop a clearer strategy for organizing and identify allies.
Avoid knowledge extraction from activists (e.g., in programming, consultations), without compensation for their time and proper recognition of their expertise.
Support research and evidence to “Make the Case” for funding feminist movements, including a healthy ecosystem of different types of funding that reach diverse forms of feminist organizing.

Donors discussed:

How can they improve internal policy coherence, ensuring that their funding sources are not undermining feminist causes, and that they support the aims of feminist organizing in political and policy dialogues?
How can they influence other donors to fund feminist movements?
How can they prevent larger international organizations from taking over feminist activists’ space (and resources) for organizing?
How can they collaborate to use evidence to debunk myths that funding feminist activism is “too risky”?
How can they come together to jointly fund feminist movements in a better way?

Participants jotted down their commitments on postcards to be reminded, months later, of the commitments made.

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence? 

30.05.25

Budget Red Lines: Community Session Calls for Action on Menstrual Poverty

30.05.25

The Institutional Crisis Continues to Contribute to Discrimination Against Women

29.05.25

Preventing and Protecting Blind Women and Girls in Kosovo from Violence

The second regional meeting of feminists against femicide was held

30.05.2018

On April 4 and 5, in Belgrade, was held the second regional meeting of feminists against femicide. Femicide means killing women just because they are women. At this meeting, feminist activists from Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro presented data from their respective countries on violence against women in general and more specifically on the murder of women or femicide. Adelina Berisha, advocacy coordinator and gender-based violence researcher in the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) participated in this meeting.

The purpose of this meeting was to organize the same or similar activities and initiatives in all the aforementioned countries in order to create a common methodology for preventing and combating the killing of women as a region.

Some of the key issues that were adopted at this meeting were: expansion of the feminist network in the region by including the representatives from Hungary, Slovenia and other countries of the region as well as seeking of opportunities for finding financial resources that would enable cooperation in combating femicide in the region.

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence? 

30.05.25

Budget Red Lines: Community Session Calls for Action on Menstrual Poverty

30.05.25

The Institutional Crisis Continues to Contribute to Discrimination Against Women

29.05.25

Preventing and Protecting Blind Women and Girls in Kosovo from Violence

Mind the GAP Report Findings Presented in Albania

30.05.2018

As a continuation of Kosovo Women’s Network’s advocacy work towards an improved implementation of the EU’s Gender Action Plan II, KWN presented the findings from its report ‘Mind the GAP’ to the EU Delegation and Women’s Civil Society Organizations in Albania. Among representatives from the latter, the discussion following the presentation focused mostly on how the GAP can be used as an instrument by women’s rights activists to advocate for improved performance of the EU and national governments on gender equality related issues. Officials from the EU Delegation in Albania welcomed the report and its findings, asking KWN specific questions related to how they themselves could improve their work towards furthering gender equality in its political and financial actions in Albania.

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence? 

30.05.25

Budget Red Lines: Community Session Calls for Action on Menstrual Poverty

30.05.25

The Institutional Crisis Continues to Contribute to Discrimination Against Women

29.05.25

Preventing and Protecting Blind Women and Girls in Kosovo from Violence

Increasing the Number of Employed Women by Amending the Law on Labour

29.05.2018

Already back in 2015, Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) conducted a research on the effects of Kosovo’s current Law on Labour on women’s participation in the labour market. More specifically, this research looked more closely to maternity leave provisions within this law and the financial burden that these have on employers and the extent of discrimination against women in hiring or at work exists. After two years of forming partnerships with different organizations and together forming Women’s Economic Forum to advocate for leave provisions to change, Iliriana Banjska from KWN took part in a two day workshop organized by Democracy for Development (D4D) in which the joint comments provided on the first draft of the new Law on Labour were presented to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW).
D4D presented the joint recommendations put together in part also by KWN and the research findings on which these are based on. The most important input which civil society with the support of the Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosovo has put forward is a revised model for maternity, paternity and parental leave. The model proposed offers families a total of 13 months of leave. This includes eight months for the mother; four months of maternity leave paid at 70% of her monthly wage by the employer and 4 months of parental leave paid at 50% of the average wage in Kosovo paid by the government. For fathers, this model offers fathers a total of 5 months of leave, which includes one month of paternal leave paid at 70% of his monthly wage paid by the employer and four months of parental leave paid at 50% of the average wage in Kosovo paid by the government.
Arguments were made by civil society representatives that a model like this will contribute to gender equality in Kosovo as families will have a financial incentive to share child care responsibilities. This can shift traditional gender norms with regard to family and work and facilitate an increase in women’s employment rates. As research done by KWN, D4D and Institute Riinvest has shown, the current financial burden business owners currently face because of lengthy maternity leave provisions has resulted in employers preferring to hire men over women. This is also one of the key reasons why the proposed model seeks to relieve employers substantially from the current costs of maternity leave and create more balance in how much leave a woman and a men can take up. This will contribute to decreasing gender discrimination in hiring because both women and men will have equal leave rights, potentially costing an employer the exact same amount.
Minister of MLSW, Mr. Skender Reçica welcomed everybody and praised KWN and other representatives from civil society and the Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosovo present at the workshop for the work done in this direction and entered in a dialogue with the participants on issues of maternity, paternity and parental leave. The discussion proved to be very heated as there seemed to be misunderstandings in relation to the aims of the proposed model among different officials. However, some common goals as finding ways in which to increase the number of employed women in Kosovo were identified and agreements were made to collaborate in this direction.

18.06.25

Workshop Held on Social Services, Rights, and Other Mechanisms

12.06.25

Activists Engage in President’s Global Forum on Women, Peace and Security

30.05.25

WCSOs Ask: What’s the Real Cost of Specialised Services for Gender-based Violence? 

30.05.25

Budget Red Lines: Community Session Calls for Action on Menstrual Poverty

30.05.25

The Institutional Crisis Continues to Contribute to Discrimination Against Women

29.05.25

Preventing and Protecting Blind Women and Girls in Kosovo from Violence

AUK Students Learn About Gender Mainstreaming

29.05.2018

Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) has been advocating for an improved gender perspective in national laws, public policies, strategies and national and local budgets for several years now. This included working directly with relevant representatives of Kosovo’s institutions in training and mentoring them to gender mainstream these types of documents. However, how does one translate this somewhat technical language to students?
Sara Nicole Baxley, faculty staff at the American University of Kosovo (AUK), invited Iliriana Banjska, Gender Analyst at KWN, to hold a lecture on this topic on the 3^rd of April of 2018. This was the second time KWN was invited to do so. During the fall semester in 2017, KWN’s Program Manager and Lead Researcher, Nicole Farnsworth, held a similar lecture for a group of AUK students. Because of its big success and student’s appreciation of it, AUK wanted to repeat it.
This time around students were informed about Kosovo’s legal framework pertaining to gender equality and provisions which oblige public institutions to implement gender mainstreaming in policy making and implementation. Iliriana proceeded by giving a practical explanation of the methodology KWN uses in its work related to gender mainstreaming. With very clear examples, students became familiarised with how to meaningfully integrate a gender perspective in public policies.
Finally, in order to really get a feel of what it means to amend policies in order for them to be more gender sensitive, students were split up in groups of five and were given an existing policy to review and comment on from a gender perspective. This practical exercise proved to be very effective as students discussed together and presented back to the group which, together with Iliriana, provided feed-back on their work. The creativity the students showed gave room for positive outlook on the future of gender mainstreaming, as this generation will potentially be the new policy makers of Kosovo who at a young age took a step towards understanding the importance and value of considering diverse women’s, men’s, girls’ and boy’s needs in policy making.

18.06.25