The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) held its regular bimonthly members’ meeting, on 5 Sep. During this meeting, KWN staff members presented progress on implementing the KWN Strategy 2015-2018. Afterwards, there was an information session for the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF).

     Related to KWN’s first program, building the capacity of its members, the Project Assistant for KWF, Gentiana Murati, informed about the funds that have been allocated since the beginning of the strategy until now. From 2015 until now 37 grants were given and the number of members who have received grants in total is 94, while the number of beneficiaries from the beginning of the total strategy is 9.138.  According to Gentiana the number of women participating from 2015 was 1,327 and the total amount distributed from January to June 2016 was 64.400, and the total since 2012 is 295,092 euro. She also informed about a change in individual grants that are now two types, from 3000 euro to 4000 and 8000 euro in partnership.

     For KWN’s second program, empowering women in politics and decision-making, KWN Executive Director Igballe Rogova said that, KWN has supported the establishment of 27 Lobby for Gender Equality groups with approximately 954 members from civil society and politics, including municipal Gender Equality Officers (GEO’s).    

     Nicole Farnsworth, KWN Program Manager and Lead Researcher noted that this year the advocacy efforts of KWN and its members have led to 14 policy changes at the municipal level and seven at the national level.  Further, KWN has supported the EU Office in Kosovo in creating a strategy for implementing the EU Gender Action Plan in Kosovo and advocated to the Ministry of European Integration for all documents related to EU Accession to have a gender perspective.

     Also, following consultations with officials from all over Kosovo and the Agency for Gender Equality, KWN compiled for the Kosovo Institute for Public Administration three new curricula for gender equality.

      Related to KWN’s program on women’s access to healthcare, KWN has collaborated with Dartmouth College, the University of Pristina and several volunteers, to survey 1,309 women and men in Kosovo, conduct approximately 100 interviews with medical practitioners and a legal analysis. The report currently is being drafted and will inform KWN’s future advocacy related to women’s health. KWN also is now member of the Coalition of Organizations for Reproductive Health and Reproductive Health Rights.

     Also related to this program, with funding from KWF, KWN member the Center for the Promotion of Women’s Rights supported 62 women to receive free health services; 118 women are more aware of their right to health.

    Related to KWN’s addressing gender-based violence program, KWN Research Assistant, Adelina Berisha, said that KWN in cooperation with its member organization Girls Coding Kosova and Open Data Kosovo have launched the application "EcShlirë", an application for reporting sexual harassment. It has been downloaded 782 times and 242 cases were reported.

   Further, KWN has trained 100 probation and correctional officers on domestic violence and working with women’s organizations in the rehabilitation and reintegration of perpetrators. Additionally 650 men and women participated in awareness-raising events related to gender-based violence in which KWN was involved in organizing or supporting, including: One Billion Rising, March 8 and FemArt festival (organized by the member organization Artpolis).

  Under the KWN program on women’s economic empowerment, Gender Analyst Iliriana Banjska spoke about KWN’s achievements related to gender responsive budgeting. KWN advocated to the Ministry of Finance, which included reference to gender responsive budgeting in its Budget Circular 2017 / 01, including templates created by KWN for institutions. Further, 94 officials are now more aware about gender responsive budgeting following KWN’s training and mentoring.

   In June 2016, KWN published a Better Budgeting for Educationtowards informing the budget of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology with gender analysis. KWN also supported the Municipality of Hani i Elezit to carry out gender budgeting. Gjakova and Kamenica have continued without KWN support, in carrying out gender responsive budgeting this year, a sign of sustainability. Now KWN is working with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, who have included annexes with gender disaggregated data to their first budget submission.

    After the presentation of KWN’s achievements thus far this year, Rogova noted a request by UN Women for KWN to give individual grants for survivors of sexual violence during the war. KWN has not dealt with individual grants, but rather with grants related to capacity building for members.

   “We have suggested to UN Women to establish a commission, where women can apply through organizations and the Commission decides on the allocation of funds,” she said.

     Many members said that KWN has associations that work with those issues and that it is better to go through associations who work with women.

    Rogova also informed members that UN Women has published a report on reparations for women survivors of sexual violence during the war. However, the true history of the work that women’s organizations carried out to bring this issue to the forefront was not included. Members discussed sending a statement about this.

    Representatives of KWN member organizations then shared information. Hafije Qyqalla, Director of NGO “Arta” spoke a fashion festival, to promote handicrafts made by survivors of sexual violence during the war, during which 665 donations were gathered.

    After a break, KWN staff explained what KWF project applications should contain and encouraged members to apply by the deadline on 16 Sep. 2016.

     This important networking event was supported by the European Union Office.