2020 has been a challenging year, not only in terms of endangerment to the public health by COVID-19 pandemic, but also beyond – in how this pandemic has only highlighted and deepened existing social inequalities.
Women’s rights activists in the Kosovo society faced difficulties, too!
Many-years-long activist Besnik Leka, who was also a member of the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) Board, during the 2017-2020 period, speaks about the activities undertaken during the past year, initially saying that 2020 has highlighted patriarchal societies even further, including here Kosovo, as well.
“The previous year has been very challenging for many organizations and individuals from civil society, including myself. “This is because it has limited our scope of action and contribution for challenging social norms, which are slowing down our social development.”
However, Leka considers that the contribution was not completely impossible.
“We simply just had to adapt to the situation and find the best possible approach”, he said.
As a human rights activist, these were the activities whereby Leka has made his contribution:
March 2020
Leka was part of a virtual roundtable with youngsters from Kosovo, Lebanon, Austria, and Germany to discuss regarding the video project “Can I Kiss You”, which speaks more on the importance of giving consent during the relationship. This was done with aim to raise the awareness among adolescents on the topic of consent, the difference between gender and sex, as well as power in relationships.
You may click HERE to see the video of this event.
May 2020
Whereas, during May in a discussion held within the campaign “Housework has no Gender!”, Leka discussed about the way how the cycle of unhealthy masculinity can be broken, the crises of this masculinity, what are the disadvantages for boys and men having this mindset and what are their benefits after changing these behaviours.
June 2020
Leka joined the #Close in Distance campaign to call upon equality at home – not violence. He has stressed that many boys and men today live in a state of internal conflict, since on the one hand they are being challenged by patriarchal expectations, which require boys to be violent, stoic and aggressive, while on the other hand there exists their will to be loving, equal and at peace.
“To be equal in our homes”, was his message.
August 2020
With the initiative “Men in the Kitchen”, Leka aimed to involve men in the kitchen and thus break the gender stereotypes about professions. Six men were part of this initiative, where different recipes were cooked, and the amount won was distributed to the families in need.
October 2020
Leka was one of the speakers invited by the “Transformational Journalism” program to discuss the techniques of written journalism and the gender perspective in journalism.
The program was concluded by a three-day conference during which participants have had discussions with members of civil society organizations and of media who have experience and expertise in the field of human rights work.
November and December 2020
In November, Leka has moderated the “Future4Youth” virtual conference, which brought together different voices from civil society, citizens’ informal groups, parents, teachers and other stakeholders around the same goal – to address and advocate for prevention of violence, gender equality, life skills and health education in schools across the Balkans.
Whereas, during December, in a discussion held with YMCA, Leka spoke on the importance of “Life Skills Education”, how society works and the way how to make it better.
*With this article KWN starts a series of publications on the work and contribution of human rights activists in Kosovo.
