The member organization of the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), Ura Sociale in Vushtrri, hosted its sixth consecutive event as part of the project “Promotion of Quality Education and the Transformation of Traditional Gender Norms.” During this activity, the organization presented the findings from the observation of several classes in the “Lutfi Musiqi” and “Bahri Haxha” secondary schools. These findings were shared with teachers, school principals, and relevant individuals from the Directorate of Education in the Municipality of Vushtrri. The primary objective of this meeting was to engage in advocacy and discuss various teaching methods.

Jehona Jashari, a trainer, emphasized the critical need for the training in Vushtrri on this subject, citing numerous inquiries from both teachers and school directors regarding the research conducted by the Ura Sociale organization.

“In the research, we identified deficiencies in both teaching materials and the activities conducted in the classroom to address or promote gender equality, stereotypes, and gender-based violence in schools. Therefore, we believe that advocacy meetings, along with training sessions, would be instrumental in addressing the issues within the relevant institutions, particularly the Directorate of Education in the Municipality of Vushtrri,” she explained.

Zehra Kovaci, a biology teacher at “Bahri Haxha” school in Vushtrri, views these gatherings with teachers and school principals as valuable opportunities to conduct diverse activities that contribute to disseminating information on specific issues.

“I believe that in every conceivable scenario, additional training is beneficial for everyone in acquiring information. In vocational schools, the field of biology often lacks sexual education and concepts related to gender equality. However, inclusiveness is well addressed in textbooks. It’s worth noting that, as a foundational subject, the students I teach already possess above-average knowledge,” stated Kovaci.

Mergime Jashari, the director of the Ura Sociale organization, noted that this activity marked the sixth consecutive one and also served as the concluding event. The research was conducted in classes with the theme “Promotion of Quality Education and the Transformation of Traditional Gender Norms.”

“During the activity, we engaged with approximately 300 students from two vocational secondary schools in Vushtrri. We held meetings in the classes that were previously selected for observation. The goal was to assess inclusiveness, the promotion of gender equality, and the presence of stereotypes related to gender-based violence, family planning, and reproductive health. While most cases demonstrated full inclusion, there was a percentage where teachers lacked sufficient information on these topics to effectively explain them to the students. I believe this gap occurred due to a lack of comprehensive training.”

Ura Sociale conducted this activity as a beneficiary of the 18th round of the Kosovo Women’s Fund, supported by the KWN’s Further Advancing Women’s Rights in Kosovo II,” financed by the Austrian Agency for Development (ADA) and co-financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).