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A Voice For the Voiceless

The Advocacy Project (AP) recruits students to help marginalized communities tell their story and claim their rights.

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Kosova Women's Network

The Kosova Women's Network's (KWN) mission is to support, protect and promote the rights and the interests of women and girls throughout Kosovo, regardless of their political beliefs, religion, age, level of education, or ability. KWN fulfills its mission through the exchange of experience and information, partnership and networking, research, advocacy and service.

 

KWN was established in 2000 as an informal network of women’s groups and organizations from all over Kosovo. Since its inception, KWN has grown into a key advocacy network on behalf of Kosovar women at the regional and international level. It is now a leading network of more then 60 women’s NGOs and groups, some of which are well established in the region and have over ten years of experience in community development while others were more recently formed after the arrival of the UN in Kosovo.

The Network also includes women’s groups of various ethnicities and helps them build their capacity to work effectively on behalf of their communities, and some of KWN's work includes mentoring and network support for Roma women’s NGOs and Serbian women’s groups in Kosovo.

In 2006, KWN became the first network of not-for-profit NGOs in Kosovo to adopt a code of conduct, establishing a precedent for transparency and accountability for similar organizations.

AP's first experiment in providing integrated information support for a network was undertaken between September 2001 and May 2002 with the Kosova Women's Network (KWN).

For more information about civil society in post-war Kosovo, refer to AP's related Global Issues bulletin.

• Voter’s Voice Project -

KWN began preparations for the "Voters' Voice" campaign, which aims to hold politicians accountable for promises made during election campaigns.  To get the project running, KWN will open a telephone hotline so citizens can call to voice their complaints and concerns regarding government actions or services. All telephone calls will be free of charge and will be recorded without individual names or identifying information. This will allow KWN to track the most common grievances held by voters and, together with media monitoring, determine which politicians are fulfilling their campaign promises. At the end of the year, KWN will issue a report regarding citizens' concerns and notify politicians regarding citizens' needs.

• Upcoming Report Publication on Domestic Violence in Kosova

In April 2008, KWN was contracted by the UNDP Women's Safety and Security Initiative (WSSI) in close cooperation with the Agency for Gender Equality to conduct research on domestic violence in Kosova.  The research findings will be used to draft the first Kosova National Action Plan against Domestic Violence in fall 2008.  The report is expected to be released in September 2008 in three languages, after which time it will be available on the KWN website. For more information, please contact KWN.

• Documentary Film “Women, the Forgotten Face of War”  in Kosova

On 4 June 2008, at the Oda Theatre, filmmakers Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdottir presented their documentary, "Women, the Forgotten Face of War", with the support of the Kosova Women's Network (KWN).  The documentary narrates the stories of Sevdie Ahmeti, Ardiana, Brita, Ema, Aferdita, Nafie, Tatiana, Kada and Kosovare Kelmendi.

• A powerful coalition of Kosovar women’s organizations, including KWN, criticized the United Nations and the government of Kosovo for the absence of women on the seven-man Kosovar team that is negotiating the future status of the province, and warned that the lack of a gender perspective in the talks will undermine any future democracy in Kosovo. (See Kosovar Women Call for Inclusion in Peace Process)

• The Network also includes women’s groups of various ethnicities and helps them build their capacity to work effectively on behalf of their communities. Some work of the KWN has involved mentoring and network support for Roma women’s NGOs and Serbian women’s groups in Kosovo.

• The KWN and the Kosovo Center for Fighting Breast Cancer JETA/VITA (KCFBC) have launched a national campaign to prevent, detect and treat breast cancer in the province.

• KWN advocates locally and internationally for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women's Peace and Security.

• The Kosova Women’s Network has called on the United Nations to change electoral procedures before the November 2004 elections, so as to make the process more accountable and democratic. The KWN is demanding that voters be given a chance to elect individuals, not just parties.

• In 2004 and 2005, KWN ran a "Know Your Rights" campaign that strived to inform Kosovar citizens about their rights and the gender mechanisms available to them through skits and songs.

• In late 2003 and 2004, KWN launched a "Political Parties Work for Women" campaign that organized meetings for women in 30 districts in order to draft platforms of women's preferences for the general elections. Closer to the elections, KWN organized a "Get Out and Vote" initiative.

• In 2004, KWN promoted awareness of the film 'Lilja Forever,' which addresses the issue of trafficking in women and girls.

• As part of its campaign to eradicate violence against women in Kosovo, the Kosova Women's Network has produced a hit song called 'My Short Skirt,' which  reached number two on the Kosovo Top 20 in 2002.

• Press Releases

KWN produces a quarterly newsletter.

• Reports

KWN produces publications on a variety of topics related to its goals and activities, which are posted on its website.

• Women’s Peace Coalition Report
• Gender-Based Violence Research Report

KWN puts out annual reports that are posted on their website.

• Advocacy Project News Bulletins: AP has published bulletins about KWN through the news service, AdvocacyNet.

• Blogs

In 2008, AP sent Peace Fellow Nicole Slezak to work with KWN.  Read Nicole's blog. 

In 2006, AP sent Peace Fellow Barbra Bearden to work with KWN.  Read Barbra's blog.

In 2003, AP sent Peace Fellow Claudia Zambra to work with KWN. Read Claudia’s blog.

June 23, 2008
Kosovo Today: Women on Frontlines of Democracy Building
Mott Foundation

May 28, 2008
Westlake activist heads to Kosovo
Ventura County Star

March 10, 2008
Kosovo’s Women Suffer
Los Angeles Times

March 8, 2006
Kosovo women's group rallies against absence of women from status talks
BBC

October 5, 2004
Kosovo Women's Network campaigns for greater effectiveness of women voters
BBC

April 5, 2004
Land in Limbo
Guardian Unlimited

• Change.org/advocacy

October 30, 2007
Serbian and Kosovar Women Protest Against Military Spending in Kosovo

Outreach Partners

Women in Black-Serbia Center for Women War Victims Zene Zenama Women’s Lobby for Peace, Security and Justice in South East Europe Advocacy Training and Resource Center (ATRC) Autonomous Women's Center Belgrade Gender Alliance for Development Center (GADC) Global Fund for Women (GFW) Heart and Hand Foundation Urgent Action Fund (UAF)

Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) Council for Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) Network of East West Women (NEWW) Open Society Institute (Sorros) United Nations Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children (WCRWC) Women News Network (WNN)

For more information on networking with KWN, email them.



Contact:
C-2 II/8 Hajdar Dushi Str.
10000 Prishtina, Kosova
Tel: +381 (0) 38 245 850
E-Mail KWN

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