Over 7,500 women and girls of various ages and backgrounds have directly participated in numerous activities organized by 12 civil society organizations across Kosovo. These activities were supported through the first phase of the KCSF “EJA Kosovo” Program.

Participation in politics, education in the field of human rights, economic empowerment, physical well-being through sports, health, and security are the areas in which interventions have been made through 13 projects implemented over the last three years, exclusively intended for women.

Today, as we mark  March 𝟖th, International Women’s Day, we want to acknowledge the contributions of organizations that have been working towards empowering and advancing the rights of women and girls in all aspects of life.

𝟏. The festival “Shliroj (. )( .)”, organized by Creative Information, Care, and Artivism for Tomorrow, has been supported in two editions to spread the message about the risk of breast cancer, the importance of early detection and self-testing, and to raise funds for women affected by breast cancer. Over 5,000 women have participated in various activities throughout the implementation of the two projects.

𝟐. Through a series of activities, the Multi-Ethnic Association of Women’s Groups in the Mitrovica Region (MEAWGMR/ SHMGGRM) has been actively promoting women and girls to exercise their right to run for local councils through the project “Empowerment of Women and Girls in Rural Areas, Their Rights and Involvement in Neighborhood and Village Councils”. Over 250 women are involved in these activities.

𝟑. The Artpolis organization has successfully established the Fund for Feminist Art through their project “Co-building the feminist movement by challenging the patriarchal mentality in society through art and culture”. This fund has provided financial support to 23 artistic projects, developed 30 trainings on “Education of Young Women on Feminism”, organized 3 annual #BollMa marches, and implemented various other activities. More than 750 women and girls are actively participating in these activities.

𝟒. The Romano Anglunipe organization is actively involved in educating women and girls from the Roma community about human rights through a supported project. More than 200 Roma girls have participated in lectures on human rights. Additionally, the organization has implemented other activities with a specific emphasis on property rights. Over 320 women and girls are involved in all project activities.

𝟓. The AMC organization, which advocates strongly for improved health care for women, mothers and children through the Organizational Development Grant, has enhanced internal capacities by creating the organization’s Strategic Plan, implementing policies to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation, and providing necessary software and equipment for operations.

𝟔. The organization DemSport, through the “Guardians of Equality” project, has raised awareness among institutions and citizens about the importance of physical activity for the well-being of each and every one of them, and in particular, they have addressed the issue of limited space for girls and women to engage in physical activity. The organization has also advocated for initiating a public debate on the concept of physical activity in our society. To date, over 360 women and girls have participated in activities organized by this organization.

𝟕. The Inject organization has been working to improve access to justice for women living in Kosovo by addressing the numerous challenges and obstacles they face when dealing with judicial services. In addition to conducting activities related to research and monitoring in courts, this organization has also provided free counseling to 55 women. Currently, approximately 160 women and girls are participating in various activities within the project.

𝟖. The KCSS organization, through its “Women, Peace and Security” project, has contributed to addressing the challenges faced by women and creating a safer and more equitable environment to combat violence against girls and women in Kosovo. Additionally, they have long advocated for increased participation of women in public and social life, with a special focus on the Kosovo Police and the Kosovo Security Force. These goals were achieved through meetings, discussions, focus groups, and various activities that engaged over 100 women and girls.

𝟗. The Committee of Blind Women of Kosovo (CBWK), with the assistance of the Organizational Development Grant, has enhanced the organization’s internal capabilities by implementing various policies. This initiative is designed to strengthen the organization’s dedication to empowering blind and visually impaired women and girls.

𝟏𝟎. The QIKA organization is dedicated to practicing and advancing inclusive feminism, ensuring that all women are treated equally and can live without oppression and discrimination. Through the Organizational Development Grant, the organization has enhanced its internal capacities in multiple areas.

𝟏𝟏. The organization EcoKos Women, through the project “Women’s Access to Property as a Right and Their Economic Empowerment”, has been working to improve policies that ensure more properties are registered in the name of women, and has managed to successfully increase awareness among women and girls about their right to property. Approximately 150 women are participating in the activities within this project.

𝟏𝟐. The Institute for Development and Integration (IDI) has successfully prepared 17 women for the labor market through the project “Socio-economic Empowerment of Women in the Labor Market and Their Rights in Business” by providing direct training in the field of business administration. It has also established an informal women’s advocacy group in the business field, organizing numerous activities to encourage women’s inclusion in the labor market.

In addition to these projects dedicated exclusively to women, over 30,000 women have been included in nearly 100 projects supported by the EJA Kosovo Program.

It is already evident that worldwide gender equality still remains one of the biggest challenges when we talk about human rights. Therefore, the commitment of the entire society to fight discrimination based on gender is of particular importance. KCSF remains committed to supporting civil society in this endeavor.