[KWN-Voices] Volume 1, Issue 1 - English

[Teresa Crawford]

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KWN VOICES: Your link to the Women of Kosova
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Volume 1, Issue 1 - November 5, 2001
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IN THIS ISSUE:

* Editorial: Making Our Voices Heard - The Women of Kosova
* Network News
* Chronology of Key Events for the Women's Movement in Kosova
* Member Profile: Legjenda in Viti
* About KWN Voices

*

FROM THE EDITORIAL DESK: Making Our Voices Heard - The Women of Kosova

Important news - Women of Kosova exploit the Internet!

As events change in Kosova, it is giving rise to a miraculous change
in the status of women. Thanks to new technology, Kosovar women can
now make their voices heard. This helps them to participate more fully
in building the society, which silenced them for decades.

The women of Kosova are playing a vital and integrated role in the
political, cultural and financial development of their country. Their
emancipation is making it possible for the Albanian people to utilize
a marvelous talent.

In fact, this process began in the 1970s with the opening of the
University of Prishtina in Kosova. The university began to provide
Kosovar women with the opportunity to enjoy a professional career, in
areas that were once taboo - as doctors, journalists, politicians and
other professions.

The existence of Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) has also allowed
Kosovar women to become involved in fields such as education, cultural
activities, and legal rights. In these capacities they help and
support fellow woman to build decision-making skills and advance
within their family and in the workplace. This process of
participation has led to economic independence for many Kosovar women.

Now, the Kosova Women's Network will have its own web site
(http://www.womensnetwork.org), newsletter and information network.
What will this do for the women of Kosova?  It will create a bridge of
partnership and friendship with other organizations that work inside
and outside of Kosova, without distinction of race, faith, or
background. It will enable direct communication and information
sharing between women. They will be able to remain in direct contact
with friends.

Having this ability to communicate will help to soften their pain, by
providing them with the means to share their experiences, including
their suffering. They will be able to discuss their vision, their
hopes, their loves, their families, and learn from the knowledge of
their experiences to make a difference in their future.

The world will now be linked with Prishtina, the newest capital in
Europe. It will be able to witness the success and triumphs of Kosova
and its women.

*

>>> Each month we plan to publish KWN Voices in both English and
Albanian.  Due to some difficulties with translation we are putting
out this first issue in English only.  The Albanian version will come
out later this week.

We plan for each issue of the newsletter to contain an editorial, news
about the Network and its campaigns and a profile of a Network member.
We hope that over time Network members and those working with women in
the region will contribute articles and commentaries.

We can be contacted via e-mail at info at womensnetwork.org <<<

*

NETWORK NEWS -

Women make up over 50% of the population of Kosova.  They come from
diverse ethnic backgrounds, from the cities, towns and villages, with
all levels of education and from different economic backgrounds.
These women have come together in the Kosova Women's Network (KWN) not
to share their problems but to share their strength and their work.

The Kosova Women's Network is engaged in six campaigns: Education,
Women in the Economy, Violence Against Women/Domestic Violence,
Coalition: NGOs and Politicians, Trafficking in Women and Refugee/IDP
Women.  While individual Network members may be working on other
issues these campaigns are the primary focus of the Network.

EDUCATION:

A campaign to end illiteracy in Kosova was launched in October 2001 by
19 local NGOs including several Network members with UNICEF and the
Kosova Foundation for an Open Society (KFOS).  The coalition of groups
has produced a book, to encourage learning among women.  The targets
of this campaign are the women who did not finish school and their
children.

WOMEN IN THE ECONOMY:

Women in the Economy conference to be held November 29-30th 2001. Over
30 KWN members will participate.  This will be the first conference of
its kind in Kosova that specifically targets women and their
contribution to the economy.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN/DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:

The KWN will launch a multimedia campaign on November 25, 2001
(International Day Against Violence Against Women).  Music, television
spots, posters and a play modeled on Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues
(http://www.vday.org) are in development.  Over 30 groups are
participating in this campaign.  We will provide additional coverage
in next months newsletter.

COALITION: NGOs and POLITICIANS:

Province wide parliamentary elections will be held in Kosova on
November 17, 2001.  Women's NGOs in partnership with their local
politicians are educating their representatives on issues of concern
to them.

According to UNMIK Regulation No. 2000/39 over ¼ of the
parliamentarians must be women.  The KWN is working hard to support
women politicians who can represent not just women's issues but issues
of importance to everyone in Kosova.

TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN:

In partnership with IOM, KWN members are providing support for women
who have been trafficked to Kosova and wish to return home. In several
cities in Kosova, KWN members are providing shelter for these women.

REFUGEES/IDPs:

Over 30,000 refugees and IDPs are still in Kosova.  Many of them are
receiving aid and support from Network members.

*

A CHRONOLOGY OF KEY EVENTS FOR THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT IN KOSOVA SINCE
1989

1989

The Serbian Regime, led by Milosevic, revoked Kosova's autonomy and
removed Albanians from the parliament in Prishtina. 90% of the
population of Kosova (Albanians) were fired from their jobs including
in health care, education and media. Albanians protesting for equal
rights are met with violence from the police and military. The
Albanian community began over ten year's of passive non-violent
resistance to state oppression.

Albanian Civil Society starts organizing. The first Albanian NGOs are
founded.  Among them the women's group MOTRAT QIRIAZI, the Paraplegic
Association and the Mother Theresa Humanitarian Association.

1995

Women's rights activists found the CENTER for the PROTECTION of WOMEN
and CHILDREN in Prishtina. They provide specialist advice, health
care, and documentation to women victims of human rights abuses.

International women activists and women's groups including women's
groups from Former Yugoslavia begin to give more support to women
organizing in Kosova.

In Viti region, Oxfam UK/I helps set up the rural women's group
LEGJENDA.

Albanian women from Kosova begin what becomes a long-term involvement
in the Belgrade WOMEN IN BLACK AGAINST MILITARISM annual meetings.

1997

AUREOLA rural women's group is founded, working in Obiliq. ELENA,
group for women's rights is founded, based in Prishtina.

OCTOBER 1997

Serbian military begin clandestine preparations in Kosova for ethnic
cleansing of Albanians and war.

Albanian students and civil society organize large-scale non-violent
demonstrations throughout Kosova.

FEBRUARY 1998

The Serbian Army start military operations against Albanian civilians
in central Kosova (Drenica region). Tens of thousands flee the war to
other parts of Kosova. Massacres, murders and rapes begin. The sixteen
month's of violence cause the deaths of almost ten thousand civilians
and include the rapes of many thousands of women.

Kosova NGOs, women's groups and human rights organizations immediately
organize helping displaced people with food, medical care, shelter,
and education.

In these days, women's NGOs begin regular monthly meetings to support
each other and share experiences.

THE CENTER for the REHABILITATION of MOTHERS and CHILDREN is founded
specifically to work with displaced from Drenica.

SEPTEMBER 1998

Kosovar rural women's groups organize as a network comprising Aureola,
Elena, Legjenda, Liria, Motrat Qiriazi. As the 'Rural Women's Network'
they develop a common program in order to provide more support to
women and girls in the conflict areas of Kosova, and to increase
networking with feminist women's groups outside of Kosova.

Women with disabilities begin to self-organize by founding their group
'ZGJIMI (awakening)'.

MARCH 1999

NATO begins its response to the human rights abuses being conducted by
the Serbian authorities in Kosova. Military targets in Kosova, Serbia
and Montenegro are bombed.

Paramilitaries acting together with military forces intensify their
attacks on civilians, deporting Albanians from their homes, and
murdering many others. More than half the Albanian population are
forced, in many cases on foot, into the mountains, and on terrible
journeys to safety in Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia
Hercegovina. Kosovar women's groups, themselves refugees, begin to
fundraise, and to organize humanitarian and empowerment work in camps
and communities in these places.

JUNE 1999

The Kumanova agreement is signed by the Yugoslav state, signaling
their submission to NATO's authority, and the beginning of their
military withdrawal from Kosova. The agreement fails to include hand
over of political prisoners. As a result many women cannot be reunited
with their men folk, who remain in jails in Serbia, in many cases
until 2001. Political prisoners also include some women. Albanians
begin rapidly to return to their burnt homes and decimated villages.
They start to rebuild their lives. Serbs and Roma begin to leave
Kosova fearing reprisals.

OCTOBER 1999

Women's groups become increasingly disaffected at the way the
international community is failing to include them as equal partners,
and instead is marginalizing them. The groups struggle against the
neo-colonialism functioning under the auspices of the UNMIK and the
OSCE, which gives little respect for the years of self organizing by
the Albanian community.

JANUARY 2000

A few individuals within international institutions give support to
women in their self organizing. One of these initiatives results in
the formation of the Kosova Women's Network (KWN), an umbrella
organization, which represents over 32 women's groups, most of them
founded in 1999. Its regular monthly meetings include women from these
groups and from international organizations.

JUNE 2000

KWN organizes the first regional Albanian women's conference. Its
topics include health, education, violence against women, trafficking
in women, legal rights.

JUNE 2001

At their request KWN supports minority women's groups to organize. KWN
expands to include women's groups from Turkish, Roma, Ashkali,
Egyptian and Serbian communities.

NOVEMBER 2001

KWN organizes the second women's conference with the topic of 'Women
and the Economy'.

KWN organizes their second annual Kosova wide campaign against
domestic violence. The innovative campaign features pop songs, tv
spots, monologues, posters and other media/cultural activities.

The KWN launches an e-mail newsletter, KWN VOICES and a website
http://www.womensnetwork.org

*

PROFILE: Legjenda in Viti

Each month we will profile a different member of the KWN.  In this way
we hope to show the depth and breadth of the women's groups working in
Kosova.  These profiles along with pictures and additional information
about their programs in both Albanian and English will be available in
the PARTNERS section of the KWN website once it is launched
(http://www.womensnetwork.org)

>>>'In 2001, 400 women and 80 children in Viti alone participated in
projects at our center, where we have provided them with the
opportunity to acquire sewing and computer skills as well as being
able to organize meetings and forums that were of importance to the
community.   Five hundred secondary school children participated in 4
organized sessions where experts provided psychosocial information
regarding youth deviance from social norms. Almost 90% of the
villagers participated in these sessions.   Our motto is, 'Give me an
educated woman and you will find a civilized nation.''<<< From
Legjenda Director, Latifir Neziri.

The Women's Organization 'Legjenda' was founded in October of 1996 and
is a non-governmental organization based in Viti and works heavily
within its surrounding villages.

At their center in Viti, women, children, and teenagers from all
ethnic and social backgrounds have the opportunity to acquire skills
in computer training, sewing courses, psychosocial assistance, as well
as being able to discuss various problems they are currently coping
with.  We are especially focused on villages that are high in the
mountains and have minimal access to various programs surrounding
Viti.  We maintain constant communication with the women of these
villages and provide support in helping them to achieve their goals.

VISION: Our vision is to increase the participation of women living in
villages to take an active role in Kosovar civil society.

PROCESS: Legjenda carries out psycho-social programs, health care and
education training, and helps women to become economically
self-sufficient through job training programs.

REGIONS OF WORK: Legjenda works with the women of the community in
Vitia including the 42 surrounding villages.

THE ACTIVISTS: Legjenda currently employees a Director, Assistant
Director, and 5 project assistants.   International and local experts
have been engaged to organize and supervise some of our workshops.

WHO DO WE WORK WITH? Legjenda works predominately with women and
children from various ages, specifically focusing on women in the
villages.

SUPPORT: Legjenda has received financial support from the following
donors:

OXFAM, Kosova; Kosova Women's Initiative (KWI), Kosova; GFW, New York;
CDF, Kosova; Star Delhi International, Serbia; AID Kosova; Norwegian
Church, Kosova; Soros, Kosova; Motrat Qiriazi, Kosova; Mother Teresa
Organization, Kosova; as well as various donors from the community of
Viti.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR WORK:

* Health Education for 20 villages with 7500 women participating
* Provided free transportation to 74 girls enabling them to attend
secondary school
* First Aid Courses to 108 women of 9 villages
* Information sessions focusing on youth violence to 360 girls of 6
villages
* Cultural and sport activities to 134 girls of 6 villages
* Workshops on women's rights 270 women of 6 villages
* Psycho-social support to rural women in 8 villages
* Sewing workshops for dislocated women  37 women of 8 villages

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Legjenda - Women's Organization in Viti
Latifie Neziri, Director
Tel/Fax: +381-280-82-024
Email: latifeneziri at hotmail.com

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About the KWN Voices
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KWN Voices is published monthly by the Kosova Women's Network (KWN).
The KWN is made up of over 32 women's groups from throughout Kosova.
We hope that you find the information we disseminate of value and that
when we make a call for action we can count on your support.  Please
forward this newsletter to others and encourage them to join.

TO SUBSCRIBE: send an e-mail to kwn-news-request at alb-net.com with only
the word 'subscribe' in the body of the message or visit
http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/kwn-news

Inquiries and submissions can be sent to info at womensnetwork.org.  Back
issues of the newsletter can be found at http://www.womensnetwork.org.

This newsletter has been produced with generous support from
OSI-Budapest http://www.soros.org

Editorial Board:
Igo Rogova, Motrat Qiriazi
Ilirjana Loxha, KWN Information Officer
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