KOSOVO: Civil Society Organisations Benefit Grants to Empower Women in Kosovo

Ten projects of civil society organizations were officially launched today in the presence of the Head of the European Union Office in Kosovo / European Union Special Representative in Kosovo Mr. Samuel �bogar, Kosovo UN Development Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Osnat Lubrani and Officer in Charge of the UN Women Project Office in Kosovo Ms. Flora Macula. During the launch, the ten projects were presented and the grantees officially signed their agreements.

Pristina, 13 February 2013: Ten projects of civil society organizations were officially launched today in the presence of the Head of the European Union Office in Kosovo / European Union Special Representative in Kosovo Mr. Samuel �bogar, Kosovo UN Development Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Osnat Lubrani and Officer in Charge of the UN Women Project Office in Kosovo Ms. Flora Macula. During the launch, the ten projects were presented and the grantees officially signed their agreements.

The purpose of the grants, amounting jointly to almost 220,000 EUR, is to empower the position of women in Kosovo, in particular through ensuring greater participation of women in peace building and post-conflict planning. The grants are given as part of a joint UN Women, UNDP and EU project on Women, Peace and Security, which supports the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in Kosovo.

At the event, Mr. �bogar said that "fighting human trafficking, ensuring a good conduct of the police and the court system in domestic violence cases and enhancing further the overall capacities of the local civil society dealing with gender equality and women's rights are only some of the examples which show the EU's commitment towards these issues in Kosovo and beyond."

During the event, Ms. Lubrani said that "these grants might be 'micro,' but the initiatives stand to make a very grand difference for women of Kosovo, for women from minority groups in particular, and more generally, for making Kosovo's goal of achieving prosperity, stability, and peace, a reality."

Ms. Macula stressed that "the joint work of EU and UN in supporting women's leadership at all levels and participation of women in peacebuilding and post-conflict planning is of utmost importance." She added that "the joint project, beside support to civil society, also supports other key stakeholders such as MPs and governmental institutions, and, among other activities, has been providing technical support in the development of the action plan to implement UNSC Resolution 1325 on women peace and security."

Out of the 10 projects, nine of them include non-majority women in their activities. The projects are implemented throughout Kosovo. Three projects have Kosovo wide reach, including a project that is implemented in all Kosovo municipalities with a significant Serbian population; one is implemented in the south-western area of Mamushë/Mamuša and Dragushë/Draguša; three in the western Dukagjini region; two in the north of Kosovo; and one in Shtrpce/Štrpce and Shtime/Štime. The aim of the projects ranges and includes increasing women's participation in local governance, women's economic empowerment, raising women's awareness on gender equality and women's human rights, transitional justice, inter-ethnic cooperation and strengthening of smaller grassroots organizations.

The ten projects, funded through the joint UN Women, UNDP and EU project "Enhancing Women's Participation in Peacebuilding and Post-Conflict Planning in Kosovo," were selected by the Project's Advisory Group through a rigorous and transparent selection process. The project supports efforts to ensure the implementation of commitments on women, peace and security with a particular focus on ensuring greater participation and leadership of women in peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery.