Category: Open Calls Organizations: Kosova Women's Network Tags:
The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) envisions a Kosovo where women and men are equal and have equal opportunities to education, employment, political participation, healthcare, and a life without violence.
Our mission is to support, protect, and promote the rights and interests of women and girls throughout Kosovo, regardless of their political beliefs, religion, age, level of education, sexual orientation, and ability. KWN fulfils its mission through the exchange of experience and information, partnership and networking, research, advocacy, and service.
Towards achieving its vision and mission, KWN compiled a Strategy for 2019 through 2022. Its purpose is to guide KWN’s work during this period. The Strategy was compiled during 2018 in consultation with KWN’s members, Board of Directors, and other key partners and stakeholders. KWN’s Strategy involves six programmatic areas: I) Strengthening Feminist Movement in Kosovo; II) Women in Politics and Decision- making; III) Women’s Right to Healthcare; IV) A Life Free from Gender-Based Violence; V) Women’s Economic Empowerment; and VI) Improving Access to Quality and Gender-Sensitive Education.
Shifting aid priorities and shrinking budgets have forced many donors in Kosovo to close their grant programs or decrease funding for non-governmental organizations. Other donors have funds available, but have difficult application procedures and/or only give sizeable grants. Women’s groups with limited full-time human resources and English language skills face difficulties obtaining funding for their important initiatives towards gender equality and women’s rights.
Therefore, the Kosovo Women’s Network in close consultation with its members established the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF) in 2012. The Fund provides small grants for women’s organizations that lack access to other sources of funding and that seek to further women’s rights, particularly among rural and/or marginalized groups.
KWN’s KWF also provides capacity development opportunities for grant recipients, as well as other member organizations, in grant-writing, project cycle management, and financial management, furthering their capacities to apply for funding from other donors in the future.
