28. November. 2016. | 6:11

Dont turn your head away - Violence against women

Status: Finished

Partners and Supporters:

The government of Finland, NGO “Women’s Rights” from Mitrovica and associate organisations dealing with the rights of women

Objectives:

To foster gender equality in the north of Kosovo by increasing the number of women and other social groups who are educated about the notion, forms of and mechanisms of protection against domestic violence.    

Strategies:

• Create comprehensive public information and education about forms of protection against domestic violence, which is guaranteed by international conventions and regulations of Kosovo (constitution, legislation against domestic violence, family law, criminal law, the law on gender equality, anti-discrimination law, law on Free Legal Aid)
• Raise awareness about the problem of violence against women and elevate it on the list of community priorities
• Enable connecting and networking among all participants in the local community

Description:

The project aims to support a gender equality agenda in the north of Kosovo. The idea is to reach the community and victims with tailored information about domestic violence, including its various manifestations and mechanisms of protection against it.
 As such, the three strategic directions can be summed up as follows: (1) create comprehensive public information and education about forms of protection against domestic violence, which is guaranteed by international conventions and regulations of Kosovo (constitution, legislation against domestic violence, family law, criminal law, the law on gender equality, anti-discrimination law, law on Free Legal Aid). this should include information on indicators and the occurrence of domestic violence in the current social environment in north Kosovo and should be developed into a set of recommendations for strategic and comprehensive actions by relevant authorities and international organisations. (2) Raise awareness about the problem of violence against women and elevate it on the list of community priorities. (3) Enable connecting and networking among all participants in the local community.
Aktiv anticipates that these three approaches will result in the decreased occurrence of domestic violence and a greater capacity of relevant authorities to deal with related issues.

Results:

• Focus groups held in municipalities throughout north Kosovo (Zvecan, Zubin Potok, Leposavic, and North Mitrovica), attended by a total of around 90 local women in 9 workshops and 9 roundtables
• 20+ meetings with local law enforcement, human rights protection responsible agencies, and other stakeholders (police, hospitals, center for social work etc.), as well as local municipal authorities and relevant central authorities
• A survey of 130 local women on domestic violence, the first of its kind to be carried out in north Kosovo
• A detailed report and analysis of the survey results, also the first of its kind to be produced in north Kosovo
• A detailed report on the state of affairs in north Kosovo with regards to domestic violence, focusing on the work of local institutions, the legal status of victims and also including a set of policy recommendations
• Public conference: presentation of results, findings, and recommendations to a wider audience
• Booklet produced: “Don’t Turn Your Head Away – Violence Against Women”
• Brochure produced: “Domestic Violence – How to Read the Signs” and informational flyers
  • Promotional campaign marking the November 25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, documentary produced