STRENGTHENING THE CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY ACTORS FOR VICTIM-SENSITIVE COMMUNICATION IN TACKLING THE ISSUE OF DOMESTIC AND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN NORTHERN KOSOVO

Donor: Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI)

Description: Main project objective is to support the victims of domestic violence through increased capacity of relevant community members (media, institutions, activities) to design and undertake victim-sensitive public awareness actions.

The essential beneficiaries of the projects are victims of domestic and gender based violence in 4 northern Kosovo municipalities. They will benefit from increase understanding of community and professionals on patterns and manifestations of domestic violence and greater engagement in community dialogue resulting with greater empathy of institutions and community members to women subjected to violent behaviors. Increase in community empathy toward the victims will be encourage factor for those women who hesitate to report the violence due to social stigma. Consultations of the victims of domestic violence was essential element of the efforts in designing the Action Plan for Fight against Domestic and Gender Based Violence.

Project results:

1. Increased capacity of media representatives to report on domestic and gender based violence in community while protecting the dignity and rights of the victims.
2. Increased capacity of members of Coordination Mechanisms (local institutions, police, CSO) to engage in public dialogue on gender issues using the appropriate and gender-sensitive language
3. Increased familiarization of northern Kosovo communities and general public on sensitiveness and prejudices affecting the victims of domestic violence.

Overarching results of the actions is support to implementation of Action Plans for fights against domestic and gender based violence developed by local experts gathered under the Coordination Mechanisms and relevant UN agencies.