From War Trauma to Integration

Transcription

From War Trauma to Integration
A Publication Documenting a Decade of Work
by Medica Kosova
(1999 – 2009)
CONTENTS
LETTER FROM THE FOUNDER OF MEDICA MONDIALE KOSOVA, DR. MONIKA
HAUSER................................................................................................................................. 2
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MRS. VEPRORE SHEHU .......................... 4
THE OPENING OF MEDICA IN KOSOVA ............................................................................. 6
THE MISSION OF MEDICA KOSOVA ................................................................................... 7
THE MK APPROACH............................................................................................................. 8
THE MK CONCEPT OF SUPPORT ....................................................................................... 9
MK PROJECTS & PROGRAMS .......................................................................................... 15
1. PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT FOR WAR TRAUMATIZED WOMEN AND GIRLS.......... 16
2. DEVELOPING INCOME-GENERATION ACTIVITIES WITH WOMEN............................ 19
3. SUPPORTING WOMEN WITH MISSING FAMILY MEMBERS TO IMPROVE THEIR
LIVES.................................................................................................................................... 20
4. SUPPORTING HEALTHCARE FOR MINORITY WOMEN IN PRIZREN......................... 23
5. SUPPORTING THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN
.............................................................................................................................................. 24
6. SUPPORTING WAR TRAUMATIZED WOMEN FARMERS IN GENERATING INCOME26
7. SUPPORTING WAR WIDOWED WOMEN FARMERS FROM GJAKOVA ..................... 31
8. SUPPORTING MARKETING FOR WOMEN INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION OF
HONEY AND MILK............................................................................................................... 32
9. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT FOR WOMEN INVOLVED IN THE
PRODUCTION OF MILK AND HONEY ............................................................................... 34
10. SUPPORTING REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE AND PREVENTION OF BREAST
CANCER AMONG WOMEN IN RURAL AREAS ................................................................. 35
11. ADVOCATING FOR INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS OF WAR RAPE 36
12. SUPPORTING THE EMPOWERMENT OF YOUNG GIRLS FROM RURAL AREAS ... 38
13. PROVIDING QUALITY HEALTHCARE TO WOMEN AND GIRLS ............................... 40
ONGOING PROJECTS ........................................................................................................ 41
PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES AND EVENTS .......................... 46
PARTICIPATION IN WORKING GROUPS AND LOCAL CONFERENCES ....................... 49
SURVEY ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ..................................................................... 50
“EXPERIENCES IN GYNECOLOGICAL WORK AT THREE MEDICA CENTERS”........... 51
THE 2004 CAMPAIGN “LET’S SUPPORT WOMEN” ......................................................... 52
THE LEGAL CONFERENCE ON “SEXUAL CRIMES DURING THE WAR” ...................... 53
PEACE-BUILDING ACTIVITIES .......................................................................................... 54
MEDICA MONDIALE AND MEDICA KOSOVA FOUNDER DR. MONIKA HAUSER
RECEIVES “RIGHT TO LIVELIHOOD AWARD” IN SWEDEN ........................................... 55
APPROXIMATE VALUE OF HUMANITARIAN AID DISTRIBUTED TO MK CLIENTS ...... 56
MK ORGANOGRAM ............................................................................................................ 57
FORMER STAFF OF MEDICA KOSOVA ............................................................................ 58
1
LETTER FROM THE FOUNDER OF MEDICA MONDIALE KOSOVA, DR. MONIKA
HAUSER
As my colleague Kirsten Wienberg and I spoke to women in Tirana and
Durres at Easter in 1999, we were struck by their closed, emotionless
expressions, which immediately reminded us of similar faces we had
seen in Bosnia when we first started our work at Zenica in early 1993.
Many human rights activists had already warned of an imminent war in
Kosovo and that the Serbian Army would attack the southern Serbian
province.
Unfortunately, international politics did far too little, either to prevent the
escalation or to protect the civilian population. In fact the OSCE
mission, which held a watching brief, was withdrawn. This was virtually an open invitation
for disaster and encouraged the ruthless Milosovic to attack the already totally oppressed
population. The complete catalogue of war crimes forced the predominantly Kosovan
majority to flee. Women and girls were forced to suffer plundering, destruction of villages,
the shooting of men and boys, and of course rape during the storming of villages. Those
who survived these horrors knew instantly what it would mean for them – in their families as
well as their villages. They would be stigmatized and excluded by a community which would
prefer their death to living with what they considered to be the “sullying of family honor.”
In Gjakova, a colleague, told us about her cousin. During the endless months of war, the
young woman from Sarajevo kept a bottle filled with petrol behind the door of her apartment
and carried matches in her bag. Over a period of time, Gjakova came to understand why
this was so. The preparation for self-immolation went hand in hand with the fear of being
raped, but more importantly, the scorn and shame of being excluded by her community
which would be too much to live with.
Women were victimized during the war and remained so afterwards because of society’s
structures. As real as this status is, there is an even greater danger that women who have
been raped will be stigmatized, will be stereotyped through this tragedy and only seen in this
light. To help these affected women to come to terms with their trauma, they must be able
and allowed to speak for themselves: we have to ask them what they need and what they
want. Not just to be a “victim,” or reduced to the perception of a woman who has been
raped, but to find a way back, to live, even when life isn’t what it previously used to be. This
is a difficult and painful journey full of prejudices, including the loss of both personal dignity
and respect of people around them, and they need to be supported. For many of them, this
will mean years of psychosocial counseling, for others legal advice or medical treatment.
This support must undoubtedly go hand in hand with educating the community and raising
political awareness. Only when politics and society acknowledge and condemn rape as
unacceptable, only when the disgrace of the crime is attributed to the perpetrator and not to
the victim, only then will women have the chance to stand tall and deal with the experience
confidently. Talking openly about rape must also lead to the acknowledgement of this crime
of sexualized violence and its most dehumanizing expression of the inequality of the sexes.
All of us, whether in Germany or Kosovo, in international politics or working directly with
affected women in a small project somewhere in a crisis region, face an important challenge.
There have to be more women in authority who are able to make important decisions, to
prevent wars, to protect the civilian population, to be part of a new start after violent conflicts,
and to really fight for new ideas: respect, dignity, and self-esteem. These are important
especially for women, but not only for women, because every community will benefit from
embracing these ideals.
2
Our aim back in the summer of 1999, was to offer those women with sad faces and even
sadder stories help through Medica Kosova. The organization offered not only specialist
support but also acknowledgement and understanding as to what women had experienced.
Then, as now, it is about solidarity because who is affected is only a matter of geographic
chance. To this end we decided in 1999 to look for ways to help. We were able to support
brave local colleagues in setting up the project, and together we have achieved a great deal.
I am particularly impressed by the women, who in 1999 were almost unable to move, and
today, through mutual support, have managed to provide for themselves, send their children
to school, be role models for their daughters, motivate women in neighboring villages, stand
up to their brothers-in-law, and live as part of the community!
We have learned a lot about the strength of women who have seen and experienced
unbelievable violence, violence for which it is difficult to find the right words. Together with
our colleagues in Kosovo, through trial and error, we tried different methods and made
improvements. We have learned a great deal from their sensitivity and empathy, an
experience I would not have wanted to miss.
Today I congratulate our colleagues of Medica Kosova whose courage and tenacity made
this project grow and flourish. They have every right to be proud of their achievements and
their strength to face the future with confidence.
Sincerely,
Dr. Monika Hauser
3
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MRS. VEPRORE SHEHU
Dear colleagues, donors, partners, and friends of Medica Kosova,
It is incredible how quickly the 10 years of hard work and commitment to
supporting women and girls who suffered violence during the war passed.
Indeed supporting women and their personal development has been
challenging. When we consider how closed our clients were immediately
after the war and how they refused to participate in any activities or social
life, the results we have achieved are marvelous. The women with whom
we have worked have become involved in agricultural, sought their own space in their
families and communities, and begun to request space in public and political life, as well.
This has been a long process for women and girls who experienced sexual violence during
the war. The number of women receiving services from Medica Kosova who broke the
silence concerning such violence shows clearly that our society continues to move slowly
toward ending the silence surrounding this sensitive issue. However, the continuing
stigmatization and marginalization of women who lack support from their families means that
for many the silence continues. We are consoled by the fact that a number of women who
shared their traumas have started to work and moved forward with their lives. And we as an
organization will continue to sensitize Kosovar society to the fact that women are victims of
war and should receive support in overcoming this bitter part of their lives.
We hope that women will not carry this burden of silence for the next 40 to 50 years like
women from Asia who were abused by Japanese soldiers or women from Germany who
experienced similar abuse during World War II. We hope that society will acknowledge these
wounds; by recognizing the suffering of the past, we can live the present and build the
future.
We met many challenges and overcame many obstacles during these years: accusations for
“labeling women with the seal of rape,” numerous threats in villages, and pseudo patriotic
claims that our organization “contributed to decreasing birthrates by raising awareness
among women of the importance of family planning.” But we never hesitated for a moment or
stepped back from our humanitarian mission and human approach to supporting women and
girls who are victims of a patriarchal mentality. We are happy that many women have
improved their living conditions and that we were able to open the topic of war rape. In this
direction, we were supported by our colleagues and friends from Germany with their
commitment and understanding of our specific socio-cultural circumstances.
On this anniversary, we thank the German organization GTZ for their financial support during
the first year of the post-war emergency phase. We also appreciate the sustainable support
we received from the German Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ)
and our colleagues from medica mondiale. Our personal and professional development can
be attributed to the support we received from medica mondiale e.V from Cologne, which
provided financial assistance, appropriate qualifications and professional advice. For the
investments in the fields of agriculture, livestock, and beekeeping, we deeply appreciate
BMZ, Heifer International Kosova, and the Marketing Support Project from Prishtina.
Many others have contributed to our successful work: UNIFEM in Kosova, UNIFEM –
Austria, the European Commission Liaison Office in Prishtina, and especially the Kosova
Women’s Network (KWN), which supported us in joint initiatives for war traumatized women
and girls. As a member of this network, we have never felt alone in addressing the needs of
our clients and improving their social status in Kosova. Together with the network and
UNIFEM in Kosova, we have influenced legislation for combating gender-based violence,
4
and we hope to continue influencing together legislation for improving the position of women
who survived wartime rape.
We appreciate the moral and technical support we received from local institutions for
developing agricultural activities. Their recognition of our work enabled us to overcome the
difficulties we encountered and motivated us to continue supporting the targeted groups. We
also thank the local, national and international media for promoting our work and the difficult
position of women traumatized by war.
We are deeply grateful to our clients who allowed us to stay with them throughout these
years. They have reflected an inner spiritual strength which facilitated our effective work.
Offering them support further helped us move forward, having experienced the trauma of
war ourselves.
Many future challenges await us, including especially support for our women farmers and
enabling them to represent themselves in public and political life. With your support, dear
donors and partners, we hope move forward so that Kosovar women are not only survivors
of war, but also important factors in establishing democracy and economic development.
That women are able to play such a role can be seen by their transformations in the last ten
years from survivors to successful farmers.
Sincerely,
Veprore Shehu
5
THE OPENING OF MEDICA IN KOSOVA
In 1999, during the war in Kosova, more than 800,000 people were forced to flee their
homes and seek shelter in neighboring countries, mainly Albania and Macedonia. Albania
received the most displaced people, installing a number of
refugee camps in Kukes and other parts of Albania. Many
Albanian families also made humanistic sacrifices, sheltering
Kosovar families in their homes.
Seeing the level of acute trauma present among the
displaced population, Medica Mondiale based in Koln,
Germany, founded a crisis center for supporting traumatized
women in the refugee camps. Thus, Medica Mondiale Tirana
was founded initially for supporting Kosovar women in these
camps. After the deployment of NATO troops in Kosova,
Medica Mondiale functioned as a center for supporting traumatized women persecuted
under the Enver Hoxha regime in Albania.
As people returned to Kosova at a speed that amazed the world, Medica Mondiale decided
to establish a center in Kosova that would support women who survived direct violence
during the war and who lost their close family members. Every corner of Kosova needed
support; every human heart needed comfort; every person needed to release the anger and
fear accumulated during the war; every child needed to cry loudly and be embraced; and
every woman needed to be heard. In the middle of this suffering, the town of Gjakova was
selected as the location best suited for Medica Kosova. The town held much pain and was
covered with grief and wreckage from the war.
The town of Gjakova had experienced a severe war that took many human lives; a war that
left anxiety over the fate of missing family members; a war that left many mothers without
children, many women without husbands, many children without one or both parents; a war
that left many people without roofs over their heads; and a war that damaged the souls and
dignities of many women and girls. In those of hopeless days, sleepless nights, and amongst
those broken souls, Medica Mondiale Kosova was established in Gjakova.
The old part of the town, “Qarshija ë Madhe,” had been completely destroyed.
A group of German women together with Dr. Monika Hauser, who had founded Medica
Zenica in Bosnia seven years prior, opened the doors of Medica Kosova in Gjakova in
August 1999. Two German women had set up the office in Gjakova, arriving with only a
single laptop and an old car amortized while traveling through war zones in Bosnia. Medica
gradually took shape and began its work.
After some months of organizing, endless hours, and tirelessly expended energy, Medica
began offering support. We made mistakes, but also learned from them. With time, we
6
gained more strength and experience. We gained this strength from women and their
determination to survive.
In this way, medica mondiale Kosova was born as an organization for supporting women
and girls traumatized by war. By the end of 2003, Medica Kosova (mK) was registered as a
local NGO. From 2003 to 2005, mK had 35 staff members, including 30 women and five
men.
THE MISSION OF MEDICA KOSOVA
Medica is a NGO that offers interdisciplinary psychosocial, medical and legal services as
well as income generating programs for improving the living conditions of war traumatized
women and girls and those with special needs. Medica Kosova plays an important role in
shaping gender policy at the local and national level in Kosova and supports research based
on its expertise in the field of trauma and the impact of trauma on women’s wellbeing.
The Goal of the Organization
The goal of the organization is to improve the health situation and living conditions of
Kosovar women traumatized by war with special support from women who experienced
sexualized violence during the war regardless of their ethnicity, religion, and sexual
orientation. Reducing the symptoms of trauma will enable women to integrate into society.
The organization’s goal is achieved through following objectives/activities:
1) Psychosocial support to start the process of moving forward after traumatic events
through individual and group counseling offered in the center and villages of Gjakova
Municipality and beyond;
2) Primary healthcare through counseling and gynecological visits with a psychosomatic
approach, offered to women and girls from Gjakova and Deqan Municipality by the
mobile unit of Medica Kosova;
3) Promotion and realization of human and legal rights of women and girls through
individual and group counseling in the center and villages of Gjakova Municipality as
well as their representation in local courts and other relevant institutions;
4) Lobbying and advocacy work at national and international levels to address women’s
needs and to shape policy in accordance with their needs; and
5) Developing income-generating projects for improving women’s living conditions.
The medika Kosova team outside
their office in Gjakova.
7
Target Groups
Medica Kosova supports:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Women and girls who experienced sexualized
violence during and after the war;
Women and girls who lost their family members
during the war;
Women and girls who are victims of family
violence;
Women and girls who have family members
missing since the war;
Women and girls with psychosomatic symptoms
and gynecological disorders; and
Women and girls whose legal rights are abused.
Number of Beneficiaries of mK Projects
1999 - 2008
Donor
GTZ / BMZ / MM
Beneficiaries
4,172
WGT
492
Assembly of Prizren / ICMC
330
“AVEC ET PUR AUTRES”
348
BMZ / mm
UNFPA
GTZ
UNIFEM Austria
Total
2,731
236
26
189
8,524
THE MK APPROACH
MK uses a special approach toward mutual trust and the establishment of conditions for
women to overcome traumatic events.
Interdisciplinary Cooperation
• Interdisciplinary cooperation developed through the work of all three departments
enables more comprehensive fulfillment of the client’s and patient’s needs. In many
cases the gynecology department serves as “an entrance gate” for patients who show
symptoms of sexual violence along with gynecological problems. These patients are
further referred to the psychosocial department for treatment.
• Traumatized women and girls who face gynecological problems are referred to the
gynecological department for treatment.
• The same cooperation takes place with the mK lawyer for informing clients or patients
about laws and legal procedures required for solving legal problems and assisting with
the preparation of court documentation.
Gynecological Healthcare with a Psychosomatic Approach
• The application of psychosocial anamnesis, consisting of different questions regarding
the spiritual and psychological situation of women, has supported the identification of
psychosomatic symptoms and very often of PTSD
Services provided by
mK (medical,
• Women and girls who experienced sexualized violence during
psychosocial and legal)
and after the war, are examined only after receiving information
about the manners of examination (vaginal or abdominal) and
Nr. of
Year
the feeling caused by the specula. They are visited only after
Services
they are ready for such an examination.
1999-2000
4,785
• Women who come for family planning consultations are
2001
6,944
informed in details about the types of contraceptives, effects
2002
3,589
and counter-effects. They make their final decision based on
2003
5,839
the kind of contraceptives they want to use.
2004
5,086
• Gynecological visits involve a 20 to 30-minute explanation for
2005
5,187
patients about the diagnosis. Individual health education is
2006
4,386
given regarding hygienic healthcare, STDs, and measures for
2007
5,354
preventing these diseases and other infections.
2008
2,878
• Medication is offered free of charge, together with instructions
Total
44,048
about usage.
8
Reducing the Usage of Medications
Through psychosocial treatment and primary gynecological care mK aims to increase
women’s awareness of the negative effects of addiction to medication. Further, mK
encourages reducing the usage of medication. Emotional ventilation, self-care, and the
establishment of coping mechanisms are important factors for good health.
THE MK CONCEPT OF SUPPORT
Support work is conceptualized in a way that enables women who have experienced war
trauma, especially trauma of sexual violence, to be treated as persons and not categories.
MK is a place where trust, solidarity, personal values, self-respect, and respect for others are
created. It is a place where a woman’s personality and inner strength are respected. It is a
place where women learn to recognize, establish, and care about their inner strengths. They
learn that they should not only “have a life to live” but “have a life with values.” Since it
began, mK has crystallized some basic values as part of the concept of support:
(1) Safety
Psychosocial, gynecological, and legal settings at the MK center and counseling in villages
offer physical and psychological security to women. This kind of setting helps increase the
feeling of safety and mutual trust between women and the professional team of Medica
Kosova.
(2) Respect of personality
MK respects each woman as a person and subject by accepting her the way she is and
trying to assist her in finding her values and resources. She is not treated as a victim but as
a survivor of violence whose surviving strength should be respected and valued.
(3) Holistic approach
The term “holistic approach” comes from the word “whole” which requires the consideration
all of the factors affecting a woman’s situation each day. In other words, different from the
approach of institutions, holistic approach implies comprehensive support of women in all
aspects of her life, including children, school, health, work, family, economic situation,
community involvement, legal problems, etc.
(4) Trust
MK offers women unconditional trust. Therapeutic work requires trust-building with the client
“without searching for evidence” that would determine creation of a “reason to help.” This is
achieved by active listening as an instrument for mutual trust-building. During counseling
sessions, it is important to allow each woman to tell her story and to be listened to carefully
and actively. With supportive words and questions, we encourage women to speak. We do
not interrupt or judge a woman’s story; we simply listen to her story the way she experienced
it. We are here to believe and understand women.
(5) Communication
Mutual trust-building develops skills of open and constructive communication.
Communication between mK staff and women is developed in a simple manner, always
respecting their level of education.
(6) Accepting and respecting the woman’s psychological and spiritual situation
This means that we take into consideration the woman’s psychological situation when she
addresses us for help by respecting her boundaries, including what she wants to reveal
about herself and when. This offers women who experienced violence the feeling of safety
9
and control and therefore strengthens trust in therapeutic relations, the basis for the next
step of support. Traumatic memory is often fragmented due to normal psychological
reactions that do not allow one to maintain consciousness of the details of a traumatic event.
All of these details together could cause unbearable pain and multifold disorders. Therefore,
women need more time to unfold everything they have experienced in their lives.
(7) The woman is not guilty about what happened to her
Violence against women has been present for centuries and in all cultures. Regardless of a
woman’s behavior, violence is not justified. The perpetrator is responsible and guilty for
committing violence. Women usually blame themselves because society legalizes violence
against women and produces stereotypes that blame women. That is the reason why
women are not able to recognize and name the violence they suffer.
(8) Confidentiality
A woman who asks for help usually carries an emotional history of mistrust and insecurity.
Therefore we offer confidentiality by keeping her story secret and confidential. The whole
conversation between the professional team and clients remains confidential, which
encourages her to speak. Data about clients are processed and coded for confidentiality.
(9) Responsibility
MK aims to increase the feeling of responsibility among women by motivating and
empowering them to take important decisions concerning themselves, their families, and
children. Activating their personal resources, vigilance, and strengthening their feeling of
responsibility supports the integration of women into their families and society in general.
(10) Transparency and clearance
MK informs the women about the importance of psychosocial counseling and other MK
services as well as the role of women themselves in using such services. Transparency
means that achieving the goal is as important as the goal itself and that the goal does not
justify the means. This enables women to understand that during the process of achieving a
goal, we change and therefore the process itself is important.
(11) Protecting survivors from media, political exploitation or any other kind of manipulation
A survivor of sexual violence does not need media attention or attention from her community
in the sense of treating her as a victim. Rather, she needs human support, empathy, and
respect for her surviving strength.
(12) Promoting the woman’s right of choice
The woman has the right to decide about her life, and we do not pressure her to make
choices or bring decisions in her name. She chooses the type of support she wants to
receive and what she wants to do next. She also chooses whether she will testify in courts
against the perpetrator or not.
(13) Necessary mobilization in the entire social sphere
Sexual violence should not remain an issue only between the victim and perpetrator. It
should be considered in the wider social context as a consequence of the power misbalance
in society. Coping with the consequences of violence should not involve a neutral attitude.
Commitment to such work in itself represents a moral appeal, persistence to recognize
consequences of violence, and a dedication to identifying the causes of violence.
Complementing the concept of support with programs for income-generation
In 2006 MK began a new phase of support for traumatized women, which sought to improve
living conditions especially among war widowed women in rural areas. Economic
empowerment was integrated into the mission and concept of MK only after women reached
a certain level of stability and were able to take over responsibilities for agricultural work.
10
They needed five years of intensive psychosocial support to activate their personal and
professional resources for involvement in income-generating activities. Previously, these
resources were blocked as a result of trauma.
The importance of psychosocial support prior to income-generating projects could be best
illustrated in the beginning of bee-keeping activities with a new group of women from the
village of Shishmon. MK started offering psychosocial support to this group of women for the
first time at the beginning of the bee-keeping project. However, unlike other groups who
received this kind of support prior to income-generating activities, these women had
difficulties coping with the group work. Since this experience, mK worked intensively with
new groups on trauma reduction prior to involving them in agricultural activities. Support of
traumatized women complemented by later economic empowerment as a means for further
dealing with trauma through work has proved to be a successful strategy.
What is sexual violence and gender based violence (GBV)?
“Gender” is interpreted differently around the world. Unlike the biological distinction between
male and female, gender is determined by the communities in which we live, including
history, tradition, and culture. Sexual roles are defined as the “entity of behaviors and
attitudes as appropriate or inappropriate for this or that sex.” In different societies boys and
girls are treated in different ways, starting from a young age. They are taught “appropriate”
behaviors that “fit” to their sex and are encouraged to include those behaviors in their living
styles. Later on, upon reaching their mature age they learn about cultural rules and roles of
sexual behaviors.
GBV reflects and influences inequality between women and men and as such attacks health,
dignity, security, and autonomy of its victims. It covers a wide range of human rights
violations, including sexual abuse of children, rape, family violence, sexual harassment,
trafficking of women and girls, and a number of other human rights violations. Each of these
violations has psychological consequences, as well as affects women’s and girls’ health,
including reproductive health. In some cases, it even ends in death. GBV is often a
manifestation of male power and control over the lives of others. It is based on and
encouraged by a culture of silence and denial regarding its impact on victims.
Rape as a Specific Trauma
Rape and other forms of sexual violence represent severe violations of human rights and
personal dignity. Rape is primarily committed against women and girls, but victims could also
be men and children. Similar taboos face any person who suffers sexual violence. In most
cases, rape includes vaginal, anal, and/or oral penetration.
Rape and other forms of sexual violence are terrible to experience. Rape should not only be
considered as a sexual act; in addition to involving psychological and physical abuse, it is a
severe violation of human rights. Some rapists kill and massacre their victims (Holmstrom
and Burges, 1980).
The key element of rape is the physical and psychological attack against the person.
Survivors of sexual violence have painful and prolonged post traumatic disorders compared
to survivors of other crimes (Hermann).
Sexual violence attacks corporal integrity in the sexual sphere of the individual. The sexual
sphere is one of most intimate parts of human beings. In most societies, it also has a specific
sociological and political meaning in constituting power relations between sexes. This is why
this kind of violence is “traditionally covered” under the taboo of unwritten and restricted
rights. This has a specific influence not only on the survivor but also in relation to the
community she lives.
11
Rather than considering rape a criminal act, it is often associated with sexual elements.
Perpetrators use domination and humiliation of the victim to demonstrate their wild power,
hatred toward the victim, and, in cases of war time, hatred towards her community. Negative
reactions by families, relatives, and wider communities increase the destructive effects upon
victims and thus influence victims’ fear and hesitation to press charges against perpetrators.
Feminists have offered a new vocabulary for understanding sexual violence not as a sexual
act but as a crime.
Women fearfully reveal the difference between their real experience and the interpretation of
it by society. Women realize that by being raped their lives were not only threatened, but
they were also humiliated and driven from their homes. Dealing with a traumatic event
causes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which is a normal psychological response to
abnormal traumatic events.
What Are Symptoms of Trauma?
Women and girls who experienced sexualized violence suffer many psychological
consequences resulting in a broad spectrum of short- and long-term health disorders. This
evidenced by, but not limited to, the following symptoms:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Intrusive symptoms presented through nightmares and flashbacks to the traumatic
event;
Aversive symptoms like avoiding memories, places and behaviors that remind them
of the event;
Hyper-vigilance: the state of expecting continuous danger, demonstrated by fear of
different disturbances and a continuous tendency to run away;
Loss of the feeling of security, demonstrated by a lack of confidence in others,
especially men;
A lack of interest in anything as well as a reduced response to the outside world,
including toward activities and people she liked before; and
Increased self-isolation.
Continuous oscillations between intrusive and aversive symptoms, between the memories of
violence and the desire to avoid these memories, between a state of tension and a
readiness to react, results in feelings of helplessness in everyday situations. This dialectical
psychological contradiction is typical for PTSD, and it results in women’s withdrawal into
isolation, insecurity, and a lack of life perspective. She has a different attitude toward her
body and does not experience it as a resource any more, but rather as a weapon against
her. She does not feel safe even within her own skin.
Rape in War
Rape in war is both a gender-based crime and a war crime. This kind of violence and
humiliation of women and girls is a functioning mechanism of patriarchy. Through rape,
patriarchy is revived and, at the same time, aims to destroy the integrity and territory of war
enemies.
“It is more dangerous
to be a woman
Recent data about the wars in the former Yugoslavia,
than a soldier
especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosova, show
in conflict zones.”
that rape was used as a weapon of war and strategy for
ethnic cleansing.
– Patrick Cammaert
The first study of rape in war was done by Susan Brown-Miller in 1977 in a book entitled
Kunder deshires sone [Against Our Desire] She states that war rape is committed in the
following ways:
12
•
•
•
Against women and girls in public places, often in
the presence of family and community members;
As gang rape, involving the repeated rape of
women and girls; and
In many cases, women and girls are killed after
being raped.
Rape in war is a way of communication between parties
in war and conflicts. Through the rape of women and
girls, perpetrators send a message to “their enemies”
that they have been conquered.
It is not only “a way of communication” during war time; men use this way of exchanging
messages by using women in other situations as well.
Perpetrators of rape in war do not choose their victims. The first selection criterion is
womanhood and the second is that the woman belongs to a certain nationality or religion,
used during the war as an “ideology.” Every woman of a certain nationality and/or religion is
targeted regardless of her age or physical appearance. Data show that most rape survivors
are ages 12-70.
The exact number of women and girls who survived sexual violence during the war in
Kosova and other countries of the former Yugoslavia shall never be known. Human Rights
Watch, UNFPA, and other international organizations have estimated that around 20,000
females in Kosova and 50,000 in Bosnia were raped during the war. The number could be
even higher considering silence surrounding this kind of crime.
Rape and sexual abuse were not born with the wars in Kosova or Bosnia. They existed in
previous social systems centuries before. Monuments elsewhere in the world speak clearly
about this violence and show how victims reacted to violence or avoided it at the time.
For example, the citizens of Gjakova still visit a legendary memorial. The legend was thought
to have happened in 1689, 10 years before the Austrian-Turkish war ended. Ten white
stones surround five old graves in the big yard of a house in Gjakova. The graves are simple
and have no epitaphs. According to legend, the graves have covered six sisters and their
father Mehmet Efendia for centuries.
Three centuries ago, Nadireja, Zyhraja, and their four sisters were washing clothes in their
yard. In order to avoid the hands of Austrian soldiers who entered their home, they threw
boiling water on the men who tried to grab them. Whether they burned themselves to escape
rape or were killed by the soldiers who entered their property remains unknown, though most
people believe the former.
Thousands of citizens visit these graves as a holy place called “Tyrbe ë çikave” to express
admiration and respect. Every night, the owners of the house light candles beside the
graves.
A dance central to Kosovar culture, the “Dance of Death,” comes from another heroic tale of
women sacrificing their lives in order to avoid the conquering army and potential sexual
violence. In peacetime, the women of Kosova still dance the “dance of death” at weddings
and celebrations.
13
The dance has been passed down from generation to generation since 1860, when the
soldiers of Ali Pashe Tepelena separated the Suliot defenders from Vesternica Monastery in
Macedonia. From 200 fighters, only 50 were captured alive. The women watched from the
Monastery. Seeing their husbands killed, they decided not to surrender alive. They left their
children with the elderly women and went down the river. There were 174 women. On the
way, a young woman in front of the convoy took out a white handkerchief and took the hand
of a woman close to her. She climbed a cliff and started singing an old song. The others
understood this as an appeal to dance before death. The Suliot women held each others’
hands, taking two steps forward and one step back, approaching the abyss. The soldiers
were frozen in front of this view. They could not believe their eyes and thought they were
experiencing a legend. While dancing, the women jumped from the cliff into the abyss one
after another before the soldiers could stop this “Dance of Death.” They stopped only the last
five women, grabbing, raping, and later selling them as slaves (Robert Martiko).
Although the times and places of “Tyrbe ë çikave” and the “Suliot women” differed, the
events have been repeated. Again, during the last war in Kosova, many women and girls
were raped. Some were also killed in events resembling these legends. Fortunately many
survived the trauma of rape. However, coping and surviving in their communities where they
lack support and encounter stigmas is as traumatic as the event itself.
Perhaps we cannot light candles for their sacrifice every night for citizens to visit, nor sing
songs or dance for their bravery, nor construct obelisks and other monuments. However,
they do deserve more from us, their families, villages, and government. We can recognize
their pains the way Bosnia did after the war with the “Fetva” which proclaimed the survivors
of rape as “sheits” and appealed for their communities to respect their strength of survival
and marry them.
We should not allow to indifference. We can take them from the dance of death, which they
think of during every minute of their lives. We can slowly bring them into the DANCE OF
LIFE. Only then can say that we are part of a legend, a legend that belongs to our time with
all the difficulties we experienced, a time that we can change and improve together.
14
MK PROJECTS & PROGRAMS
Since the establishment of the organization in
August 1999 through January 2006, medica Kosova
has provided psychosocial support, gynecological
services and legal assistance for war traumatized
women and girls. In 2006, along with these
services, medica Kosova started a three-year
income-generating project for improving the living
conditions of women through agriculture,
supported by the German Ministry (BMZ) and
colleagues from medica mondiale e.V.
Seeing the need to address other issues and assist
more women, both medica mondiale from Germany
and medica Kosova succeeded in raising additional
funds inside and outside Kosova. In this way, from
2005 to 2008, mK worked in Prizren Municipality,
implemented smaller advocacy projects, and
supported women farmers in Gjakova and Deqan
municipalities to improve their working conditions.
15
1. PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT FOR WAR TRAUMATIZED WOMEN AND GIRLS
Donors:
Deutsche Gesellschaft fur
Technische Zusammenarbeit
(GTZ), the Germany Ministry
for Economic Development
and Cooperation (BMZ) and
medica mondiale e.V. (mm)
Summary of Financial Support
Year
Amount
Supporter
1999-2001
DM 2,815,500
GTZ
2001
DM 860,304.08
BMZ/mm
2002
€499,541.89
BMZ/mm
2003
€411,145.65
BMZ/mm
2004
€391,665.11
BMZ/mm
2005
€169.773,65
BMZ/mm
Timeframe:
August 1999 - December
2005
Staff:
35 local staff members and nine international trainers
Beneficiaries:
4,172 women and girls in 45 villages
Project goal:
Improve the health situation of war traumatized women and girls by
reducing the symptoms of trauma and helping them overcome their
traumatic event.
The project involved:
• Individual psychosocial counseling in the center and villages of Gjakova and other
municipalities;
• Group psychosocial counseling in the center and villages;
• Gynecological services and breast exams in the center’s clinic and in villages through
the mobile clinic;
• Individual and group legal counseling for women;
• Legal representation in local courts;
• Qualification of local staff for professional treatment of war trauma with a focus on
trauma resulting from sexual violence during war;
• Social and humanitarian support through an emergency fund provided by mm and social
aid from international humanitarian organizations;
• Lobbying and advocacy work for addressing the needs of women and their inclusion in
legislation and public life; and
• Networking and cooperation with other NGOs and women’s networks in Kosova and the
region.
Medica Kosova counselors and lawyers speak with women in their homes.
16
The mK mobile unit offers psychosocial
suppor
Women use rocks to talk about their
experiences and to identify the “resources”
in their families and communities.
Results
• The psychosocial team offered 14,211 individual psychosocial sessions in villages and
the mK center;
• In total, 631 group psychosocial counseling sessions were offered since the group work
began in 2003;
• The medical team offered gynecological services and breast exams to 3,191 women and
girls during 13,604 visits to the center and mobile clinic;
• MK lawyers held 820 individual and group counseling sessions;
• Each year, 19 to 25 women initiated legal procedures in local courts and were
represented by medica Kosova.
• Eleven counselors regularly attended trainings on psycho-traumatology from 2001 to
2004, and showed knowledge and experience through midterm and final exams before a
Commission comprised of Professor Buttollo from Munich, psychologists and trainers
from Bosnia and Germany, as well as representatives of the University of Prishtina;
• Eleven mK counselors were certified as Professional Psychosocial Counselors in trauma
work for women. The certificate was legalized by the University in Prishtina;
• The gynecological team received training twice a year in 2001 and 2003 on a
psychosomatic approach during medical examinations of traumatized women and girls;
• Five members of the leading team of the organization attended capacity building
trainings on project planning, fundraising, and conflict management;
• European Parliamentarian Ms. Rita Suesmuth visited mK in 2002 and learned about the
situation of women who survived direct violence during the war. MK and Ms. Suesmuth
also spoke about migration policies in EU countries for women who survived sexual
violence;
• The Executive Director of mK graduated from
the Hope Fellowship Leadership Skills
Program in Washington D.C., organized by
the National Albanian-American Council
(NAAC) and financed by USAID from October
to December 2003.
• The Executive Director completed an
internship during her three-month stay in the
U.S. at the feminist organization “Women’s
Policy Studies” in Washington D.C., regarding
the role of networking in lobbying and shaping
Eu
public policies related to gender;
o
ean Parliamentarian Ms. Rita
S
th
17
MK visits US Congress, Mrs. Hillary Clinton and women State Legislators in Washington
D.C., during the Hope Fellowship Leadership training in 2003.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Three psychosocial counselors conducted training for the NGO dealing with the issue of
missing persons, “Mother’s Appeal,” in Gjakova, on trauma and coping with the
procedures of repatriating bodies from Serbia;
Psychosocial counselors offered individual and group psychosocial support to 18 women
staying in the “Safe House” in Gjakova;
246 women and girls receiving psychosocial support attended professional courses in
computers, English, hairdressing, dressmaking, driving, etc. Among them, 26 women
and girls successfully completed the driving course;
Eighty women found employment in the private and public sector, including 12 women
who received jobs in the public administration;
130 clients living in poverty received food and non-food items, as well as firewood and
stoves with support from the medica mondiale emergency fund and international
humanitarian organizations;
MK was part of the working group that drafted the UNMIK Regulation on Domestic
Violence in 2002;
MK lawyers attended one of the trials against Milosevic at the ICTY, Hague and
contacted representatives of the Witness Protection Unit, providing recommendations for
adopting cross-examination process for women witnesses from Kosova;
A mK representative participated in the World Women’s Congress in Kampala, Uganda
about the documentation of sexual violence committed against women in war and
conflict zones and exchanged experiences with women’s NGOs from different parts of
the world (2001 and 2002);
MK organized a gynecological conference in April 2002 for exchanging experiences
between medica mondiale organizations in Tirana, Zenica, and Kosova about the
importance of using a psychosomatic approach with patients who survived war rape; and
MK organized a Legal Conference in 2003 to include war rape survivors in legislation
that would treat them as civilian victims of war and provide them with Public Benefit
Status.
Services Provided by mK
Service
Women who received psychosocial services
Women who received medical services (gynecologic and breast exams)
PAP tests provided since 2002
Women who received legal services
Individual and group counseling sessions held
Visits for medical care
Women diagnosed with pathologic changes
Women who attended individual and group counseling sessions
18
Beneficiaries
700
3,191
1,228
347
14,842
13,604
65
820
2. DEVELOPING INCOME-GENERATION ACTIVITIES WITH WOMEN
Donor:
Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH,
Eschborn, Germany
Timeframe:
October 2002 – October 2004
Grant amount:
€20,000
Staff:
Two mK volunteers, 13 widowed women
Beneficiaries:
13 women, widowed during the war, with missing family members
Project goal:
The economic empowerment of women widows from Gjakova through
knitting and selling wool clothing.
Measures taken to achieve the project goal included:
• Supplying women with knitting machinery for producing wool clothing
• Training women how to knit with machines
• Opening a shop in the center of the city for knitting and selling products
• Regularly supplying women with knitting material
Results
• Thirteen women gained professional skills in operating machinery for knitting wool
clothing;
• Thirteen widowed women became employed for the first six months through this project;
• Thirteen widowed women generated incomes through these activities until October 2004
and thereby improved their living conditions;
• Eight women were able to afford sending their daughters for a university-level education;
and
• All of the women were able to supply the shop with wool and other knitting material
without support from mK during the second year of the project.
Supported by Medica, women widowed during the war sew handmade products at their
shop in Gjakova.
19
3. SUPPORTING WOMEN WITH MISSING FAMILY MEMBERS TO IMPROVE
THEIR LIVES
Donor:
Weltgebetstag (WGT) from Germany
Timeframe:
January 2005 – December 2007 and January 2008 – December 2010
Grant amount:
€92,781 (2005-2007) and €52,998 (2008-2010)
Staff:
Nine (three paid and six volunteers)
Beneficiaries:
492 women and girls, including 41 from the Roma community, waiting
for the repatriation of the bodies of their family members, missing
since the war in Kosova, and women who went through this procedure
and entered the grieving process.
Project goal:
Improving the psychological and physical situation of women and girls
with family members missing from the war and motivating them to
develop prospects for life
Measures taken to achieve the project goal:
• Group psychosocial counseling in processing war trauma; support for coping with
repatriation procedures as bodies were returned from Serbia; and support during the
grieving process;
• Individual psychosocial counseling; support for coping with personal war trauma; and
assistance in identifying resources for developing different life prospects;
• Legal support in realizing their legal rights;
• Gynecological services in the mK center and mobile unit; and
• Social support by assisting women to arrange personal documentation for social
assistance provided by the government.
Results:
• Psychosocial counselors started 32 women’s groups in six villages in Gjakova
Municipality, including two groups with Roma women from Kolonia camp;
• In total, 481 women participated in psychosocial group counseling;
• 452 women and girls received individual psychosocial counseling and support, of which
175 also participated in group work;
• Psychosocial counselors developed 3.172 individual counseling sessions with women;
• The counseling groups received 600 psychosocial group sessions;
• 49 women and girls successfully completed different professional courses in computers,
English, hairdressing, etc.
• With the support of mK, 43 women were employed in the private and public sector;
• 55% of the women involved went through the process of repatriating the bodies of their
family members and received support through the grieving process;
Service
20
Beneficiaries
481
105
68
3,772
158
102
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
MK distributed food and non-food items to 35 women living in poverty through local and
international humanitarian organizations like Kosova Red Cross, International Red
Cross, Cordaid Memisa, and Smile International;
Among a larger group of women from another project, 12 widowed women from this
project received female calves from Simmental cows;
Two clients met Australian actress Ms. Nicole Kidman who visited women affected by
war in 2007 as the UNIFEM Good Will Ambassador;
68 women received individual legal aid and information about legal procedures for issues
like heritage, property rights, declaring missing husbands dead to qualify for legal rights,
etc.;
The mK lawyer represented 18 women in local courts and other relevant institutions;
105 women involved in this project received medical services (both gynecological and
breast exams); and
38 women were assisted in becoming eligible for receiving social assistance in the
amount of 60-90 Euros per month from the Center for Social Work.
Women attend
the burial of
their family
members,
missing since
the war.
An mK client stands between the coffins of her
two previously missing sons during the burial
ceremony.
The Prime Minister of Kosova attends a
ceremony where an mK client’s house
is transformed into a museum; she lost
her husband and four children durin
21
Women with missing family members participate in
a group therapy session with mK counselors.
MK clients meet Nicole
Kidman.
Women receiving female calves
from mK.
Roma women enjoy a picnic organized by mK counselors.
22
4. SUPPORTING HEALTHCARE FOR MINORITY WOMEN IN PRIZREN
Donors:
Prizren Municipal Assembly and ICMC
Grant amount:
€4,705
Timeframe:
August 2005 – October 2005
Staff:
Ten, including an activist from Prizren, two
doctors/gynecologists, three psychosocial
counselors, two midwives, and two drivers of
the mobile unit.
Location:
Four neighborhoods in the city of Prizren populated by the Roma
community, Rahovec municipality, the villages of Krusha ë Vogel,
Hoqa ë Madhe, Lubinje ë Eperme and Lubinje ë Poshtme populated
by the Albanian, Bosnian, Turkish and Serbian communities
Beneficiaries:
330 women and girls of different nationalities
Project goal:
Improving the health situation of minority women from Prizren
Measures taken to achieve the project goals:
• Gynecological visits with the mobile clinic to the locations covered;
• Individual psychosocial counseling and support in the fields of trauma and VAW;
• PAP tests for early prevention and diagnosis of cervical cancer;
• Free gynecological medication for women and girls diagnosed with infections; and
• Contraceptives for the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and family planning.
Results:
• Psychosocial counselors offered individual and group counseling and support to 127
women;
• Of this number, 34 women were from the Roma community, 28 Bosnian, 43 Albanian,
and 22 Turkish;
• Psychosocial counselors conducted 381 group and individual counseling sessions for the
women involved in psychosocial support;
• 243 women received gynecological services, including 10 women from the Serbian
community;
• 46 Roma women conducted PAP tests, and one had a biopsy for the early prevention of
cancer;
• MK offered free medication to 230 women and girls with gynecological problems, totaling
500 Euros.
Service
Women who received PAP tests
Value in Euros of the medication provided free of charge to women
Beneficiaries
127
243
51
2
381
305
480
12
23
MK offers outdoor counseling.
MK representatives speak about
psychosocial and physical health with
Serb women from Lubinje village.
5. SUPPORTING THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF WOMEN AND
CHILDREN
Donor:
“Avec et pur Autres” based in Liechtenstein
Timeframe:
January 2005 – December 2005 and July
2006 – June 2007
Grant amount:
€32,000 (2005) and €21,560 (2006-2007)
Staff:
Five, including a psychosocial counselor,
doctor/gynecologist, midwife, medical
assistant, and driver of the mobile unit
Beneficiaries:
348 women and girls in two neighborhoods in the city of Prizren (Terzi
Mahalla and Arbana), villages of Landovica and Pirana populated
mainly by the Roma community
Project goal:
Improving psychosocial and health care for women and children of the
Roma community
• Group educational sessions for treating war trauma, human rights, women’s rights,
violence against women, trafficking in human beings, education as a means of women’s
emancipation, constructive communication, etc.;
• Group psychosocial counseling sessions for in-depth treatment of war trauma and its
consequences on mental and physical health;
• Individual psychosocial counseling and support for dealing with events related to war
trauma and support for domestic violence cases;
• Gynecological visits with the mobile clinic in the aforementioned locations;
• PAP tests for women and girls with gynecological problems;
• Legal group counseling to inform women about legal instruments supporting the rights of
women; and
• Support for addressing women’s needs to institutions.
24
Results:
• Creation of three educational groups for Roma women, in which 64 women participated
during the first year;
• Psychosocial group counseling for 105 women who participated in group work during the
second year;
• Of them, 51 women requested individual psychosocial support after attending the first
three group counseling sessions;
• Twenty women outside the counseling groups asked for individual psychosocial support;
• Medica counselors conducted 415 group and individual counseling sessions in 2005 and
mid- 2007;
• The mK doctor visited 307 women and girls, using the mobile clinic;
• The mK doctor and midwife conducted 24 health education sessions with six groups of
women attending psychosocial counseling;
• Four Roma women received hysterectomies in the Prizren hospital with mK assistance.
• 127 women for the first time in their lifetime had PAP tests;
• 25% of the women asked for contraceptives after receiving instructions on how to use
them;
• 105 women and their families received humanitarian aid, including food items, non-food
items, and clothing from international humanitarian organizations;
• With support from mK, 32 women arranged for social assistance from institutions; and
• Eight Roma girls attended computer courses.
Service
Beneficiaries
Value in Euros of the medication provided free of charge to women
The mK mobile clinic visits villages.
125
307
127
5
415
470
3000
27
Women and girls meet
representatives of the Municipal
Assembly of Prizren in mK.
25
6. SUPPORTING WAR TRAUMATIZED WOMEN FARMERS IN GENERATING
INCOME
Donors:
German Federal Ministry for Economic
Development and Cooperation (BMZ), medica
mondiale e.V (mm) in Germany
Timeframe:
November 2005 – November 2008
Grant amount:
€745,381.37 (including a €112,100 investment)
Staff:
20
Beneficiaries:
2,731 women and girls directly involved in
agricultural, cow-breeding and bee-keeping activities; and women and
girls receiving psychosocial, legal, and medical support
Locations:
22 villages, including Korenice, Dobrosh, Krelan, Molliq, Hereq,
Drenoc, Irzniq, Shishmon, Dobrixhe, Deve, Cermjan, Rracaj,
Doblibare, Fortesa, Sllup, Guske, Skivjan, Osijek Hile, Brekoc, Babaj
Bokes, Piskote, and women in the Roma neighborhood of Gjakova.
Project goal:
Improvement of the living conditions of war traumatized women and
girls and their families in Gjakova and Deqan municipalities
The expected results of the project included:
• The financial situation and independence of women is improved through the
development of agricultural activities which enabled them to generate incomes that are a
bit higher than the average income in Kosova;
• Self-help groups in 10 villages of Gjakova and Deqan municipalities are created and
empowered to organize group activities independently;
• The health of project beneficiaries is improved;
• Women are able to cope with and reduce the symptoms of trauma through group and
individual psychosocial therapy and the development of new strategies for coping with
the consequences of war;
• Women and girls have increased awareness about their legal rights and are motivated to
claim their civil and property rights; and
• Advocacy brings local and national institutions’ attention to the needs of women affected
by war.
Measures taken to achieve results:
• The free distribution of three tractors and equipment to 25 women from the villages of
Hereq, Molliq and Drenoc;
• Agricultural activities with women from the named villages;
• Capacity building of women in agricultural production and equipment maintenance;
• Distribution of fertilizer and seeds through governmental and non-governmental
organizations;
• Free distribution of 167 bee families along with beecare equipment to 18 widowed women from the
villages of Shishmon and Irzniq;
• Bee-keeping and honey production activities with
women from these villages;
• Capacity building of women in bee-care and quality
honey production;
26
Women practice making bee-frames and engage in bee-care.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Distribution of 30 Simmental heifers (cows) to 30 women farmers from the villages of
Korenica, Krelan, and Dobrosh;
Distribution of the first female calves from the original groups to 29 other women from
Korenica, Krelan, Rracaj, and Dobrixhe villages;
Construction and equipment with laboratory supplies of two milk collection sites in the
villages of Korenica and Krelan;
Establishing an agreement with the existing dairy “GOLAJ” in Gjakova with support from
the “Marketing Support Project” for collecting milk from women in these collection sites;
Building the capacity of women involved in cow breeding in the field of cow care and
quality milk production;
Distribution of milk cans and food concentrate to all women involved in the production of
milk;
Supporting women farmers to participate in different fairs that promote domestic
agricultural products;
Capacity building of women farmers in marketing and market research;
Development of informal organizational structures among the women’s groups involved
in agricultural, bee-keeping, and cow-breeding activities;
Networking activities between mK women and women farmers inside and outside the
country through study tours and exchanging farming experiences;
Gynecological services and breast ultrasound exams for women at the mK center and
mobile clinic that traveled to villages;
Medication for treating the gynecological disorders of women patients;
Contraceptives for the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and empowerment of women
to be part of decision-making in family planning;
332 free PAP tests for women with gynecological disorders;
Women attend hea
th education sessions and
demonstrations of contraceptives.
Women promoted their products in public
fairs each year. An mK client was recognized
as one of the most successful farmers in
Gjakova: the only woman among 21 men.
27
•
Psychosocial anamnesis during gynecological visits for identifying psychosomatic
symptoms connected to trauma;
Referral of women from one mK service to another to fulfill their needs in the fields of
medical treatment, psychosocial support and legal assistance;
Group psychosocial counseling for women traumatized by war so that they can work
through their traumatic event;
Developing individual psychosocial counseling and providing support to women and girls
with severe symptoms of trauma, especially those who experienced sexual violence
during the war;
Social support for women living in poverty through the distribution of basic food and nonfood items by local and international humanitarian organizations;
Assisting women to use their right to social assistance and other benefits from local
institutions;
Legal group counseling sessions to inform women about legal instruments available for
protecting their rights in the fields of civil rights, common property rights, domestic
violence, child custody, alimony, etc.;
Individual legal counseling and legal representation in local courts;
Institutional and non-institutional lobbying concerning the situation of women who
survived rape during the war;
Advocacy meetings with institutional authorities for improving the agricultural conditions
of women farmers involved in the project;
Marketing activities for promoting women’s products.
Advocacy and lobbying for the completion of legislation promoting gender equality in
Kosova;
Networking and cooperation with other NGOs in Kosova and abroad to promote
women’s rights and equal participation of women and men in democracy and peacebuilding activities;
Fundraising for long-term and additional support of war traumatized women and girls;
Developing strategies to sensitize society and institutions to support survivors of war
rape in Kosova; and
Participation in joint advocacy activities with Kosova Women’s Network (KWN).
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Service
Women involved in agricultural activities
Women who received gynecological services and breast exams
Women who attended group psychosocial counseling sessions
Women who received individual psychosocial counseling
Women who attended the legal counseling group
Women who received individual legal counseling and support
Number of group meetings with mK leaders
Number of gynecological and breast exams
Number of group counseling sessions
Number of individual psychosocial support counseling sessions
Number of legal group counseling sessions
Number of individual legal counseling sessions
28
Beneficiaries
114
2,146
334
110
146
242
18
5,145
1,298
1,947
88
739
Women attend the opening ceremony of the milk collection site in Krelan.
Results:
• Women farmers involved in agricultural activities generated monthly incomes between
190 and 220 Euros per woman;
• By using the tractors to collect and transport firewood, women earned from 60 to 120
Euros per month during July and September from selling wood in the market;
• Women involved in cow-breeding generated monthly incomes from 150 to 170 Euros by
selling milk and dairy products in the market;
• Milk collection sites in Krelan and Korenica collected 900 to 1,200 liters of milk per day,
which was delivered to the “GOLAJ” dairy in Gjakova and “VITA” in Peja;
• Women involved in bee-keeping activities generated monthly income in the amount of
190 to 220 Euros from selling honey privately;
• MK supported the women to sell 100kg of honey to the “Duty Free Shop” at Prishtina
International Airport in 2007;
• All of the women involved in production activities received regular training (two to four
times per year) in agricultural, milk, and honey production;
• Women involved in the production of honey received training on marketing and market
research;
• 60% of the women have improved their knowledge about quality production and
increased their production capacities;
• Up to 60% of the women improved their living conditions, like their houses, and could
afford to send their children, especially girls, to middle and higher education;
• 40% of women farmers have started to break social and cultural barriers by actively
taking part in public fairs, debates, and study tours;
• 35 women representing each of the 13 production groups have skills in basic budget
administration and other organizational issues;
• 80% of the women have broken family and social isolation by attending regularly group
psychosocial and legal sessions and by meeting with women from other groups outside
these sessions;
• 59 women and girls from rural areas completed
successfully professional courses in computers,
hairdressing, English, dressmaking, driving, etc.,
and seven received driving licenses;
• 24 women found jobs in the public or private
sectors during the three-year project;
• 120 women arranged their personal documentation
to receive social assistance;
29
•
MK distributed to women and girls visiting the center and mobile clinic free medication
totaling 7,400 Euros.
The medical team conducted health education sessions for the women involved in
agricultural activities on issues of menopause, hygienic healthcare, contraceptives, and
conducting breast self exams;
29 women were represented in local courts and 26 women completed legal processes,
realizing mainly their right to property;
Two clients reconstructed their houses with support from Smile International UK based in
Gjakova;
The same organization painted the houses of ten clients during prior years; and
45-60 women with difficult social conditions received humanitarian aid regularly from
local and international NGOs.
•
•
•
•
•
The local government provided tons of fertilizer for mK women involved in agricultural
production, while Smile International UK distributed humanitarian aid to widowed women
living in poverty and reconstructed two houses.
HPI and mK criteria (see the next page) included an agreement to give the firstborn female
calves to other widowed women, further strengthening the solidarity among women and
increasing the number of beneficiaries.
30
7. SUPPORTING WAR WIDOWED WOMEN FARMERS FROM GJAKOVA
Donor:
Heifer International Kosova (HPI)
Timeframe:
January 2007 – January 2011
Grant amount:
€50,685.60
Staff:
Six volunteers
Beneficiaries:
71 widowed women from the villages of Dobrosh, Korenice and Krelan
Project goal:
Rehabilitation and wellbeing of war widowed women farmers from
Gjakova Municipality
• Distribution of Simmental heifers to widowed women from the aforementioned villages;
• Distribution of the first female calves to other widowed women from the same locations;
• Supplying women with milk cans and food concentrate for the cows;
• Training women farmers for hygienic cow care and
“For the first time we have all
improving the quality of milk. All women involved in
women coming themselves
cow-care attended regular trainings by Heifer
for the training instead of
International experts;
sending
their male relatives,”
• Study tours and experience exchange opportunities
– HPI trainers
for women farmers from Kosova with women in the
region; and
• Technical support and investment for the reconstruction of barns for women farmers
involved in cow-breeding.
The mK clients who left their homes for the first time
in their lives had happy faces
Women enjoyed their study visit
to Albania.
Results:
• 12 widowed women each received a Simmental heifer;
• 13 other women from the same villages received female calves from these 12 women;
• All of the women were equipped with milk cans and food concentrate for their cows;
• All of the women increased their knowledge and capacities in the field of cow care and
the production of quality milk;
• 42 women farmers participated in a study tour in Albania, visiting farms and exchanging
experiences with women farmers there; and
• The project supported the reconstruction of 12 barns for women farmers who received
cows (including the opening of windows, water installation, etc.).
31
8. SUPPORTING MARKETING FOR WOMEN INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION
OF HONEY AND MILK
Donor:
Swiss
Foundation
for
Technical
Cooperation “Swiss Contact”
Timeframe:
February 2007 – May 2007
Grant amount:
€3,500
Beneficiaries:
57 widowed women involved in cowcare and bee-care activities
Staff:
Six, including a paid Administrative
Assistant and five volunteers
Project goal:
Increase the income of women involved in the production of honey
and milk by selling these products to private companies
• Development of management skills in marketing strategies and market research among
57 women involved with the production of honey and milk; and
• Bringing women closer to the market so they can promote and sell their products.
Implemented activities:
• Fifteen training sessions on marketing with five groups of women involved in the
production of honey and milk;
• Market research activities with women, involving the contacting of distribution channels
in the private sector (stores and supermarkets); and
• Support for women farmers’ active participation in public fairs.
Results:
• All 57 women actively participated in the marketing sessions;
• At least two women from each village group (10 women in total) established marketing
skills;
• More than 60% of the women were able to understand SWOT analysis and break down
the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats connected to their production and
products;
Women were keen to learn and practice their knowledge on marketing.
32
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
60% of the women thoroughly understood the role of quality, packaging and strategic
positioning of price for their products;
Up to 70% of the women adopted professional marketing vocabulary despite their low
levels of education;
Ten women identified and selected through training on marketing and market research
were active in meetings with supermarket representatives, promoting their products;
The entire process increased women’s incomes by approximately 25%. Thus, their
average incomes in the amount of 190 Euro per month increased to 230 Euros;
Interest in purchasing honey increased by 10% among the private consumers in the
same communities as the women’s groups, as well as among some consumers from the
town of Gjakova;
Ten women selected for product promotion and sales participated in the local fair of food
products, organized in Gjakova on 17-18 May 2007;
Women received 120 Euros from selling honey, 50 Euros from selling cheese, and 30
Euros from selling cheese curd and sour milk during the fair;
MK supported the women to sell 100 jars of honey to the Duty-free shop at Prishtina
International Airport;
Five women assigned as assistants in the groups maintained regular records on profits
during the project and practiced their simple budget management skills received during
Medica training from October 2006 to February 2007.
Women present their products at the fair.
33
9. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT FOR WOMEN INVOLVED IN THE
PRODUCTION OF MILK AND HONEY
Donor:
NGO “Women’s Farmer Organization” from South Tyrol, Italy
Timeframe:
January 2006 – November 2008
Grant amount:
€18,338.43
Beneficiaries:
25 widowed women from the villages of Rracaj, Shishmon, Krelan and
Irzniq
Project goal:
Rehabilitation and support of women farmers to improve their
production conditions and product quality
Staff:
Six volunteers
Results:
• Purchase and distribution of five Simmental cows to women farmers from the village of
Rracaj;
• Co-financing for the construction of two milk collection sites;
• Supplying women farmers with artificial cow food during the winter;
• Supplying women involved in the production of honey with extra bees and beehives;
• Organizing a study tour of three women farmers and three mK women to South Tyrol,
Italy; and their participation in the international conference for promoting milk products.
A woman from Krelan reconstructs her barn.
MK women farmers visit the farms in South
Tyrol and exchange experiences during the
international conference of women farmers
there.
34
10. SUPPORTING REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE AND PREVENTION OF
BREAST CANCER AMONG WOMEN IN RURAL AREAS
Donors:
United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA) and Kosova
Women’s Network (KWN)
Timeframe:
June 2007 – November 2007
Grant amount:
€10,000 Euros
Staff:
Seven
Beneficiaries:
236 women and girls from Koronice, Rracaj, Dobrosh, Drenoc, Sllup
and the “Safe House” in Gjakova
Project goal: Improving reproductive health and preventing breast cancer in rural areas
• Development of group psychosocial counseling;
• Individual psychosocial counseling and support for women with severe symptoms of
trauma from war and those suffering family violence;
• Gynecological services in the aforementioned villages through the mobile clinic and the
stationary clinic in mK;
• Health educational sessions for six groups of women involved in the project; and
• PAP tests for the prevention and early diagnosis of cervical cancer.
Results:
• MK counselors installed six psychosocial counseling groups with women from the
aforementioned villages;
• 27 women participants in the group work asked for individual counseling and support
because they were experiencing family violence;
• All group participants increased their knowledge regarding GBV and how to report it to
relevant institutions;
• More than 50% of the individual sessions took place in the mK center, confirming the
increased level of women’s empowerment in breaking free from family isolation;
• The medical team conducted eight health education sessions with 60 women regarding
reproductive healthcare and prevention of breast cancer;
• All of the women received booklets for breast self-exams published by NGO “Jeta Vita”
in Prishtina; and
• 34 women who attended these educational sessions came to mK for a more detailed
breast ultrasound.
Service
Women who received gynecological and breast controls
Group counseling sessions held
Number of individual counseling sessions
Number of gynecological and breast controls
Number of health education sessions
Beneficiaries
53
27
236
65
46
165
354
8
35
11. ADVOCATING FOR INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS OF WAR
RAPE
Donor:
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in Kosova
Timeframe:
September 2006 – February 2007
Grant amount:
$13,970
Staff:
Five
Beneficiaries:
110 women and girls from rural areas and the city of Gjakova
Partners:
32 women from institutions, the Kosova Parliament, the Municipal
Assembly, the Ombudsperson’s Office in Prishtina, NGOs supporting
rape survivors, and the Office for Gender Affairs
Project goal:
Campaign for the legal status of survivors of rape during the war in
Kosova
• Screened the film “Anatema” in Prishtina and opened a public debate on the topic of
sexual violence during the war and the situation of the rape survivors;
• Established and developed cooperation with women deputies at the local and national
levels;
• Established a working group to prepare amendments to the existing Law on Civilian
Victims of War;
• Discussed the amendments with mK clients and received their recommendations about
proposed changes to the law;
• Circulated a petition for completing the Law with the proposed amendments; and
• Organized a roundtable on the issue with representatives of institutions, political parties,
the parliament, etc. in Prishtina.
Participants debated the film.
36
UNIFEM Director in Kosova Flora
Macula introduces the project and
women discuss the issue during a
roundtable.
Results:
• The film “Anatema” about war crimes in Kosova, especially rape committed against
women and girls during the war, was shown in ABC cinema;
• In a debate after the film, 50 participants discussed the issue, including 28 mK clients;
• One client told her rape experience to a mK counselor while watching the film;
• MK held five meetings with women deputies at the municipal and national level on the
issue of war rape, and they pledged to support the campaign and advocate on behalf of
survivors;
• MK established a partnership and cooperation with the Ombudsperson’s Office in
Prishtina for pushing forward changes to the existing law;
• Medica Zenica women from Bosnia presented their experience and the measures they
took to achieve public benefit status for survivors of war rape in Bosnia;
• MK launched a working group for proposing amendments to the law, which involved
women experts in supporting women who survived sexual violence during war;
• MK counselors discussed the topic with their 110 clients during workshops at the mK
center and in villages, informing women about the details of the campaign;
• MK met with the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare to present the campaign and
deliver the proposed amendments to the law;
• The petition gathered signatures for the law, but also sensitized citizens to the issue;
• The proposed amendments were presented and discussed at a roundtable with 20
participants from institutions and NGOs;
• The Ombudsperson’s Office in Prishtina offered their meeting room for the roundtable
and logistical support, including translation for international participants; and
• The event resulted in important recommendations for pushing forward the proposed
changes to the law through the involvement of women parliamentarians. Some
recommendations focused on protecting the identity of women who would use the law.
KWN and media representatives
sign the petition.
A representative of medica Zenica presents their
experience organizing a similar campaign in
Bosnia.
37
12. SUPPORTING THE EMPOWERMENT OF YOUNG GIRLS FROM RURAL
AREAS
Donor:
Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH,
Eschborn, Germany
Timeframe:
July 2007 – September 2007
Grant amount:
€2,025
Staff:
Two trainers / counselors
Beneficiaries:
26 girls aged 17-24
Locations:
Villages of Deve and Doblibare in Gjakova Municipality
Project goal:
Improving the status of girls in rural areas
Project objectives:
• Increase the interest of young girls in attending secondary and higher education;
• Increase knowledge among girls about human rights and freedoms;
• Prevent early and forced marriages;
• Increase knowledge among girls about violence against women and legal instruments
that combat such violence; and
• Break social isolation among girls and creating opportunities for meeting and mutual
support.
Measures taken to achieve the project objectives and goal:
• Workshops on the importance of education, human rights, constructive communication,
and recognition of personal resources;
• Workshops on violence against women and ways to combat violence; and
• A joint picnic in Gjakova municipality.
Girls attend
workshops to
learn about domestic
violence, human
rights, and their legal
rights.
38
Girls enjoy a picnic together.
Results:
• All of the girls participated regularly and actively in the workshops;
• MK trainers held 20 workshops with girls;
• More than 60% of the girls broke free from family isolation and gained an increased
interest in continuing on to higher education;
• 30% of the girls enrolled in the High College in Gjakova that September;
• Girls from the village of Doblibare registered the “Girls NGO” after the project;
• 20% of the girls spoke about violence and restricted movement within their families;
• All girls understood and agreed on the consequences of early and forced marriage;
• The girls continued to meet each other monthly, as a group and individually, even after
the project ended; and
• All girls responded positively to the picnic in the suburb of Gjakova near the river Drini
where they danced and relaxed.
Local and international represent-atives of GTZ evaluate the project by meeting with
beneficiaries.
39
13. PROVIDING QUALITY HEALTHCARE TO WOMEN AND GIRLS
Donor:
UNIFEM – Austria / Kosova Women’s Network (KWN)
Timeframe:
April 2008 – September 2008
Grant amount:
€10,000
Staff:
Seven
Beneficiaries:
189 women and girls, including 69 from the Roma community from the
villages of Guske and Rracaj and two neighborhoods populated by the
Roma community.
Project goal:
Improving healthcare for women and girls from Dukagjini Region
• Gynecological services and breast exams in the aforementioned locations through
mobile clinic and visits to the mK center;
• Health education on issues of reproductive health and prevention of cervical and breast
cancer;
• PAP tests for women with pathological disorders;
• Free medication for the treatment of different gynecological infections;
• Free contraceptives;
• Group psychosocial counseling for war trauma and violence against women; and
• Individual psychosocial counseling and support to women with severe symptoms of
trauma and/or who experienced family violence.
Results:
• The mK mobile clinic provided gynecological services and breast exams every second
week in the aforementioned locations, as well as within the mk center;
• The services supported an increase in women’s awareness of the importance of regular
medical check ups;
• The mK doctor led eight health educational sessions for women;
• Breast ultrasounds supported the prevention of changes in the breasts of six women;
• Eighty Roma women had PAP tests. Of them, five were diagnosed with in situ cancer
and were referred to specialized clinics;
• 32 Roma women started using contraceptives for the first time;
• All women received booklets on breast self-exams and ways to prevent breast cancer;
and
• The mK counselor had 23 group and individual psychosocial counseling sessions with 38
women.
Service
Women who received psychosocial group counseling
Women who received gynecological and breast controls
Group counseling sessions held
Number of individual counseling sessions
Number of gynecological and breast controls
Number of health education sessions
40
Beneficiaries
26
12
151
80
12
23
226
8
ONGOING PROJECTS
PROVIDING QUALITY HEALTHCARE FOR WOMEN
Donors:
UNIFEM Austria / Kosova Women’s Network
Timeframe:
October 2008 – September 2009
Grant amount:
€20,000
Staff:
Seven
Beneficiaries:
230 Albanian and Roma women and girls
Project locations:
Three villages of Guske, Rracaj, and Skivjan
Project goal:
Improving healthcare for women in Dukagjini Region
• Gynecological visits to the aforementioned locations with the mobile clinic, as well as the
mK center;
• PAP tests for women with pathological disorders;
• Medication for treating different gynecological infections;
• Free contraceptives;
• Support for women to have regular ultrasounds in the “Institute of Labor Medicine” in
Gjakova;
• Group psychosocial counseling for treating war trauma and violence against women,
particularly domestic violence; and
• Individual psychosocial counseling and support for clients with severe symptoms of
trauma and/or who are suffering from domestic violence.
SUPPORTING WAR WIDOWED WOMEN FARMERS FROM GJAKOVA
Donor:
Heifer International Kosova (HPI)
Timeframe:
Grant amount:
€50,685.60
Beneficiaries:
Widowed women from the villages of Gjakova municipality
Project goal:
Rehabilitation and wellbeing of war widowed women farmers from
Gjakova Municipality
41
SUPPORTING WOMEN WITH FAMILY MEMBERS MISSING SINCE THE WAR IN
REBUILDING THEIR LIVES
Donor:
Weltgebetstag (WGT) from Germany
Timeframe:
January 2005 – December 2007 and January 2008 – December 2010
Grant amount:
€92,781 (2005-2007) and €52,998 (2008-2010)
Staff:
Nine (three paid and six volunteers)
Beneficiaries:
492 women and girls, including 41 Roma, waiting for the repatriation
of the bodies of their family members, missing since the war in
Kosova, and women who have gone through this procedure and have
entered the grieving process
Project goal:
Improving the psychological and physical situation of women and girls
with family members missing since the war and motivating them to
rebuild their lives
• Group psychosocial counseling for dealing with war trauma, coping with repatriation
procedures when bodies are returned from Serbia, and support during the grieving
process;
• Individual psychosocial counseling and support in dealing with personal war trauma,
including the activation of resources for moving forward with their lives;
• Legal support in realizing their legal rights;
• Gynecological services in the mK center and from the mobile clinic; and
• Assistance to women for arranging personal documentation for social assistance
provided by the government.
42
EMPOWERING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF WAR TRAUMATIZED
WOMEN FARMERS
Donors:
Federal German Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation
(BMZ), and medica mondiale e.V. from Germany
Timeframe:
March 2009 – April 2012
Grant amount:
€685,415.51, including a €215,000 investment
Staff:
27 (including 11 women beneficiaries)
Beneficiaries:
400 women farmers from 13 villages in Gjakova and Deqan
municipalities
Specific Objectives of the Project:
I. Support the establishment of a Dairy Factory for processing the milk of women farmers
involved in the project and producing various milk products that meet EU standards;
II. Support the establishment of a honey collection site for producing various honey
products (soap, candles, cream, wax, etc.) and promoting them in local and international
markets;
III. Support business development and marketing skills among women farmers involved in
bee-keeping, cow-breeding, and agricultural production work; and
IV. Support the psychosocial wellbeing and legal empowerment of women for utilizing their
properties and transferring ownership to women.
Activities to achieve Result I
• Monitoring and evaluating women’s resources, including new beneficiary groups in the
same locations;
• Construction of the outside and inside of the dairy;
• Purchase of a milk cooling transporter;
• Equipment delivery and installation;
• Training to three to six women in milk pasteurization and the production of milk products
(three weeks intensive professional training) in the milk demonstration centre in Gjakova;
• Training 120 women farmers in hygienic milking processing and improving milk quality;
• Starting the dairy production process;
• Establishing and preparing seven new groups to integrate into ABC (Agriculture, Beekeeping and Cow-breeding) production;
• Packaging milk products according to required standards and design;
• Establishing sales agreements with institutions and companies;
• Distributing products to interested companies and institutions; and
• Media activities to promote milk products.
Activities to achieve Result II
• Purchasing a honey transporter;
• Securing packaging materials for honey products;
• Constructing a honey collection site;
• Intensive training for two to four women in hygienic storage of honey and maintenance of
the collection point;
• Training for 15 women members of the old groups for the production of honey products
(cosmetic cream, soap, wax, propolis, etc.);
• Starting the collection of honey at the collection site and the production of honey
products;
43
•
•
•
•
Testing for the quality of honey;
Packaging honey products according to required standards and design;
Establishing sales agreements with institutions and companies; and
Distributing the products to interested companies and institutions.
Activities to achieve Result III
• Opening a shop in the city for storing and selling ABC products;
• Professional external and internal training for business development and marketing for
15 women from all groups;
• Organizing 16 to 20 women from all ABC production groups to visit big supermarkets to
observe the packaging of agricultural and farming products;
• Delivery of products in the shop by old and new groups;
• Attending a TV and radio program to promote shop products; and
• A study visit for 15 women to big production companies in Kosova to exchange
experiences and increase their knowledge in regards to marketing and business
development.
Activities to achieve Result IV
• Psychosocial individual counseling and support for women inside and outside the
groups;
• Individual legal counseling and support for women inside and outside the groups;
• Initiating legal procedures for women seeking to realize their legal rights in courts;
• Conducting psychosocial group sessions for old ABC groups; and
• Conducting legal group counseling for all ABC production groups.
Activities to achieve Result V
• Meetings with institutions to promote the situation of women victims of war violence and
represent their need for developing income-generating activities;
• Political activities to connect women farmers with institutions at the local level;
• Agreements with institutions and other stakeholders responsible for agricultural
development to integrate women in public activities;
• Study tours to other farmers’ organizations in Kosova (at least six visits); and
• Exchange visits of mK women farmers to farmers’ organizations abroad.
Expected results:
I. The dairy for women is established and has started to process milk and produce various
milk products;
II. The honey collection site is established and has started to collect and produce various
honey products;
III. Women involved in agricultural, bee-keeping and cow-breeding activities have a dairy
shop in the city where they can promote and sell their products;
IV. The legal and psychosocial empowerment of women involved in production work and in
the new groups of women to be established during the second year are achieved, and
they can support the development of their businesses and cope with production and
business responsibilities; and
V. Women farmers influence political structures at the local and national level in agricultural
development in the region and start networking with other women’s organizations inside
and outside Kosova.
44
STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF WOMEN FARMERS IN SOCIAL AND
POLITICAL LIFE IN KOSOVA
Donor:
European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR)
Timeframe:
Project amount:
€156,605.40 in tota. Grant amount provided by EIDHR: €100,000. Cofinancing provided by mK from a private donation from the
“Organization of Women Farmers” from South Tyrol, Italy: €36,605.40
and medica mondiale e.V from Germany: €20,000
Staff:
Nine
Beneficiaries:
190 women farmers as members of 10 existing production units
involved in agriculture, bee-keeping, and cow-breeding activities, and
five new groups of women established during the project
implementation period
Project goal:
Supporting the establishment of the “Women Farmers’ Organization”
at the national level for promoting women’s equal participation in
economic and political development in the country and their
integration into networking activities
Expected results:
I. Establishment of the “Women Farmers Organization” at the national level;
II. “Women Farmers’ Organization” joins the “Kosova Women’s Network” (KWN) as a
regular member to develop networking and joint advocacy activities;
III. Establishment of five new women’s agricultural groups that will later join the “Women
Farmers’ Organization”;
IV. Empowerment of women farmers through psychosocial and legal measures to address
their symptoms of war trauma, help them to cope with social and cultural barriers, and
utilize their own properties for developing concrete production activities; and
V. The “Women Farmers’ Organization” influences agricultural policies of rural development
in their region through political and networking activities.
Key activities:
• Training and workshops for the creation of formal structures among the women’s groups
and preparation for their registration as the “Women Farmers’ Organization” at the
national level;
• Training of the women elected to run the organization on political and networking issues,
as well as supporting their entrance into KWN;
• Educational sessions for the establishment of new groups of women and support for
improving production through professional training in agriculture and live-stock breeding;
• Group psychosocial counseling and individual support to existing and new groups of
women farmers;
• Group legal counseling and individual legal support to members of the existing and new
groups of women farmers; and
• Meetings with institutions to promote the situation of women victims of war violence; to
represent their need to improve production conditions; and to support their involvement
in public agricultural activities.
45
PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES AND EVENTS
Place
Topic / Goal
Date
Addiction diseases among war
traumatized women and girls
May 2001
International
Physicians for
the Prevention
of Nuclear War
(IPPNW)
The consequences of war on
civilian populations and the longterm effects of war weapons. MK
presented on the systematic
violence against Albanian women
during apartheid period in Kosova
(1981- 1998).
May 2001
ISIS Women’s
International
Cross Cultural
Exchange
Program
(WICCE)
Women’s World Congress for the
documentation of sexual violence
against women and girls in war
and conflict. The conference
enabled NGOs coming from postwar and conflict countries to
exchange experiences.
Serbian Center
for Non-violent
Conflict
Resolution
Peaceful means for conflict
resolution and reconciliation
November
2001
medica
mondiale e.V.
Visiting the ICTY and monitoring
the proceedings against
Milosevic. The mK delegation
made remarks on the process of
documenting testimonies from
Kosovar witnesses, especially
victims of sexual violence
April 2002
medica
mondiale e.V.
Experience exchange with the
Kurdish NGO “Erinkeskin”
regarding the legal rights of
women and legal instruments for
the documentation of violence
against women.
November
2002
Skopje, Macedonia
Council of
Europe
The fifth Ministerial Conference of
the Council of Europe on “Gender
equality between women and
men”
January
2003
Geneva, Switzerland
UN Building
United Nations
Economic
Commission for
Europe
(UNECE)
Development of small and
medium size enterprises among
women from countries in
transition.
March
2003
Koper, Slovenia
Erlangen, Germany
Organizers
NGO
“RRJETA” from
Germany
Uganda, Africa
Ulqin, Montenegro
International Criminal Tribunal
for the Former Yugoslavia
(ICTY), The Hague, Holland
Istanbul, Turkey
46
October
2001
and
July 2002
Saint
Catherine’s
College
Combating trafficking in human
beings
October
2003
American Legal
School
Workshop led by Professor of
International Law and Political
Analyst Dr. Paul Williams on
“Conflict resolution and the
dialogue between Prishtina and
Belgrade.”
October
2003
Albanian
Center for
Human Rights
Training involving NGOs and
institutions from Albania on
documenting violence against
women.
Washington D.C., USA
State Department Building
Foreign Policy
Institute of the
“Center for
Women Policy
Studies”
Meeting with six women U.S.
State Legislators regarding U.S.
foreign policy on women, THB,
AIDS, migration, etc.
November
2003
Berlin, Germany
Ministerial Building
Deutsche
Frauenrat
Conference on “Gender and
Democracy”
September
2004
Institute of
Peace and
Justice
Implementing UN Security
Council Resolution 1325 on the
participation of women in conflict
prevention and peace building
November
2004
Berlin, Germany
NGO “Women
Security
Council”
WOMNET
Meeting of the international
working group on strengthening
the network for the
implementation of UN Security
Council Resolution 1325
September
2005
Bratislava, Slovakia
UNIFEM for
Eastern Europe
International working group on
“Supporting the gender
architecture of the UN”
February
2007
New York, USA
UN Headquarters
DCAF, UNFPA,
and OSAGI
Participation in the screening of
the film, “Women in an Insecure
World” and the panel on rape in
war
March
2007
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Washington D.C., USA
Tirana, Albania
November
2003
San Diego, California, USA
47
Struga, Macedonia
“Women’s
Peace
Coalition”
comprised of
the Kosova
Women’s
Network and
Women in
Black Network
Serbia
Conference on human security,
transitional justice, and horizontal
networking. The mK
representative spoke on, “From
impunity to responsibility and
justice”
September
2006 and
September
2007
Koln, Germany
medica
mondiale e.V.
International Conference “In
Search for Justice” on achieving
human and legal justice for
women survivors of sexual
violence during the war
September
2008
“Right
Livelihood
Award”
Foundation and
medica
mondiale e.V.
“Right Livelihood Award”
ceremony when the founder of
medica mondiale, Dr. Monika
Hauser, received an award
December
2008
European
Commission
Liaison Office
in Prishtina
Study tour of NGOs from the
Western Balkans on “Health
challenges in Europe”
January
2009
Stockholm, Swedish Parliament
Brussels, Belgium
48
PARTICIPATION IN WORKING GROUPS AND LOCAL CONFERENCES
Place
Organizers
Topic / Goal
Date
Prishtina
International Red
Cross (IRC)
Working group for drafting the UNMIK Regulation
on improving the status of women with family
members missing from the war
May – June
2001
Peja
OSCE
Working group for drafting the UNMIK Regulation
on combating family violence
October 2001
Gjakova
KWN
Technical organization of the KWN campaign
“Stop violence against women” and mK
campaign moderation
November
2001
Gjakova
medica Kosova
together with KWN
Roundtable on “Together we are stronger”
regarding strategies for breaking the taboo of
sexual violence
November
2002
Prishtina
UNIFEM and KWN
Working group for drafting the Gender Equality
Law
March – June
2003
Prishtina
UNIFEM / KWN
Kosova Women’s Lobby monitoring of political
processes and women’s involvement in these
processes
November
2003 –
December
2006
Gjakova
International Red
Cross (IRC)
Engaging mK Psychosocial Counselors to train
IRC field staff to improve procedures for collecting
data about persons missing from the war in
Kosova
May – June
2003
Gjakova
International Red
Cross (IRC)
women members of the NGO for missing persons
“Mothers’ Appeal” in trauma work
June –
November
2003
Prishtina
International Red
Cross (IRC)
the Religious Association of Catholic and Muslim
Belief for work with war traumatized persons
September –
November
2003
Prishtina
OSCE
Training on the International Convention on
Women’s Rights
May – June
2004
Gjakova
KWN
Campaign “Lilia 4-ever” against trafficking in
human beings together with the Safe House in
Gjakova
November
2004
Prishtina
UNIFEM
Working group for drafting the National Action
Plan for the
Achievement of Gender Equality in Kosova
April – June
2004
Prishtina
UNIFEM - KWN
Working group for preparing a monitoring report
on the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325
in Kosova
July 2005
49
Gjakova
Urgent Action Fund
(UAF) – Kosova
Center for Gender
Studies (KCGS) in
Prishtina
Panel presentation to promote the book “Rising
Up in Response” regarding the contribution of
women activists in building peace and security
September
2005
Gjakova
United Nations
Development
Programme
(UNDP)
Organizing and moderating a UNDP delegation’s
meetings with mK women’s groups to identify the
level of poverty in rural areas and its impact on
women
May – August
2006
Prishtina
UNFPA/KWN
The “Coalition against Family and Sexual
Violence” working group, comprised of five
Kosova women’s shelters, to prepare common
standards and procedures for all women’s
shelters
June 2007 –
November
2007
Gjakova
KWN
Organizing protests with the Safe House in
Gjakova with the motto “Women and men against
family violence”
October 2008
SURVEY ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
In order to measure public opinion about the issue of violence against women, medica
Kosova surveyed 500 people, including 440 women and girls and 60 men, between May and
November 2000 in Gjakova and the surrounding villages. The survey involved 14 questions
and aimed to achieve the following objectives:
•
•
•
•
•
•
To measure public opinion and knowledge about violence against women;
To document their personal experiences of violence;
To identify places where most cases of violence against women happen;
To identify the most frequent types of violence committed against women;
To identify cases of direct violence during the war; and
To identify differences in perceptions of violence among people of different sexes,
age groups, social statuses, and levels of education.
Some of the conclusions resulting from the survey were:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
50
83% of respondents understood what violence against women was
85% agreed that this kind of violence was not spoken about publicly
73% agreed that women are not protected from violence
72% agreed that violence is unjustified in any circumstances
49% declared that violence is more present among the poor and less educated
91% agreed that violence should be treated and combated through public work
20% of the women questioned said that they had experienced direct violence during
the war
“EXPERIENCES IN GYNECOLOGICAL WORK AT THREE MEDICA CENTERS”
Medica mondiale e.V. organized a roundtable with medica Kosova on treating different and
common experiences in gynecological work in three medica centers: medica Kosova,
medica Zenica, and medica Tirana. The seminar took place in March 2002 in the Mental
Health conference room in Gjakova with 17 participants from medica mondiale e.V. in
Germany, Ms. Berit Schei who is a gynecologist from Copenhagen, and representatives
from the three medica centers who are professionals in the field of psychosomatic
gynecology and psychosocial support.
Key topics treated during the seminar included:
• Pathology of the cervix and the impact of trauma;
• Specific aspects of Psychosomatic gynecology and trauma;
• Shelter and access to the target group;
• Possibilities of crisis intervention;
• Development of quality standards and documentation;
• Education through field work: opportunities and limits;
• Education in family planning and expectations;
• Forensic medicine in the documentation of sexual violence; and
• Case studies on the aforementioned topics.
Some of the conclusions and key recommendations were:
• Trauma and stress are factors that influence pathological changes in the cervix
• Traumatic experiences affect women’s gynecological practices, especially their attitude
during examinations. Therefore, it is important to empower them and strengthen their
resources to keep the symptoms of trauma under control;
• The patriarchal environment and culture restricts women in requesting support.
Therefore it is important to develop strategies that facilitate women’s access to
psychosocial and gynecological services;
• Education through fieldwork is an excellent tool for sharing information and multiplying
the effects of work;
• For evidence of sexual violence in gynecological work it is important to have forensic
instruments. Forensic medicine needs new instruments to be developed for documenting
sexual violence, especially to avoid re-traumatizing the victims;
• Emergency situations where a crisis intervention is needed happen every day in the work
of medica projects. Coping with these situations shows that good coordination among
the different departments is extremely important for offering quick and adequate help;
and
• Optimal and standardized documentation of clients’ data in different medica locations
opens up the possibility of a transnational evaluation on specific subject matters and
provides a good basis for mid- and long-term research programs.
51
THE 2004 CAMPAIGN “LET’S SUPPORT WOMEN”
The mK legal department organized a campaign entitled “Let’s Support Women,” which
aimed to inform young generations about laws, UNMIK Regulations, and parts of the
Criminal Code of Kosova that protect women’s rights. The campaign was developed
primarily in seven schools in Gjakova municipality. The campaign involved 78 pupils from
secondary schools and the Faculty of Education who organized as part of six educational
groups and attended three educational sessions per group.
The campaign involved:
• Educational group sessions with pupils to interpret articles of the Criminal Code of
Kosova, including criminal acts against sexual integrity, marriage and family, as well as
protecting women from family violence, according to UNMIK Regulation 2003/12;
• Distribution of aprons with the logo “Let’s Support Women” to mechanics, while asking
them about violence against women;
• Distribution of free drinks in public areas sites in glasses that had the same slogan;
• Distribution by pupils of glasses and paper napkins with the same slogan in some of the
most frequented cafeterias;
• Distribution of aprons to some mK clients and hairdressers in the city; and
• Programs on local radio stations.
Two hundred pupils were involved in distributing glasses, while other occasionally tended
the distribution sites and spoke with mechanics and hairdressers in the center of Gjakova.
The most frequent questions addressed to mechanics and hairdressers were:
• How would you define violence against women?
• Except physical violence, what other types of violence you can identify?
• Where would you suggest a woman who experienced violence should go?
Pupils participate in education
sessions.
52
THE LEGAL CONFERENCE ON “SEXUAL CRIMES DURING THE WAR”
The Legal Department of medica Kosova organized a three-day conference in November
2003 with on topic of sexual crimes during the war in Kosova. The goal of the conference
was to open discussions on sexual violence during the war and present factors preventing
women from speaking openly about it, as obstacles to documenting this violence as a war
crime.
Conference participants included representatives of different local and international
institutions and non-governmental organizations, such as the UNMIK Victims Assistance and
Advocacy Unit (VAAU), UNMIK Department of Justice, UNMIK Police, the Kosova Police
Service (KPS), the OSCE Victims Protection and Advocacy Unit, the Center for Social Work,
the Chair of the Municipal Court of Gjakova, administrative lawyers from the Municipal
Assembly in Gjakova, the Center for the Protection of Women and Children in Prishtina, the
“Women’s Wellness Center” in Peja, the Safe House in Gjakova, medica Zenica in Bosnia,
medica Tirana in Albania, media, and psychosocial counselors and doctors from medica
Kosova.
Some of the key topics discussed at the conference included:
• Rape as a strategy of war and its codification as a war crime and crime against
humanity;
• The ICTY Statute and the process of Foqa from Bosnia;
• Sexual violence as a taboo and the impact of the patriarchal society in Kosova;
• Effects of the patriarchal culture on psychosocial support;
• Rape as a means for ethnic cleansing;
• Sexual violence during dictatorial Hoxha regime in Albania;
• Breaking the taboo of sexual violence and supporting victims in Kosova;
• Results from the medica Kosova visit to the Hague and Tokyo Tribunal;
• Violence against women in the aftermath of war and increases in domestic violence;
• Utilizing legal instruments for combating family violence (UNMIK Regulation 2003/12 on
Domestic Violence; and
• The implementation of the regulation by UNMIK and the local police.
Recommendations resulting from the conference included:
• Women and girls who survived sexual violence during the war must receive the status of
civilian victims of war;
• More activities should be developed within society and state institutions to combat
prejudices against women who have suffered sexual violence;
• Public, religious, and cultural institutions must recognize publicly victims of war rape like
institutions in Bosnia did through “Fetvas” [a Muslim institution];
• More similar forums with representatives of civil society and institutions should be
organized to exchange experiences and views on the issue of sexual violence during
war;
• Forensic documentation of sexual violence should be complemented with an
interdisciplinary psychosocial approach that would not re-traumatize victims; and
• Civil society and institutions should work on prevention and awareness-raising activities,
including with the perpetrators of violence against women.
Conference participants
discuss violence against
women during the war and
watch one of the ICTY trial
sessions against Milosevic.
53
PEACE-BUILDING ACTIVITIES
Medica Kosova is a member of the strategic group of the “Women’s Peace Coalition,” which
is comprised of members of the Kosova Women’s Network (KWN) and the Women in Black
Network from Serbia (WiB). The Coalition, established in 2006 on the initiative of both
networks and with financial support from UNIFEM and UNDEF, aims to follow and monitor
political processes in Kosova and the inclusion of women in these processes. Initially the
Coalition monitored the negotiation process between Kosova and Serbia, a process which
ignored entirely the participation of Kosovar women. The written requests and media
appeals of the Coalition to include women in this process, as guaranteed by UNSC
Resolution 1325, were completely ignored by both UNMIK and the Kosovar Administration.
However, this was not the only goal of the Coalition. It also supported horizontal networking
between NGOs in Kosova and Serbia, as well as initiatives toward transitional justice.
Some of the activities developed by the Coalition included:
• Issuing press releases regarding the negotiation process between Prishtina and
Belgrade and the failure to include women in this process;
• Issuing press release in regards to negotiations over cultural heritage sites, requesting
that the issue not be politicized;
• Organizing a conference in September 2006 on the implementation of UNSC Resolution
1325 on Women, Peace and Security;
• Organizing a conference in September 2007 entitled “Through Women’s Solidarity to a
Just Peace”; and
• Developing a street performance in the center of Struga, Macedonia to spread messages
of women’s solidarity and peace.
Topics treated during both conferences in Struga, Macedonia included:
• Feminist ethics of responsibility
• Experiences from the past
• Women’s movements during the nineties
• Regional networking and coping with the past
• Aspects of gender within the concept of human security
• The political status of Kosova as an independent country and opportunities for the
integration of minorities
• Transitional justice and the importance of a feminist approach to achieving justice
• Models of transitional justice according to the experience of WiB
• From impunity of sexual crimes during the war to achieving accountability and justice
• The role of civil society, obstacles, and challenges to achieving transitional justice
• Monitoring the war crimes trials
• Visiting the crime sites as a way of coping with the past
• The policy of apology to victims of war
• Horizontal networking as a means for women’s solidarity and experience exchange
• Regional aspects of security
A unique aspect of these conferences was the public apology made by WiB Serbia for the
crimes Serbia committed during the war in Kosova. Women from Kosova, including KWN
members, became even closer to the women from Serbia afterward.
WPC holds a strategic planning meeting at the KWN office.
54
MEDICA MONDIALE AND MEDICA KOSOVA FOUNDER DR. MONIKA HAUSER
RECEIVES “RIGHT TO LIVELIHOOD AWARD” IN SWEDEN
Medica Kosova founder, Dr. Monika Hauser, received the “Right to Livelihood Award” or the
“Alternative Nobel Prize,” offered by the same foundation, for her recognition of the suffering
of women and girls who survived sexual violence during the war. As an activist supporting
victims of war rape and conflict zones, she was rewarded. For the first time in the history of
the award, four women activists like Dr. Hauser from Germany received awards for peace
building. The three other women were from India, Somalia, and America.
The news about the prize was happily received by the clients and staff of medica Kosova.
They considered this prize recognition of their hard work supporting war traumatized women
and girls. The fact that Dr. Hauser came to Kosova to share this joy with her colleagues from
medica Kosova increased further our motivation for continuing to support these women.
Local and international media covered this event, emphasizing the role and contribution of
Dr. Monika Hauser in supporting survivors of war rape throughout the world, as well as the
contribution of medica Kosova in supporting women in Kosova.
MK clients and partners celebrate Monica’s award during a dinner and reception at
the mK center.
Thank you Monika for supporting the visibility and recognition of our work!
55
APPROXIMATE VALUE OF HUMANITARIAN AID DISTRIBUTED TO MK
CLIENTS
International
humanitarian
organizations
Items donated
(2000-2008)
No. of clients
supported
Value in
Euros
ACT / LWF
Blankets, pillows, bed sheets, food
items, bathroom and kitchen items, baby
food, hygienic material, school supplies,
clothing, toys, and two bicycles
332
4,160
PRO DOCS
Baby food, cooking supplies, baby
pampers, and hygienic items
164
790
SDC from Switzerland
30 Holstein cows and food
concentrate. (One cow delivered to the
Safe House in Gjakova)
29 clients & 14
women from the
Safe House
45,374
Turkish Red Cross
Food and non-food items
235
2,500
GTZ
1,500 live chicks
50
2,700
Mother Tereza
Association
Flower and vegetable seeds
300
400
Medica mondiale e.V.
Cash emergency fund for purchasing
food, firewood, clothing, etc. for clients
living in poverty
120
75,000
Samaritan’s Purse
585 Christmas boxes for children
(families) 277
2,050
WFP
168 packages of bulk food
234
2,305
HELP FROM
GERMANY
700 hygienic packs for children with
shampoo, cream, and pampers. 100
packs mK delivered to the Safe House
in Gjakova
268
4,900
Butcher “AGIMI”
60 kg of meat
13
270
Italian KFOR
Canned food, pastry, clothing, toys and
medication
232
12,320
Smile International UK
Food and hygienic items, school
supplies, firewood, kitchen and
bathroom sets, etc.
125
5,000
2,100 Christmas boxes for children
(families) 210
31,500
House reconstruction for two widowed
clients
2
7,000
TOTAL
196,269
MK meets with Turkish, German and Italian
KFOR.
56
MK ORGANOGRAM
Board Members
Veprore Shehu
Executive Director
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Nesrete Zeka
Member of the Management Group
Tabe Qestaj – Director
Nurije Haxhikadrija – member
Fatime Boshnjaku – member
Advije Gashi – member
Veprore Shehu – member
Selamet Peni – Protocol Keeper
Zejnete Dylatahu
Member of the Management Group
Psychosocial Sector
–
Psychosocial Counselors
Merita Rruka
Gynecologist
Nderime
Sahatqija
Hydajet Rogova
Medical Assistant
Flutura
Kumnova
Shpresa Byci
Finance and
Control
Milot Vula
Driver
Gjylizare
Morina
Rexhep Rogova
Driver
Behije
Duraku
Iirjana Hoti
Lawyer
Mandete
Kurti
Klara Axhemi
Midwife
Fehmije
Luzha
Selamet Peni
Project Assistant
Mimoza
Shehu
Miribane Deda
Agronomist
Alberije Lama
Center
Caretaker
Seniha Zhubi
Center
Caretaker
Skender
Dujaka
Guard
Muhamet
Gllogjani
Guard
Bekim Ermeni
Food Technologist
57
FORMER STAFF OF MEDICA KOSOVA
Violeta Zhubi
Gynecologist
Igballe Gërbeshi
Gynecologist
Minire Zuna
Gynecologist
Flutura Zajmi
Lawyer
Bukurije Leti
Counselor
Lorida Maloku
Lawyer
Arbnesha Kuqi
Midwife
Laura Rama
Counselor
Mimoza Kerraxhija
Translator
Fatlije Koshi
Counselor
Thank You!
Anita Bokshi
Administrator / Logistics
Anita Berisha
Administrator / Logistics
Saranda Arllati
Midwife
Muteber Saliuka
Social Fund
Distributor
Ardiana Haxhibeqiri
Administrative
Assistant
Lendita Binaku
Administrative
Assistant
Milot Zhubi
Driver
Valdet Gashi
Driver
58
Valentina Bejtullahu
Public Relations

From War Trauma to Integration

Transcription

Similar documents

DVSN Brochure - The Bedford Citizen

A NEW DAY Brochure Women - The Tree of Peace Friendship Centre

Abuse in close relationships - Upplands

Tanisha M. Bagley - printhouse books

Gender in conflict - European Union Institute for Security Studies

Jasmin Nario-Galace Center for Peace Education, Miriam College

Check Up From The Neck Up

17magazine`s

RAPIDWomen Ethiopia Brief

SCIOTO SHOE MART

8th session in trial of Albin Kurti EULEX, EC and EUSR unite over

Posta and Telecommunication of Kosova (PTK) J.S.C

KWN Annual Report 2007 - Kosova Women`s Network