Kosovo

Women’s and ethnic group’s rights

Kosovo is one of the poorest regions in Europe. 70 percent of the population is without a permanent means of income.

Kosovo’s legislation, including women’s rights, has been developed with European Union’s support, but its effects on everyday living are weak. Women face constant persecution, violence and breaches of basic rights. Women’s social status, especially in rural areas, is weak and they have little possibilities to improve them or acquire their own income.

The project is in action at Mitrovica area, in Northern Kosovo, where national tensions are the largest. The most northern part of the area is hard to reach mountainous terrain. All the employees of the organization are local, and its members are women from different social and ethnic backgrounds. The primary target group of the project is women, the secondary youth. The expert skills and capacity development of the local partner organization is also supported.

The project supports independent income acquisition, for example with beekeeping and bakery and dairy production entrepreneurships. Vocational training is given for example for hairdresser’s, manicurist’s and sewer’s professions and for preservation and processing of fruits, vegetables and dairy products.