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07. October 2021 - News

Believing in their own strength: Economic empowerment of women in Kosovo

The Dukagjini Region in western Kosovo is characterised by poverty; the unemployment rate is 48 per cent, and for women the figure is 56.4 per cent. As is the case in many post-conflict regions, there is widespread violence within relationships. In order to improve the living conditions in the region, Medica Gjakova developed a project for women which enhances both their economic power and their independence and confidence.

“Before I joined, I was so lost. Basically, I was merely breathing as I lived an empty life.” One of the project participants summarises why women affected by violence often need more than just training on how to set up a business. Many of them suffer from self-doubt and very low self-esteem.

Sexualised wartime violence: still a taboo topic 20 years after the end of the Kosovo war

Among the 800 or so women who have participated in the Medica Gjakova project, many are survivors of sexualised wartime violence. The topic is still subject to strong taboos in Kosovan society, even 20 years after the end of the war. Many survivors feel as if they’ve been left alone with their experiences and are not accepted by their families. When they join, very few of the participants even believe that they are capable of earning money.

In a survey conducted at the start of the project, only 12 per cent agreed with the statement that women are just as capable of earning money as men.

Medica Gjakova empowers women with income-generating measures

In the meantime, quite a lot has changed. The women received training in manual work, dairy farming, beekeeping, conserving fruit and vegetables, and running a business. These training courses were carried out in cooperation with various local companies. To accompany this, Medica Gjakova offered the women gynaecological, legal and psychosocial support, based on their individual needs.

There is now a production facility being operated by Medica Gjakova where agricultural products can be processed and refined, and the organisation has also opened a small shop in Gjakova. The central location of the retail outlet makes it possible for the participating women to earn their own income, and it also offers a visible contact point for raising public awareness in Gjakova of the otherwise taboo topic of sexualised violence.

Project success: Women experience new self-esteem and acceptance by their family

The greatest impact of the project has been on the women themselves – this was the conclusion of an independent evaluation, which included surveys of the women at the start of the project and three years later. The participating women reported how they were now more strongly accepted by their families since they started earning their own income, and they had also developed a completely new image of themselves.

"I would never have believed that I would be able to earn an independent income. Now I have completed two training courses and I can sell my own products – food conserves and sewing work.”
Project participant

Example from the project results

“Women can earn money just as well as men.” At the start, 12 per cent agreed with this statement, at the end of the project 87 per cent.


Related topics

Evaluation: Improvements in opportunities empower women in Kosovo