From 3 to 6 December, ECMI Kosovo organised a media training for fourteen civil society activists from northern Kosovo, originating from seven different civil society organisations. The training session took place in Strpce/Shtërpcë and was delivered by Violeta Matovic, from Radio Kontakt Plus. It focused on issues such as: press releases, interviews, public statements, and social networks. This training was supported by the Finnish Embassy in Prishtinë/Pristina.

On Wednesday 4 December, ECMI Kosovo in partnership with NRAEWOK held the Conference on the Economic Empowerment of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Women in Kosovo. The aim of the conference was to present the report which advocates for increased support to Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian women’s self-entrepreneurship. The event saw the participation of officials from key central and local-level government institutions, civil society organisations, business associations, donors and beneficiaries.
This activity was conducted in the framework of the project ‘Promoting the Economic Empowerment of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Women,’ supported by UN Women, UNDP and the EU.

Violence against women is a human rights violation, a consequence of the discrimination against women, in law and also in practice, and of the persisting inequalities between men and women. Up to 70% of women and girls experience physical or sexual violence from men in their lifetime. Domestic violence also remains one of the most prevalent forms of violence against women in Kosovo. As 46% of women living in Kosovo cited evidence of domestic violence in their neighborhood, and 12% had witnessed a husband beating his spouse.2 However, more than half of the women suffering it did not report to the police.

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Yesterday, European Centre for Minority Issues Kosovo circulated an overviewof non-majorities’ representation in Kosovo’s 3 November local elections.

51 electoral lists for Kosovo’s local elections are run by non-majority community members, and the communities put up 44 mayor candidates, says the recently issued ECMI Kosovo Bulletin.

The Bulletin shows how the lists and candidates are distributed on non-majority communities and in terms of geography.

The Bulletin also offers background information to the main question mark in the context: To which extent are Serbs going to vote in the local elections?

Read also: Kosovo elections: 32 political subjects will represent the Serb community

Source: ECMI InfoChannel -European Centre for Minority Issues.

Issues: Decentralisation, Elections, Local government

ECMI Kosovo has started implementing a new phase of provision of language courses. Municipal officials will be trained in both Kosovo’s official languages, says ECMI Kosovo’s June Newsletter.

The Assembly of Kosovo ratified the Agreement on the normalization of the relations with Serbia on the 27 June, records ECMI Kosovo’s June Newsletteramong more observations.