It is a pivotal time for Kosovo.

In 1999, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) intervened to halt the Serbian campaign of ethnic cleansing, ultimately leading to Kosovo being placed under the United Nations administration. On February 17th, 2008, Kosovo declared itself independent of Serbia.

Read Hamide Latifi's Reaction to Kosovo's Declaration of Independence

Read the New York Times article on Kosovo Independence

However, high unemployment, economic recession, poverty, repression of civil liberties and the threat of civil unrest will continue to be the reality for most people in Kosovo.

The situation in Kosovo is especially dire for women. One of the most cruel, yet powerful weapons the Serbs used to "ethnically cleanse" was rape. The numbers are staggering. No fewer than 20,000 women were raped before NATO intervened. And the damage done is not only physical, but lingering psychological trauma that increases because the women often can't speak of what happened to them.

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Women who are raped are often shunned by families and friends. Married women with children risk being abandoned by their husbands and could lose their children if they admit they've been raped. Many have zero means left to survive and fall victim to human traffickers who force them into prostitution. Women brave enough to press legal charges are typically the victims of discrimination and disapproval in the very courts that are supposed to enforce the laws.

Compounding the situation of rape is widowhood. Since the war, 50% of the population of Kosovo is women, many of whom are widows finding themselves in the unfamiliar role of breadwinner and caretaker. This is extremely difficult since women don't share equal status with men, and lack the same opportunities. Unemployment in Kosovo is 50% overall – and an unbelievable 80% for women!

During the years of fighting and ethnic violence, homes, churches, and factories were destroyed leaving agriculture and retail trade as the sole supporters of the Kosovo economy. But antiquated equipment means that even farming is a struggle. In fact Kosovo imports 80% of what it consumes.

As Women for Women International founder and CEO, Zainab Salbi says,"…while men continue to steer the front-line discussion, it is the women who preserve the seeds of hope so that they may take root in a peaceful future."

As one Kosovar woman said, "In every democratic country,there are minority groups and they live equally, so it must happen in Kosovo as well, and I think in fact it is happening." Most women surveyed said they "believe the situation in Kosovo will be better a year from now." These women demonstrate an amazing amount of resilience to be able to find so much optimism in the face of poverty, ethnic tensions, and fighting.

As Country Director Hamide Latifi says, "The women of Kosovo are optimistic because they have to be. They've suffered so much in the past and they've been waiting and dreaming for something to change."

Right now you can give a woman in Kosovo a reason to be optimistic and a reason to hope.

You can help support the dream of a better tomorrow by donating to Women for Women International. Your donation will help a woman in Kosovo receive important rights awareness training. She'll learn job skills so she can support her family, start a successful business, and enjoy her independence. It is of utmost importance that the women of Kosovo are united in their appreciation for ethnic difference.

 

Women for Women International Programs Work!

• Since 2000, 15,000 women in 33 communities have participated in the year-long program
• Women for Women opened the third coop store managed and operated by women
• Women for Women peacefully reintegrated refugees into a heavily damaged village – with nearly 100 women participating

Be part of their hope. Because "Hope creates leaders, mobilizes support and ignites change— all of which Kosovo desperately needs right now."

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