Opening of first Women's Opportunity Centre

Landmark Women's Opportunity Centre opens for women rebuilding their lives after the trauma of the Kosovan War — 27 June

Women for Women has listened to the women of Kosovo who have been traumatised by the conflict created during the country’s struggle for independence and opened its first Women’s Opportunity Centre in Pristina this week. The three-storey, environmentally-friendly Centre will provide a space for socially marginalised women. It will include nine classrooms, a conference room, cafe, vocational and rights awareness training, business support services and an outdoor space where women can sell goods that they have made. The Centre will be a safe, friendly haven for 1500 women a year, at the heart of their community. It will be filled with women learning new vocational and business skills and meeting to share experiences and develop friendships.

“Women told us that the networks and friendships they form while taking part in our programme are vital to their emotional and psychological well-being; that they would like to have a safe place to meet to be able to continue these relationships in an informal environment.

“And that they would like further opportunities to develop their education, vocational and business skills.

“We have been able to realise this dream for women in Kosovo thanks to the amazing support of two organisations; architects Sharon Davis Design who donated their skills and resources to design the welcoming, open and accessible three storey building which will include classrooms and a cafe. And the Private Equity Foundation who has funded the £940,000 project recognising the far-reaching and long-term impact of investing in women - not only for the women who attend, but on society as a whole.

Women’s Opportunity Centres (WOC) are the next step in our ability to help women survivors of war. They provide a permanent base for all Women for Women International services; places where women can learn, can grow, and can be free to themselves. They represent our commitment to helping women survivors of war transform themselves and their communities, not just for a year or two, but for a lifetime”.

Says Brita Fernandez Schmidt, Women for Women’s Director of Policy who visited the Centre for the opening this week with a group of supporters including Molly Cronin from Sharon Davis Design and Carol Jackson from the Private Equity Foundation.

Women for Women has operated in Kosovo since 1999, supporting 25,0000 women affected by the inter-ethnic clashes between the Kosovar Albanians and Serbs, which led to the country declaring independence in 2008. The Charity offers a one year programme to women traumatised by conflicts to help them rebuild their lives and develop their knowledge and skills, so they can support themselves and their families. This includes bee-keeping, tailoring, carpentry, dairy production and handicraft production, as well as helping women develop business skills so they can earn an income.

During the conflict in Kosovo millions lost their homes and livelihoods, thousands died and it’s estimated that 20,000 women or more were raped by Serbian forces who used rape as a weapon of war. Since then, the experiences of many of these women have been exacerbated in Kosovo’s patriarchal society, as they feel unable to talk about what happened to them with their husbands and male relatives because of fear of rejection.

Many women are widowed and have to act as the main bread-winner and provider for their families. However a lack of education and training together with high unemployment and a lack of income generating opportunities leave them and their families in extreme hardship.

Private Equity Foundation Chief Executive Shaks Ghosh says: “The Private Equity Foundation is proud to have invested in the Women’s Opportunity Centre giving those survivors of war the support, business skills and opportunities they need to build their confidence, financial independence and career potential. This is not only a vital service for them, but for many children who are dependent upon them”.

Molly Cronin from Sharon Davis Design says “Our aim was to create a building with maximum flexibility for use of the rooms, incorporating the highest standards of sustainability. We were concerned that the size of the building would feel intimidating for Kosovan woman suffering trauma from the conflict and took this into account to design an open, accessible building and a space that would feel calming, liberating and energising and create a strong sense of community.