On the 25^th of November, the UN Women Project Office Kosovo launched the online Campaign of 16 days of Activism to End Violence against Women. The aim of the website is to raise awareness amongst the general population, with a specific emphasis on youth, about violence against women.  The campaign, designed in partnership with members of the Security and Gender Group*, the “Be a Man” project of Care International and the media group Kosovo 2.0, covers topics of: UNSCR 1325 on women, peace and security; gender based violence and domestic violence; conflict related sexual violence; transitional justice; economic security; the impact of violence on various vulnerable groups; and what different groups can do to combat violence against women.  

The website domains are http://www.16days-noviolence-ks.com/, www.16dite-jodhunes-ks.com and http://www.16dana-nenasilju-ks.com, where new information will be posted over the 16 days, followed by an E-book to be downloadable from the last day of the campaign.  The website will also host a calendar of events taking place in association with the 16 Days Campaign organized by different international agencies, the Kosovo government and civil society organizations. Also, the Facebook page 16 days-No Violence, will be used as a forum for discussions related to the topic. 

Videos accompanying the campaign have been recorded and published on the homepage, with messages from the President Ms. Atifete Jahjaga and celebrities in Kosovo including actors, singers and TV-personalities. The second video, with men engaged in ending violence against women and what is means to be a man, will be posted on day 13, with a more humorous approach.

On the 26^th of November, UN Women hosted a Launch Event on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in Cafe Zyra Ndërlidhëse, Pristina. The UN Development Coordinator, Ms. Osnat Lubrani, and UN Women OIC introduced human rights advocates, UN Heads of Agencies, partners of the campaign and youth were present. During the launch event, several speeches were held, among those the celebrities participating in the video. Finally, UN Women showed the website and the first video for the well-attended launch event in café Zyra Ndërlidhëse.

To ensure broad coverage, billboards, postcards, radio and TV advertisement have been used to bring attention to the campaign and through the support of NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR), information about the campaign will be included in their youth ‘foryou’ magazine, which is distributed to 80,000 school children aged 12-18.

The campaign is funded under the UN Women Regional Project Advancing Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women and Peace and Security in the Western Balkans (2011-2013) and the joint EU/UN Women/UNDP project on Women, Peace and Security: Enhancing Women’s Participation in Peacebuilding and Post-Conflict Planning in Kosovo.

 * The Security and Gender Group is a multi-stakeholder group, led by UN Women, consisting of women’s organizations (Kvinna till Kvinna, Kosovo Women’s Network, Kosovo Gender Studies Centre), Kosovo Institutions (Agency for Gender Equality, Women’s Caucus, Kosovo Police, Ministry of Interior) and International Organizations (UNMIK, UNDP, UNICEF, UN-HABITAT, OHCHR, UNFPA, WHO, UNOPS, UNHCR, UN Women, EU Office, EULEX, OSCE and KFOR)