27.07.11: Landmark Kosovan Womens Centre backed by PEF opens

The Private Equity Foundation attended the official opening of the Women for Women’s Opportunity Centre in Pristina, Kosovo. The centre funded by the Private Equity Foundation will act as a safe house for those women rebuilding their lives after the trauma of the Kosovan battle for independence. The centre is run by PEF charity partner Women for Women International who believe that the control of economic resources is a critical factor in lasting change for women survivors of war.

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.

According to Private Equity Foundation Chief Executive Shaks Ghosh:

"We are proud to have invested in the Women’s Opportunity Centre giving those survivors of war the 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"

The Private Equity Foundation has invested £940,000 to establish the new Women’s Opportunity Centre (WOC) in Pristina.  Architects Sharon Davis Design donated their skills and resources to design the welcoming, open and accessible three storey building which will include classrooms and a cafe. The Centre will be a safe, friendly haven for 1500 women a year, at the heart of their community

Women for Women International:

"The WOC was funded by the Private Equity Foundation, who recognized the far-reaching and long-term impact of investing in women through Women for Women International- not only on women programme participants, but on society as a whole and on future generations."

The Private Equity Foundation is committed to supporting young people reaching their full potential. In Kosovo a generation of women who have survived the war are playing a vital role in supporting young Kosovan’s through their education. These centres are the next step in them transforming themselves and their communities, not just for one year or two, but for a lifetime.

For further information please contact: joe@privateequityfoundation.org

-Notes for editors -

Women for Women International

Over the last 18 years, Women for Women has transformed the lives of more than 299,000 socially excluded women survivors of war, benefiting more than 1.4 million family and community members in the process. http://www.womenforwomen.org/

Situation for women in Kosovo (Women for Women International)

In Kosovo the struggle for independence led to large scale displacement, social and economic upheaval with emotional and physical damage inflicting great harm among the women of Kosovo. An estimated 20,000 women were raped in their homes, in confinement or during their exodus from the war. These experiences are further amplified by patriarchal societal conditions whereby women are hesitant to speak of their abuse for fear of rejection by their husbands and male relatives. Many women are widowed and have been placed in the role of primary provider for their families, a dire situation that is exacerbated by the scarcity of income generating opportunities and social exclusion.

Kosovan Economics (Women for Women International)

Unemployment disproportionately affects young women and those with a limited education, which

raises concerns over the marginalisation of many working-age Kosovans. Despite a moderate economic recovery over the last decade, Kosovo faces difficult economic conditions coupled with the highest rate of unemployment and the lowest rate of domestic production in the Balkans.

In Kosovo, less than a quarter of women participate in the labour market and account for only six percent of business owners, a fraction are elected to public office compared to men despite a good-quality antidiscrimination law passed by the Assembly, an unacceptably high proportion are functionally illiterate, a quarter (23 percent) are anaemic and many are victims of violence in the home.