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filia accepts applications for impulse grants and for urgent action grants!
Projects in Central/ Eastern Europe 2009
Funding 2009-II: Impulse Grants
Azerbaijan
Social Union of Khatun
Project “Strengthening women’s rights and increasing legal rights of adult females”
The organisation publishes a regular supplement in the weekly newspaper "Yukselish Namine" to enhance awareness of the human rights of women and to involve women more actively in society's processes. Some 1800 women in six different regions are asked how they rate their situation as women in their society. The results are submitted to Members of Parliament. The way TV programmes and courts of justice handle women's rights is examined for a month at a time.
No website
Total: € 4,000 (Follow-on grant)
Bulgaria
Knowledge, Success, Change
Project “Women, violence and empowerment”
In cooperation with the factory management, seminars on domestic violence are held for female staff in six large textile factories in the municipality of Dupnitsa. Domestic violence is named as a social problem, not a private problem. Information on assistance available is disseminated via flyers, brochures and ballpoint pens bearing a printed message.
No website
Total: € 5,850 (Follow-on grant)
Czech Republic
Forum 50 %
Project “Strengthening women in local and regional politics”
To strengthen women in politics, Forum 50% organises networking meetings and brings mentors together with those who need them (a database is being built up for this purpose). Local training sessions are held to provide women regional politicians (of all parties) with information on equal rights, gender budgeting and general management skills. www.padesatprocent.czTotal: € 4,000 (Follow-on grant)
Georgia
Charity Center Tanaziari for Rehabilitation and Development
Projekt “Let us defend women’s and children’s rights”
Police officers and representatives of the regional government attend training sessions on violence against women. Round Tables are organised after the training sessions. Information on the topic is broadcast in radio and TV programmes.
no website
Total: € 3,500 (First grant)
“Merkuri” Association
Project “Gender Network in the Samegrelo Region”
The NGOs working on women's themes in the region meet and develop a structure for closer cooperation. Joint events to celebrate 8 March, TV broadcasts and Round Tables inform the general public about the activities of the women's movement in the Samegrelo region, located on the border with the conflict region of Abkhazia.
www.merkuri.ucoz.org
Total: € 3,000 (First grant)
Macedonia
Women’s Alliance
Project “Women’s Rights are Human Rights”
The initiative to establish the first NGO in Macedonia working on human rights for lesbians was born at a training session with Lepa Mladjenovic from Serbia in October 2007. Women's Alliance aims to improve the visibility of women’s non-heterosexual life forms and to develop alliances with other women's organisations. Workshops for non-heterosexual women are to be conducted, encouraging them to stand up pro-actively for their rights. Lobbying work for an antidiscrimination law in Macedonia and an event to celebrate 18 May (international day against homophobia) are planned. www.womensalliance.mkTotal: € 7,000 (First grant)
Poland
Feminist Think Tank
in cooperation with the Tomek Byra Art & Ecology Foundation
Project “Reclaiming citizenship. Women and the economy of care”
The Feminist Think Tank is a union of feminist activists that supports women NGOs by providing information material and practicing feminist social criticism. In this project they examine the significance of care work, aiming to produce a connection between the results of this analysis and the economic reorganisation of society. The impacts on women will be analysed and published in a feminist "toolkit". This will form the basis of a public campaign on the economy of care that also addresses political decision-makers.
www.ekologiasztuka.pl/think.tank.feministyczny
Total: € 8,000 (First grant)
Chechnya
Thread of Life
Project “Girls without fetters”
In training sessions held in village schools, girls between the ages of 12 and 17 work out options for resolving conflicts, learn to know and exercise their rights, and to assert themselves – even against customs and traditions that infringe their rights. Altogether 143 schoolgirls were able to participate in training sessions during the last promotion cycle.
No website
Total: € 6,000 (Follow-on grant)
Sintem (“Harmony”)
Project “Iman – Preventing violence against women and girls”
The Women's centre "Harmony" (Sintem) has many years of experience with humanitarian and psychosocial support for women and now aims to start work on preventing violence against women and girls. The project is named "Iman" – a Chechnyan women's name that means "esteem/respect" – and consists of a women's theatre group that develops a sequence of scenes addressing domestic violence. The production is staged at schools, universities and other facilities and developed further using the method of the theatre of the suppressed. The objective is to name violence as a social problem, to recognise it as a violation of human rights and to escape the vicious circle of counter-violence by trying out non-violent response options.
No website
Total: € 6,000 (First grant)
Funding 2009-I: Strategic Grants
Bosnia
Veliko Srce´
Altogether 28 women’s groups with over 4000 members from the Serbian and Federation parts of Bosnia have joined together in the women’s network “Veliko Srce” (big heart). filia has been supporting the network already since 2006 and has witnessed its enormous development. From the very start filia provided structural promotion, in this case the position of the network manager. The threads all run together at the office of the coordinator, Halida Jahic, in the town of Gradacac. The women’s groups mobilise and activate women from above all rural areas. The humanitarian and social work the women’s groups perform is increasingly being complemented by political work. The women’s network participates for example in a pan-Bosnian campaign aimed at increasing the number of women in town councils.
The network has adopted a code of democratic rules and aims to support democratic individual initiative – in a social environment that is characterised by abuse of power and corruption. It sees appropriate resolution of conflicts in the groups to be just as much a part of peace-building work as calls to observe human rights in society.
Total: € 15,000 per year for three years
No website available
Funding 2009-1: Impulse Grant
Aserbaidschan
Lotos „I have the right to be informed“
Project “I have the right to be informed”
In Azerbaijan women and girls with disabilities are kept hidden away. Many of them cannot even leave their home. Accordingly there is a great information deficit on health issues. With support from filia, Lotos plans to translate and disseminate the book “A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities” from the Hesperian Foundation. Disabled women from over 40 countries helped to produce the volume. Lotos is headed by women with disabilities.
www.lotos.aznet.org
Total: € 5,000
Follow-on grant
Solidarity among Women „Be the change!“
In the run up to the regional elections in December 2009, young women are involved in political processes with a media project. At a workshop they learn how to use cameras and are familiarised with the women’s policy demands of the NGO. They make films in their own environments about their own concerns and what they want from political decision-makers. They conduct interviews with local politicians on women’s issues that are filmed and published on “You Tube”.
Total: € 5,000
First grant
Georgia
Fund Sukhumi „Mobilization and Sustainable Development of Women IDPs – Victims of Conflict and Domestic Violence“
Project “Mobilization and Sustainable Development of Women IDPs – Victims of Conflict and Domestic Violence”
Women who have fled from war-like conflicts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Kartli are trained and supported in groups. Through their difficult life situations they have been greatly exposed to domestic violence and discrimination and know little about their rights. The goal is to develop their capacities so that they can represent their interests at meetings with local politicians and media representatives.
www.fundsokhumi.ge
Total: € 5,000
Follow-on grant
The Woman and the World
Project “Women’s Solidarity for Creating Democratic and Sustainable Social Environment in Kvemo Kartli Region”
A number of mutually hostile ethnic groups live together in the Georgian region of Kvemo Kartli. In this cooperation project run by an Armenian, an Azerbaijan and the Georgian women’s group, women of the three ethnic poplations work together to bring the subject of women’s rights to the attention of the public and to promote integration of minorities. To this end information materials are produced and TV contributions with participation of the actors from the women’s groups are broadcast on regional television, thus reaching many people.
Total: € 4,000
Follow-on grant
Moldova
Institute of Women’s Rights (IWR)
Project “Fighting the Trafficking in Women and Girls”
Moldova as the poorest country in Europe is one of the main countries of origin of women and girls who become victims of such trafficking. The government does not take action against this. Many civil servants are bribed by the human traffickers. The IWR organises training sessions for some 120 police officers in order to strengthen the role of the police in the fight against trafficking in women. Furthermore, university lecturers hold seminars on prevention strategies. Information on trafficking is disseminated via a website, print materials and radio broadcasts.
Total: € 5,000
Follow-on grant
Serbia
Novi Sad Lesbian Organisation NLO
www.n-l-o.org
NLO works to improve the visibility and recognition of lesbian women and girls in Novi Sad. With the grant from filia in 2007 (project “Facing Social Homophobia in Novi Sad”), NLO was able to move various NGOs to cooperate, for instance the Youth Club CK 13. In cooperation with the club, NLO plans media workshops for young people (age 17 to 27) on the subject of discrimination. NLO aims to publicise feministic and non-heterosexual perspectives as alternative models of thought, to create awareness for human rights, and hopes for greater integration of lesbians into local social contexts.
Total: € 4,140
Follow-on grant
Autonomous Women’s Center
www.womenngo.org.rs
Project “Confronting Sexual Violence – increasing awareness, decreasing harm”
Sexual violence is a taboo topic in Serbian society. Women affected by this experience discrimination and re-traumatising by the police and the judicial system. AWC works to name sexual violence and stigmatise it in society. Street actions, media presentations, a website and leaflets all form part of the strategic PR work.
Total: € 2,500
Follow-on grant
Slovakia
Poradna
www.poradna-prava.sk
Project “Romani Women Moving Out of the Shadow”
Poradna works against forced sterilisation of Roma women in hospitals, e.g. after caesarean deliveries. A large number of Roma women were denied access to their medical files to prevent them from finding out the truth about their medical treatment. Claims brought before Slovakian courts remained unsuccessful. It was only a claim brought before the European Court of Justice that produced the desired judgement against Slovakia on 28 April 2009 and compensation for the women affected – a major success for Poradna.
Affected women from Slovakia and the Czech Republic who conduct litigation against hospitals draft a joint declaration to government representatives. They call for appropriate compensation and for an independent investigation commission to be set up. The participants are involved in drawing up the shadow report to CAT (Committee Against Torture) in Geneva.
Total: € 5,000
Follow-on grant
Chechnya
Women’s dignity
Project “New role for the Chechen woman”
Under the influence of radical Islam, forcefully introduced by President Kadyrov, women in Chechnya are increasingly experiencing curtailments of their liberty. A few of the key words that have made their way into our media landscape include compulsory wearing of the hijab (head covering), polygamy and bride abduction. Some 30 women are to acquire driving licences in order to raise the visibility of women as active individuals in public.
Total: € 7,000
First grant