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Bending the Bow: Targeting Women's Human Rights and Opportunities Country Reports Network Women's Program staff at Soros foundations in the following countries and regions contributed to this report:
Albania Albania The legacy of a particularly oppressive and isolated communist regime is an obstacle hindering Albania's development. The country still faces many new problems, which appeared during the transition period and were aggravated by the collapse of pyramid schemes, social unrest, and the Kosovar refugee crisis. Violations of women's human rights, such as trafficking and domestic violence, continue throughout the country. Enrollment of girls in school and the safety of girls, especially in rural or mountain areas, have decreased considerably. Privatization and factory closings have left many women unemployed. Many men have abandoned their wives and families in search of work in the neighboring countries of Greece and Italy. Within Albania, migration from rural areas to Tirana has created widespread poverty. The Women's Program of the Open Society Foundation for Albania is one of the oldest in the Soros foundations network. Since 1994, the Foundation has grown from supporting only one project for women in Tirana to a number of innovative initiatives covering a wide geographical area. The Program works closely with women's NGOs, sometimes advocating on their behalf to other donors. The Women's Program has also played an important role in integrating gender issues and increasing gender sensitivity in other programs in the Foundation. For example, its collaboration with the Youth Program resulted in an internship project that provided gender sensitivity training to key public administration employees. Over the years, the Women's Program has remained flexible to change, ready to address emerging areas of need, such as women in conflict, empowering Romani women, and stopping domestic violence and trafficking in women. In 1999, the Women's Program was one of the first to respond to the crisis in Kosovo, working with women in Kosovar refugee camps around the country through Tirana Counseling Line's project Open Camps and a project documenting violence against Kosovar women. The Women's Program was the first donor in the country to fund projects that address gender issues and women's rights. The Women's Center, one of the most effective projects of the Women's Program, has helped develop the women's movement in Albania by providing documentation and information on gender issues and the women's movement, including the 121 active women's NGOs in the country. "The most significant thing I've gotten from participating in projects," an employee of the Center said, "is that now I feel a part of the women's movement. I have grown as a person and see things differently today." In March 2001, the Albania women's movement celebrated its 10th anniversary with the opening of the Ūrst Gender Studies Center in the country, at the University of Tirana. The Women's Program established the first counseling line for women in Albania, in collaboration with other major donors in the country, such as the Netherlands Organization for International Development (NOVIB). This successful initiative has created other branches in Shkodra and Pogradec and is in the process of piloting the same institution in Berat (the "capital of trafficking," with the highest rate of forced prostitution and trafficking in the country). To encourage networking and cooperation among women's NGOs, including rural NGOs, the Women's Program helped to form the Network Against Violence. Criminal networks are responsible for trafficking hundreds of women and girls for prostitution from and through Albania. Because of its geographical location, Albania is a country of origin, transit, and destination in the trafficking industry. The Women's Program has helped to start a reintegration project for trafficked women, in cooperation with the Albanian government, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and other important actors. In cooperation with the Albanian Foundation for Civil Society, the project provides gender-sensitive training to representatives from NGOs from 11 cities. The dramatic performances of the Women's Street Theater helped to make a village community, including Macedonian minorities, more aware of gender issues. Both men and women were drawn in to the village's main square, to hear "such strange things," causing them to reflect on and rethink gender stereotyping, issues, and roles, while enjoying themselves. Armenia While Armenian society remains patriarchal, the country has a long history of granting equal rights for women, such as the legal right to divorce, own property, and receive an education. There is also a long tradition of women's activism and organization. Many women's organizations took on a humanitarian mission after the devastating earthquake of 1988 and during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the early 1990s, assisting refugees. With independence and the transition to a market economy, the status of women has declined politically, economically, and socially. There is a general lack of awareness and acknowledgement of gender inequities in Armenian society. Society still emphasizes the private domain of family and homemaking as women's sole area of responsibility. Participation of women in politics and decision-making positions is insignificant, and women account for the majority of unemployed. The Women's Program of the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation–Armenia works to promote gender-sensitive education and women's rights and conduct women's leadership training. The Program helps to raise public awareness of such issues as the country's alarming maternal/infant mortality rates and unwanted pregnancies, increase access to health care facilities, and integrate gender-sensitive education into high schools and universities. Society now faces many new problems, such as trafficking in women, and many long-ignored ones, such as domestic abuse and rape. There is widespread silence about these issues. Even most victims do not consider such violence against women a human rights violation. Another significant issue is labor migration. It is common for husbands to leave their wives and children in search of work in other countries. These men often start new families in destination countries, leaving what are called "straw widows" back home. As part of the network-wide Mass Media and Gender Policy project, the Armenian team, comprised of journalists and a public policy analyst, are working on a documentary film about this critical issue. The Armenian participants in the Human Rights Advanced Leadership Training for Women focused on the issue of gender discrimination in the labor market. Their project provided recommendations on labor laws aimed at eliminating gender-based discrimination in labor and created a center to actively work on these issues. The center collected information, analyzed and compared current labor laws in Armenia and other countries, and conducted a sociological survey of women in Yerevan; held roundtables and workshops with women's NGOs in Yerevan and Gyumry; worked with the mass media, the Ministry of Justice, social scientists, and other policymakers to raise awareness based on findings; and conducted advocacy training for women's NGO leaders. Another initiative, which helped to raise awareness and provide recommendations for policy by women's NGOs, was Women of Armenia 2000: Beijing Platform for Action Review. This initiative promoted the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in Armenia by disseminating information and holding roundtables around the country. Azerbaijan Until 1917, the women's movement in Azerbaijan was embodied mainly in the struggle for women's liberation from Sharia laws prescribing women's secondary role in the family and restricting their educational and civic participation. During the Soviet era, the government conducted a literacy campaign for women and a campaign against wearing the veil. A memorial to the first Azerbaijani woman throwing off the chador (veil) still stands in the center of Baku, the capital. But, as in other former Soviet countries, the ideal of women's equality as practiced under communism in many ways disrupted Azerbaijan's growing indigenous women's movement. The crisis accompanying the transition period from communism has resulted in many new problems affecting women, which are still challenging the country's development, such as the deterioration of living standards and health care, high unemployment, unequal access to decision-making, and violence against women. The 1992–1994 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict also negatively affected the development of the country, resulting in a number of vulnerable groups: refugees, displaced persons, disabled women, widows, and women who have experienced sexual, physical, and psychological violence. Several projects supported by the Women's Program of the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation–Azerbaijan have helped women overcome new economic barriers. One project assisted women refugees in launching their own businesses by reviving the ancient art of carpet weaving. This idea emerged during a visit to a refugee camp by several young women from an NGO. "We saw women who were forced to support their families on their own because their husbands were killed in the war," one of the visiting women said. "Their children were hungry, but they could not find work. Many of these women knew how to make carpets so we decided to organize production and help them sell the carpets." The project generated income and established a sense of sisterhood between the young women organizers and the refugee women. The Caspian town of Sumgayit was home to one of the largest chemical industries in the Soviet Union. Factory closings have left thousands unemployed. A project supported by the Program provided young women with free courses on business and leadership skills, foreign languages, and computer literacy to make them more competitive in the changing labor market. More than 20 women have found jobs. Such projects are empowering. As one woman said, "Now we know that we can do something for ourselves and for our families." To strengthen and help consolidate the development of the women's movement, the Women's Program works to promote more effective and sustainable cooperation among many disparate groups. The Women's Program brought together diverse women to take part in the Human Rights Advanced Leadership Training for Women. The Azerbaijan team concentrated on poverty reduction strategies for women-headed households, a particularly vulnerable group that is growing due to such factors as male labor migration and the consequences of armed conflict. A significant number of women who participated in the program emerged as advocates and leaders, and started many new women's NGOs and initiatives. The participants not only increased their legal literacy and acquired new advocacy skills, but also gained self-confidence and a mutual support network. "Now, we can work as independent advocates and engage in women's problem solving," one participant said. Bosnia and Herzegovina Women who work in the growing informal economy are underpaid and lack benefits. The war in the 1990s had an enormous and lasting effect on the women of the country. Tens of thousands of women and girls endured sexual violence. The number of women-headed households and women in poverty, most of them refugees or displaced persons, increased dramatically. High unemployment in the formal economy resulted in the growth of the informal economy, in which workers—the majority of whom are women—are underpaid and lack benefits. Despite a prevailing culture of nationalism and xenophobia, many women resisted nationalistic impulses and made strong contributions to building a civil society. Some of the most successful NGOs are women's NGOs, which, against all odds, were able to maintain cross-national and cross-cultural contacts during the war. The Women's Program of the Open Society Fund–Bosnia and Herzegovina has contributed to fighting discriminatory attitudes and behaviors and promoted a culture of nonviolence and peace building in women's activism. During and immediately after the war, in addition to grant-giving activities, the Program worked to ensure nondiscriminatory gender politics in humanitarian aid. It has taken an active role in the women's movement through participation in round-tables, discussions, seminars, meetings, conferences, campaigns, women's human rights bodies, and initiatives. The Women's Program functions not only as a grantmaker, but also as a technical assistance provider, an expert in gender issues, and, in some ways, a policymaker. The problem of minority women is great in Bosnia and Herzegovina due to ethnic conflict and existing stereotypes and prejudices. Because of the double discrimination of ethnicity and gender, Romani women are especially vulnerable. The Women's Program has supported the establishment of the country's first Romani women's NGO in Bolja Buducnost, Tuzla, to promote women's empowerment and address specific needs. The 1999 project Women Activists in War and Conflicts, in cooperation with the East East Program, produced the first common declaration against violence in Kosovo. Women from all sides of the conflict signed the declaration. Violence against women is on the rise due to women's increasing poverty and disenfranchisement, making them dependent on employers, traffickers, and abusive partners. The Women's Program funds public campaigns to combat violence against women, hotlines, and shelters for women victims of violence. In cooperation with the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Women's Program helped establish the first SOS hotline in Sarajevo. A women's shelter in Modrica provides temporary protection to abused women and children who have nowhere else to turn. The shelter helps to empower survivors to begin new lives and escape the cycle of violence in abusive relationships. Trafficking in women is a widespread problem. The Women's Program, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has supported education and public campaigns on trafficking and the establishment of emergency shelters for trafficked women. In 2001, it helped to provide training sessions for professionals who encounter trafficked women. Bulgaria The Open Society Foundation–Sofia Women's Program works to help alleviate some of the most serious issues affecting women around the country: unemployment, reproductive rights, health care, and domestic violence. The Women's Program has applied an effective mechanism for multisectoral coordination, networking, and regular exchange of information in the country and in the region. In 1998, the Women's Program initiated the first meeting of NGOs that focus on gender issues in Bulgaria. More than 70 different NGOs, business and professional associations, and think tanks participated, and they formed working groups on important issues. The meeting served as an important tool for partnership and networking, exchanging ideas, advocacy, and lobbying. Subsequent meetings have drawn more organizations, as well as members of Parliament, senior government officials, and staff from the United Nations Development Program and the World Health Organization. Also in 1998, in collaboration with the East East Program, the Women's Program organized the regional conference "Women in the 21st Century – Transcending Boundaries of Sustainable Development in Southeast Europe." This conference brought together over 150 women leaders from 15 countries in the region to develop a common strategy for mobilizing citizen participation. It also resulted in the creation of a network of women politicians, entrepreneurs, journalists, and NGO leaders, called SEELIDA (Southeastern Europe Leadership Initiative Dialogue for Action). The network holds biannual forums in different capitals on how to contribute to peace building and development in the region. A unique project on the regional level established a network of women police officers in the Balkans. The women police officers meet to discuss common problems with members of NGOs concerned about equal opportunity, crime and drug prevention, and social integration of high-risk groups in the Balkans. They define strategies for education of women police officers and effective cooperation with NGOs for prevention of crime, drug addiction, prostitution, and domestic violence. The Women's Program has helped grassroots NGOs create sustainable services for women, especially for Romani and Turkish minority women and long-term unemployed women. Some examples are health care projects in the Dobrich, Silistra, and Vidin regions. Realizing that they needed more information, knowledge, and experience to work effectively with the minority beneficiaries, staff of funded NGOs turned to trusted intermediaries belonging to the same ethnic group. Participants increased their self-confidence and knowledge about health care issues while helping other women and their families. They said that now "we possess a new, higher position in our communities as persons who are better qualified." Romani and Turkish women beneficiaries believe that the programs gave them the tools to challenge their status as socially excluded minorities, making them feel more in control of their lives. One participant established a women's club within a Romani organization in Dobrich. Another was appointed a specialist on ethnic problems in the local government. In Silistra and Vidin, several Romani girls were inspired to continue their educations, enrolling in university courses. Croatia In the last decade, Croatia has faced the challenge not only of building democratic institutions while becoming an independent state, but also of dealing with the destruction and residual effects of war—factors that have helped to enhance and renew patriarchal values. The growing influence of the Catholic Church and a decade of authoritarian politics by the Croatian Democratic Union (CDU) are also detrimental to the status of women, and economic crises and the process of privatization have led to a significant increase in unemployed women. Women's NGOs have flourished in Croatia in the postwar period, providing humanitarian assistance, working on peace building, encouraging women's participation in the political process, and advocating for the rights of women and refugees. In addition, some women's NGOs have made major inroads on raising public awareness about violence against women. The Women's Program of the Open Society Institute–Croatia has responded to the ongoing needs of women in the areas of education, media, and civil society. It focuses specifically on women's political participation, the need for new legislation, domestic violence, gender-sensitive education, women's health, and the growth of women's organizations in rural areas. In the area of women's human rights, the Women's Program has worked on solving the problems of women refugees and displaced persons. There are many political and security-related obstacles involved, such as the lack of cooperation by local authorities, strong ethnic tensions, and questionable provisions on the legal status of refugees and displaced persons. The Women's Program has contributed to solving several legal issues through support for legal representation and the publication and dissemination of information on the rights of women refugees and displaced persons. The project "Women for Changes" targeted the needs of rural women by providing a safe place for bringing together women of different ethnicities living in communities burdened by high ethnic tensions. The project offered job skills, computer training, organizational, and community development workshops, courses on communication skills and leadership, psychological help, and information on reproductive health and rights for local women in Vojnic and Karlovac. One outcome of the work in Vojnic was the establishment of a local women's group. Another project supported by the Program and initiated by an NGO in Split provided psychological assistance to women recovering from breast cancer and offered professional medical assistance and individual, group, and family therapy to more than 1,300 women with breast cancer. Public education and establishment of a volunteer program widened the scope of activities, covering close to 3,000 women of different ages and backgrounds through preventive examination and education. The Women's Program has also funded several women's NGOs that work with victims of domestic violence. For the last 10 years, the Autonomous Women's House in Zagreb has provided a safe place, psychological assistance, and counseling for more than 1,000 abused women and children. The Women's House, the only shelter in Croatia not religiously affiliated, empowers women through a secular, feminist approach. In response to inadequate legal measures to protect women and children from abusive partners, four women's NGOs in 1998 began the project Stop Violence against Women. The project included action-oriented research and a television public service campaign. In the area of reproductive rights and health, the Women's Program has used campaigns and other public actions to increase awareness of the problems associated with attempts to ban abortion, stimulating action among key actors in society on several occasions. Since the early 1990s, the Zagreb-based NGO Zenska Infoteka has been documenting the history of the women's movement in the region. In late 2000, the Women's Program supported Zenska Infoteka to start a network-wide program to help establish and develop women's information centers. The NGO compiles and publishes databases and directories, and provides policy information and training activities to strengthen the communications skills of women. The target audience has widened in recent years to include NGO activists, students, journalists, and university and high school teachers. Czech Republic After more than a decade of social change, Czech women are still far from attaining equal status with men, and they are consistently underrepresented in all decision-making positions. Pressure on the government to conform to European Union standards on women's equality has translated recently into some positive changes in existing legislation. Nonetheless, these changes have yet to result in significant changes in women's daily lives. Most Czechs do not consider the status of women a topic of great importance (regardless of some rhetoric from the government), and programs for women's empowerment are not a focal point for donor organizations and policymakers. The Open Society Fund–Prague Women's Program is one of the few sources of funding for gender issues in the Czech Republic, especially in the field of education. Although grants are relatively small, they are crucial for many women's NGOs, especially groups outside Prague. Responding to the need in the educational system for debate on gender issues as well as to help students learn critical thinking, the Program made a small but effective grant to introduce more participatory, interactive methods of teaching into the curriculum. An educator created and implemented a gender issues program in Brno for students of social sciences, secondary school teachers, journalists, and librarians. The courses helped to break gender stereotypes, created new ways of thinking, and also spawned other projects. OSF–Prague places emphasis on "bridge-building" activities between NGOs and other stakeholders. It established an informal group on gender issues at the Czech Donors Forum to draw more funding for women. A grantee organization conducted a pilot project of focused discussion groups at schools to prevent trafficking in women, with the aim of introducing this type of activity into the national school curriculum. The same NGO was also consulted on a draft act on prostitution. With cofunding from other sources, another grantee is conducting a media campaign against domestic violence to start public debate on this issue. An initiative on healthy parenting aims to bring about positive changes in maternity care and childbirth. It established the first birthing house in the country, a model institution providing comprehensive obstetric care in line with EU and WHO requirements. Other activities include training and conferences, comparative research, media cooperation, translation and publication of educational documents, and initiatives to improve legal transparency and norms related to gender. Estonia Values are changing fast in Estonia. There is lively debate on a number of social issues, including equal participation of women in the labor market and in decision-making, equal educational opportunities, and the growing problem of domestic violence. However, stemming from the Soviet legacy of assumed equality between men and women, many Estonians often deny the existence of these problems. With Estonia's efforts to join the European Union, however, Estonians are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of equal rights, and opportunities for gender-inclusive policy are growing. The need to study and document social attitudes and behavior in the midst of change, and to provoke thought and debate on otherwise invisible issues, is extremely important. Despite resistance from both prominent public figures and Estonian society as a whole, many important initiatives of the Open Estonia Foundation Women's Program have helped to bring the situation of women into public discourse. Some of the Women's Program's greatest achievements are in bringing to light problematic issues, and in supporting cutting edge organizations and projects, including research, books, films, and training materials. Many of the books produced by the Women's Program most likely would not otherwise have been published commercially, due to limited interest on the part of publishers. Likewise, mainstream Estonian documentaries rarely focus on gender or controversial social issues. The Women's Program has funded important documentary films, which have proven to be powerful explorations of some of the problems and attitudes of a society in transition. The Big Sister, a 1999 film that explored media stereotypes on women in politics, has been used in training politicians and journalists. The Beauty of the Fatherland: The Lives of Two Women, another film supported by the Women's Program through the Mass Media and Gender Policy program, explored gender roles and values in Estonian society by profiling two highly visible, yet controversial women. It was screened at an Estonian film festival at the end of 2001, drawing a large turnout. Both documentaries have received wide media coverage and stimulated discussions about gender images and stereotypes. The area of women's studies has developed slowly in Estonia, due to unreceptive attitudes in society. The Women's Program works with the women's centers in two universities, as well as with the Estonian Women's Studies and Resource Center. The Tallinn Pedagogical University's Women's Studies program, an example of effective cooperation between Estonian and more developed Nordic women's studies programs, has gradually influenced discussions about the role of women in society. Several well-targeted seminars in media, literature, and philosophy have succeeded in increasing understanding of feminism and the women's movement. An electronic discussion list has created a forum for the community of feminist researchers and students to engage in intense and sometimes passionate discussions on gender issues, some of which have reached mainstream media. Every year it is becoming more common for students to do feminist research or include the gender aspect in their theses. Georgia Regardless of the many changes in Georgia in the transition period, the majority of the population still lives in poverty. This is true in both rural areas, where survival depends on such basic needs as favorable weather for crops, and in urban areas, where whole industries have disappeared as a consequence of political change and economic collapse. Years of armed ethnic conflicts in Georgia and neighboring Chechnya have created a large population of refugees. Of the numerous problems women face, the most acute are economic problems, lack of women's rights, and the threat of violence in an increasingly aggressive environment. Before the establishment of the Soviet Union, Georgia had a strong tradition of charitable organizations. Today, women's NGOs are gradually returning to make important contributions to improving the status of women. The Open Society Georgia Foundation Women's Program has been one of the few accessible sources of funding for women's NGOs and social activism. The Program has helped to create a strong network of women's NGOs by establishing a mailing list and hosting meetings for information sharing and collaboration, advancing their slogan: "What we are doing for women, we are doing for all of humankind." Openness, networking, confidence, and collaboration constitute the core of the Women's Program approach, enhancing the reputation of the Program in the women's NGO community. The Women's Program, in collaboration with IREX, helped to establish a website called Gender Awareness Information Network–Georgia. The creation of an information center has led to increased professional development of women's rights activists, serving as a tool for networking women's NGOs and coordinating activities. It provides a space for publishing documents and case studies in Georgian, Russian, and English. Georgia is a multiethnic state composed of Armenians, Ossetians, Kurds, Jews, Abkhaz, and other minorities. Instability, resurgent nationalism, and bloody ethnic conflicts and civil wars have characterized the transition period. The Women and Peace program is a main priority for the Women's Program. One innovative peace-building project is Women's Oral Histories: Multiethnic Georgia in the Last Decade. Participants have conducted fieldwork in mostly rural areas, collecting and preserving the voices of women from many different minority groups. The result will be an illustrated book and a television production. The Women's Program has also helped to create important regional databases for defending women's human rights, including case documentation of rights violations of disabled women and women in conflict zones. A series of articles in newspapers and journals raised the visibility of peace initiatives by women in conflict zones such as Abkhazia, Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory disputed by Armenia and Azerbaijan, as a step toward opening dialogue, overcoming ethnic conflict, and fostering mutual understanding. The Georgian team of the Human Rights Advanced Leadership Training for Women chose to address the complex and growing issue of trafficking in women, marking the first time activists addressed this problem in the country. The trafficking phenomenon highlights several issues at once—migration, prostitution, and the conservative social mores that preclude open discussion of the problem. Project participants made the problem of trafficking more visible, conducting a series of meetings and trainings for different actors in society, creating informational brochures warning women of risks, and developing recommendations for policy reforms, including the passage of appropriate legislation. Haiti In many ways, the situation of women in Haiti reflects its turbulent past and the social and cultural dichotomy that marks the country to this day. Violence and arbitrary rule have dominated Haiti's political history, and the legacy of slavery has affected women most severely. As in colonial times, the upper and middle classes have used mostly women as domestic servants, depriving them of all rights, creating a system of quasi-slave work in each household with a set of accompanying abuses, sexual and otherwise, inflicted on domestic workers. At the same time, women of all socioeconomic levels play an important role in the Haitian economy, in children's education, and in society as a whole, but perhaps more so in the most destitute sector of the population where female-headed, single-parent households are the norm. Contrary to many countries of the Caribbean and Latin American region, a high number of educated women in Haiti can be found in high-ranking jobs in banks, international institutions, government, NGOs, and other private sector professions. In the rural communities, women work the land and assume a leadership role in Voodoo (a widely practiced religion) as priestesses with the same rights and privileges as priests. Heralded as the backbone of the economy, Haitian women make up a large percentage of the people who travel throughout the region to buy and sell goods and commodities. Yet, Haitian women do not enjoy equal status with men. Since the end of the Duvalier regime and military rule, several women's associations have emerged to courageously make gender issues more visible. The Fondation Connaissance et Liberte supports four feminist organizations (Enfofanm, Kay Fanm, Fanm Yo La, and SOFA) that play a major role in promoting issues of gender, women's rights, and human rights. The foundation's support includes help in establishing computer connectivity and conducting training to facilitate communication, develop networking capacity, and familiarize the groups with resources on the Internet to more effectively coordinate projects. The four organizations will continue to bring medical, psychological, and legal assistance to women victims of rape and abuse, and to lobby the Haitian Parliament about laws on abortion, women servants, divorce, and adultery. They will also continue to promote grassroots activism, organizing marches, sit-ins, and other forms of protest in defense of women's rights. Kazakhstan A number of progressive reforms have taken place in post-Soviet Kazakhstan, yet policymakers seldom consider the ways these reforms affect men and women differently. The inaccurate perception of the majority of the population is that men and women are treated equally and that gender issues do not require any special attention. In 2001, the Women's Program of the Soros Foundation–Kazakhstan, in cooperation with the Open Society Institute–Russia, developed and coordinated a new network program on Mass Media and Gender Policy, which captured the interest of 12 other Soros foundations. This program aims to raise gender awareness in society by creating an international and national community of knowledgeable journalists committed to gender-sensitive media. One of the most widespread problems in Kazakhstan is violence against women. Only NGOs and international agencies worked on the issue until 1998 when President Nazerbaev proclaimed the eradication of violence against women as a state priority. The government introduced special departments to deal with the problem. Yet, despite this acknowledgement by the state, violence against women remains a pressing problem. In 1999, the Women's Program began to support training on starting hotlines and crisis centers, leading to the opening of two crisis centers, Podrugi (Girlfriends) in Almaty and the Women's Support Center in Rudnyi. The Women's Program helped to form a growing network of crisis centers and shelters connected via electronic communication. Crisis centers and shelters play an important role in the towns in which they operate, providing an essential resource for women who escape violent situations. Leninogorsk, an industrial town in eastern Kazakhstan, is experiencing problems typical to transition, which have profoundly affected the most vulnerable groups of women, such as low-income, unemployed, homeless women, single mothers, and women running large households. The Nezabudka Crisis Center runs a hotline, provides psychological and legal counseling, offers educational programs for women and girls, and supplies literature on gender issues to the public. During the first month of operation, there were 200 calls and more than 50 visits. The staff has established effective cooperation with the local and federal government and the police department. "For Leninogorsk, the crisis center is an outlet," Alla Platonova, the Center's director, said. "With the privatization of mines and factories, many people lost their jobs. Our center has helped many people. Women now know their rights. We don't just advise women, we try to create jobs." In addition to a crisis center, the Consulting Center for Women in the town of Uralsk now houses a sewing workshop, an ecological group for children, and a small kindergarten for low-income families. The NGO also conducts outreach activities, visiting women in factories, farms, schools, and universities to distribute information about their center. Another crisis center provides help to women in Zhezkazgan, a mining town in central Kazakhstan, suffering from the painful cycle of unemployment, poverty, and violence. "Before the hotline, there was nobody to listen," Alma Userova, the center's director, said. "We didn't even suspect many of these issues—lesbian women, for instance—existed. The town is small and people here know each other. Our hotline keeps secrets." Kosovo The Women's Program is working to make women's voices heard and encouraging women to play an active role in the process of democratic reconstruction in Kosovo. The vestiges of war—unemployment, poverty, and the loss of family members—are pressing problems for the population in general, but they have had a particularly direct effect on women. Women and girls have less access to economic resources and fewer opportunities. They have little or no involvement in decision-making structures. Violence against women is a prevalent reality in society and the absence of a legislative framework and women's lack of awareness about their existing rights puts them at a disadvantage. Women also have less access to education. The parallel schooling system, the destruction of a great number of school buildings in the war, and poverty have all led to a decline in the number of women at all levels of education. From its early stages, the Kosova Foundation for Open Society has provided assistance to women's projects and initiatives. The Women's Program seeks to increase women's involvement in rebuilding democratic institutions; promote equal rights and opportunities for women and girls; oppose violence against women; include women and girls in the educational system; and enhance regional cooperation among women's NGOs. In addition, the Program provides technical assistance to women's groups and NGOs in writing project proposals and organizing computer training and roundtable discussions related to women's rights. The Program has established an important partnership with UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) for a long-term project focusing on illiterate girls and women. The project will include seminars and workshops in cooperation with HESP (Higher Education Support Program) and UNMIK (United Nations Mission in Kosovo) on gender mainstreaming. With support from the Women's Program, the Department of Education will incorporate a new gender studies program at a university in Kosovo. The Women's Program is working to make women's voices heard and encouraging women to play an active role in the process of democratic reconstruction in Kosovo. The Program provided support to emerging Kosovar women leaders to attend the Human Rights Advanced Leadership Training for Women. "I was shocked to learn about advanced human rights conventions," a participant from Kosovo said, "to hear about places where there is no war. I cried several times while listening to people talking about rights. I am grateful for having the opportunity to attend this training and come back to Kosovo to advocate for women's rights." Many funded projects demonstrate a great sense of collaboration among local women's groups and international organizations. The Women's Program provided a space for different women's groups to come together to work on an issue and document women's human rights abuses. Groups such as Elena, the Center for the Protection of Women and Children, and others have worked as advocates, disseminating reports to a large number of international human rights organizations. A participant in a roundtable held shortly before the war described the benefits of such meetings: "Overnight, my life changed. I was a homemaker without a job and without any hope for a better future. And, there was the fear of war coming. Participating in discussions with women from different backgrounds allowed me to share my own experiences and learn from others how to overcome fear and stress." Motrat Qiriazi is a group of rural women's NGOs addressing the obstacles rural and refugee women and girls face—such as access to education and the traumatic effects of war. A campaign they conducted brought together different women's groups, communities, and educational institutions to work on the problem of girls dropping out of the educational system. The campaign resulted in an increase in the number of girls returning to school. The number of girls enrolled in higher education in one region increased from only 12 girls in 1995 to 500 in 1998. The Sfinga Center, a women's research and publishing center, works to develop women's studies and promote the achievements of women academics in Kosovo. Its annual feminist academic journal of literature and art by Albanian, German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Greek, Albanian, Turkish, Slovenian, Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian women has become an important resource for students of the humanities. Kyrgyzstan Most Kyrgyz women have experienced a sharp decrease in their standard of living, and they struggle with high rates of unemployment, domestic violence, and the deterioration of the health care system, especially reproductive health care. Kyrgyzstan also has a high rate of trafficking in women. The Soros Foundation–Kyrgyzstan Women's Program is one of the few funders providing much-needed support for programs and projects on gender issues in the country. The Program's strategic goals include raising public awareness on domestic violence and developing institutional mechanisms to prevent it, fostering cooperation between interethnic women's NGOs in the region, creating a more positive image of women in the mass media, and developing educational programs and research. The Women's Program will work with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on the Mass Media and Gender Policy project, and it will collaborate with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on the prevention of trafficking in women. In the area of education, the Women's Program successfully piloted the network-wide Empowering Education program in five schools during one year, expanding the program to rural areas and obtaining certification by the Ministry of Education. The Women's Program also coordinates the subregional network Women's Oral History program, which seeks to preserve and present the complex picture of women's "unofficial" realities and experiences in the region. The Women's Program helps to coordinate the subregional Ferghana project (initiated by the Soros foundations in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan), which consists of joint projects of women's NGOs from the Ferghana Valley. Women from the Ferghana Valley must grapple with issues such as high unemployment, domestic violence, and drug trafficking and addiction. Kyrgyz participants in the Human Rights Advanced Leadership Training for Women focused on the issue of women's political participation in presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections. A series of trainings increased women's participation. In the village of Kyzyl-Jyldyz, six women who attended trainings won local council elections. "The trainings helped women to believe in themselves," a participant said, "and for the first time it occurred to many of them that they could participate in elections on an equal basis with men. Some women nominated themselves for local government elections and won." Two of the most critical problems for women are poverty and violence. The Women's Program supports four crisis centers around the country. The members of the NGO Tendesh, located in the remote region of Naryn, set up one of these crisis centers after they took part in an internship at an established crisis center in St. Petersburg, Russia. In addition to a hotline, the center works on prevention of violence through the mass media, training sessions, and roundtable discussions. The Women's Program supports the establishment of crisis centers in other regions of the country as well. "Working in the crisis centers," a staff member at the Crisis Center Sezim said, "we run across negative aspects of women's lives: assaults, beatings, extreme poverty. Very often we are the only source of support for such women." In 2001, the Women's Program helped to introduce a course on violence against women and children at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It also lobbied for a bill to protect victims of domestic violence. In 2002, the Program plans to introduce a course on violence against women at the Center for Advanced Training for officers of the General Prosecutor's Office and continue working for legislation protecting victims of domestic violence. Lithuania In 1999, Lithuania was the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to pass an equal opportunities law that formally recognized the equal social, economic, and political rights of men and women. It was also the first to establish an Office of Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson. Although these instruments have created the legal preconditions for gender equality, Lithuanian women, particularly in rural areas, still have not achieved gender equality. The Open Society Fund–Lithuania Women's Program believes that women's NGOs offer "the most direct path to achieving gender equality goals." The Program helps NGOs and other institutions to create more favorable conditions for women to secure and assert their rights. Women's NGOs in Lithuania provide direct assistance to women by supporting and operating shelters. They also help raise public awareness on gender issues and engage in lobbying efforts for women-friendly legislation. Since independence, women in Lithuania have made great strides in the development of gender and women's studies and research, establishing academic women's studies centers that analyze domestic violence and trafficking in women. The Empowering Education project has been active in Lithuania since 1999. When the program first began, the idea of promoting social partnerships in society based on respect for human rights and a participatory, learner-centered model was a new concept for the Lithuanian educational system. Lithuanian trainers now train others in methods of empowering high school girls and boys in five schools in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Silute. The Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson helps the trainers working in the five schools. The demand for training in other schools is growing. For the Human Rights Advanced Leadership Training for Women program, the Lithuanian team worked on pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, and age discrimination of women in the labor market. With the transition to a market economy, competing equally in the labor market has become difficult for women. Although a system of guarantees exists, they are not always beneficial to women, and violations are hard to document. In cooperation with governmental institutions, women's NGO networks, and trade unions, the Lithuanian team sought to raise public awareness about problems of discrimination through mass media and roundtable discussions. The project led to the establishment of the Women's Employment and Information Centers Network in Rural Areas and the Kaunas Mobile Consulting Center, working to help rural women find alternative means of earning a living. Women learned that they can create change as individuals, as well as a group. One woman said: "After our seminar in the village of Zeimiai, women started organizing meetings every Wednesday, inviting people from the local government to discuss how to improve the situation in the village, how to help the poorest. They conducted an assessment showing the need for a kindergarten and funeral home. They also organized elections. They changed themselves as well as others." Macedonia The Women's Program has played an important role in developing the Macedonian women's movement, encouraging dialogue among women of different ethnicities. The transition process has resulted in rapid growth in the number of women's NGOs, though women have very limited access to political decision-making at all levels. The women's NGO sector and individuals in Macedonia have done a considerable amount of work addressing the needs of women and raising awareness of gender issues. However, recent crises have further divided Albanian and Macedonian women and hampered the possibility for shaping a united women's agenda that would benefit and empower women of all ethnic groups. The Foundation Open Society Institute–Macedonia Women's Program has played an important role in transforming the women's NGO sector and developing the Macedonian women's movement. To address the most painful issues dividing Macedonian society, the Women's Program has focused on encouraging cooperation and dialogue among women of different ethnicities. In 2001, the Program provided seed grants for community-based projects in ethnically mixed communities. The Program plans to initiate joint meetings with women's NGOs in these communities to identify potential partnerships. In the spring of 1999, the Women's Program responded to the Kosovo crisis by making emergency funds available for refugee women. Through local NGOs, the Women's Program distributed aid packages for women refugees hosted by local families and organized sewing and English courses. The German Institute for International Cooperation joined FOSI–Macedonia in providing sewing machines. In addition, the Women's Program awarded several grants to women's organizations for projects targeting refugee women and children. Another pressing problem is violence against women. The Women's Program has helped NGOs with media campaigns to raise public awareness, workshops, debate programs, crisis centers, and medical, psychological, and legal counseling. These activities have succeeded not only in raising public awareness, but also in opening the door for women to speak up about their experiences and begin the struggle to regain their lives. In collaboration with the Healthy Options Project (HOPS), the Women's Program designed a pilot project for HIV/AIDS prevention among women involved in prostitution, the most vulnerable and marginalized group of women in society. This was a pioneering step in addressing the needs of sex workers and their families. Through a challenging door-to-door campaign, a team of social workers and grassroots activists contacted almost 60 women. HOPS distributed condoms and educational brochures and created an SOS line. In 2002, the Women's Program will continue working with HOPS on HIV/AIDS prevention and women involved in prostitution. With the NGO Open Gate, HOPS will also work on a Trafficking in Women Prevention Project. The Research Center for Gender Studies established by the Women's Program was the first to introduce gender theory to the broader public; promote contemporary feminist thought among academics and NGO activists; and establish gender studies as an academic discipline. The Center has organized several symposiums, workshops, roundtables, a regional seminar for students and scholars, and several gender research projects. The Center publishes a directory of women's NGOs in Macedonia. An Information and Documentation Unit provides information on the status of women in society. In September 2001, the Center began to publish Identities, a journal for politics, gender, and culture, in Macedonian and English to communicate regionally and gain international attention. The Macedonian participants of the network-wide Human Rights Advanced Leadership Training for Women program addressed the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. In collaboration with several women's NGOs, the team conducted a national campaign for raising public awareness and drafted amendments to the criminal and labor laws. Advocates, judges, union members, and women's NGO representatives attended a lively public debate on the amendments and produced policy recommendations. After the debate, participants formed the Breza advocacy group to lobby for legal changes. Moldova In July 2000, after more than a decade of transition, Moldova returned to a communist-controlled government. The legacy of communism is still evident in a lack of information about nongovernmental approaches and a general political passivity. The role of NGOs is not widely understood—they are often regarded as temporary organizations of low importance. Many think that only governmental activities are valid. Women have less access than men to essential financial resources, and women frequently face discrimination in hiring, promotion, and firing practices. Unemployed women on average remain out of work much longer than men. In the last decade, chronic unemployment, scarce wages, and legislative inadequacies have contributed to the emergence of the disturbing, new phenomenon of trafficking in women and an increase in domestic violence. To provide for their families, many Moldovan women are forced to accept employment in low-paid and exhausting jobs, endure harassment, and often illegally leave the country in the search for better paying jobs. The Soros Foundation–Moldova Women's Program has successfully run several projects focused on the development of practical skills. In 1999, the Handicraft Union of Moldova launched a substantial initiative for vulnerable women in the village of Vasieni. Astonished by newspaper articles about economic despair in this village (people selling their internal organs abroad for survival), the Union began a training program for 40 women in traditional handicraft skills, including crocheting, embroidery, and weaving, and basic business skills. The trainees participate in exhibitions and other events in the village and elsewhere, receiving recognition and exposure. The most important outcome of the project is the women's renewed sense of self-confidence stemming from their ability to provide for their families and feel useful. The precarious economy has led to limited, expensive medical care and an ailing health care system, with detrimental consequences for women's health. Moldova has a staggering number of newly registered cases of breast cancer annually. The Women's Program funds a number of NGOs that conduct policy research; produce informational posters, fliers, and television public service announcements; and provide training for doctors. The Women's Program works to increase awareness on issues of gender equity and women's empowerment; increase the effectiveness of coalition building, dialogue, and collaboration among women's NGOs; monitor and decrease discriminatory attitudes against women in society; and establish a clear set of journalistic standards for gender equity in the mass media. One great success was the creation of the Ten Plus club for women journalists. Several years ago, an international seminar challenged a Moldovan journalist to scrutinize gender sensitivity in the media. She discovered that apart from one or two references to women singers, an outsider would have deduced that Moldovan women simply did not exist. This revelation inspired 10 women journalists to work at making women's voices present in the mainstream media by creating the Ten Plus club. The membership list now includes activists, many from rural communities. The club promotes women's empowerment in the mainstream press, works to increase the number of women in decision-making positions, and offers accolades for exceptional articles and radio and TV programs. In addition, the club publishes a vital 20-page bulletin—the only publication that brings gender issues into focus in the country. Mongolia Although located in the heart of Asia, Mongolia's remote, landlocked geographical position and complex history make it difficult to place in regional categories used by governments, international organizations, and academics. In the face of urbanization, the nomadic traditions of the steppes continue, but Mongolia's recent transition to a market economy has meant drastic changes in socioeconomic and political life, leading to economic crisis and political instability. Changes have had both positive and negative impacts on the situation of women. While there are more opportunities for women to participate in the democratic process, to exercise freedom of choice, and to own property, many women have slid into a state of poverty, unemployment, and poor nutrition and health. The Mongolian women's movement in the last 10 years has become a diverse, strong, and integral part of civil society. It includes women's studies programs, information centers, antiviolence initiatives, and organizations for women lawyers. It succeeded in building alliances to promote women in positions of power. At the same time, the difference between the development of the women's movement in the capital city and in rural areas is a significant concern. The Mongolian Foundation for Open Society Women's Program encourages and promotes the sustainability of new and existing women's and gender studies programs. It also works on preventing violence against women and increasing the visibility of Mongolian women's NGOs and their activities in the international arena. In the remote western region of Bayan-Ulgii, which has a large population of ethnic minorities, the Women's Training Center has helped improve the economic situation of individual women and the sustainability of women's NGOs. The Center has expanded from an income-generating project to include much-needed civic and legal education. The Mongolian participants' project of the Human Rights Advanced Leadership Training for Women is an example of a cross-sectoral collaboration to effect policy change. The team worked with the Foreign Investment Department of the Ministry of External Affairs. The Labor Department and Foreign Investment Department continue to consult team members on gender and labor policy issues. The team conducted a survey on the labor rights issues of women employed in garment factories and created training models and training materials. The participants effectively lobbied Labor Monitoring Department officials of the Social Welfare and Labor Ministry on the need for monitoring labor rights issues in joint ventures. One important outcome was the adoption of a new Labor Code by the Parliament. Projects on domestic violence raised public awareness, facilitated a more women-friendly response by law enforcement agencies, and encouraged coalition building of rural NGOs. Specific activities included training of trainers, counseling for abusive men, legal and psychological consultation for women, support groups, and the production and dissemination of educational materials. Grantees have also set up a working group to develop domestic violence education in the police academy. Montenegro In its decade-long social crisis, Montenegro has witnessed an intensive revival of patriarchal values, which has endangered the realization of women's human rights. In the context of the war, sanctions, conflict in Kosovo, and NATO intervention, the issue of women's rights has been largely ignored. Women in Montenegro must face obstacles such as high unemployment, high illiteracy rates, and low participation in decision-making structures. Although the law guarantees women's equal status, it still has not addressed several vital issues, such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, and family planning. Among the most pressing issues for the Women's Program of the Open Society Institute–Montenegro are violence against women, early marriage, education (women's studies and research), and gender discrimination. In the capital city of Podgorica, the SOS Hotline for Women and Children Victims of Violence was the first organized group to fight violence against women in Montenegro. By working with the prison administration, the group was able to increase the number of visitations allowed for incarcerated mothers to see their children, from only twice a year to once a month. Through the organization's help, the women have been allowed other rights as well, such as being able to remove their uniforms for a couple of hours in the afternoons, to cook for themselves, and to reestablish relationships with family members. Many women and children have found a safe place, for 24 hours to one year, at the Shelter for Women and Children Victims of Male Violence in Podgorica. The shelter offers medical and psychological help, workshops for children, and legal advice. Recognized as a necessity in the community, the shelter has attracted the interest of many other donors and institutions. It has established successful cooperation with law enforcement, medical institutions, schools, and kindergartens. The SOS Hotline in the town of Niksic encompasses a wide range of activities and programs. The group was among the first to start working with local and refugee Romani children and women. It offers classes at the SOS House and evening classes for children to help them finish school while providing a safe space for women and children. The Women's Program helped to establish an Information and Documentation Center that showed women's groups the importance of networking, cooperation, and access to relevant information. In addition, the Women's Program helped to develop women's studies and research at the university faculties in Niksic and Podgorica, introducing the issue of gender in educational reform and working to sensitize teachers and administrators. Poland There has been much development in Poland, but the social cost of transition continues to be very high. Poverty is growing, especially in rural areas. Profamily, antichoice policies have tried to restrict women's roles to the family. The government has resisted introducing institutional mechanisms for gender equality, such as the Beijing Platform for Action, and the Parliament rejected equal opportunity legislation that would have protected women against discrimination in the labor market. Women have little access to quality health care, and the great majority of Polish society is fervently antichoice. Domestic violence, which was not discussed under communism, is increasingly coming into public view, but most people in Poland still do not see it as a human rights violation. Established more than eight years ago, the Stefan Batory Foundation Women's Program is one of the oldest women's programs in the Soros foundations network. The Women's Program provides financial support to NGOs and informal groups working toward fostering legal awareness among women, increasing women's participation in political, social, and economic life, promoting women's health issues, and preventing violence against women. Numerous organizations point to the important role the Women's Program plays not only in providing funding but also in offering additional assistance and advice in needs assessment, strategic planning, and capacity development. Among other activities, the Program organizes meetings and other events for exchanging information, cooperation, and networking. One grantee said, "The Women's Program is a place where everybody can come for support and advice. Its value cannot be measured only in economic terms." The Women's Program has demonstrated its ability to act quickly and decisively. During the devastating floods in southern Poland in 1997, for example, it was the first to provide support for on-site crisis intervention centers. The Women's Program awards grants to organizations of rural women to run workshops for unemployed women and provide legal, psychological, and medical assistance. Many beneficiaries have found jobs, become involved in income-generating activities, and established new organizations. The Women's Self-Help Movement is a small, Warsaw-based association that assists women affected by violence and promotes women's leadership and self-help. One woman, once a victim of violence seeking legal counseling herself, is now running her own support group. Several other women are now employed. As a result of these successes, a benefactor donated space to the association to provide counseling to mothers with small children. Through funding to the Family Planning Association in Wroclaw, a Women's Program grantee developed a comprehensive program of crisis intervention, a system of free legal, psychological, and pedagogical counseling to women and their children, and a diagnostic center for victims of sexual abuse, including facilities for disabled women (very rare in Poland). The local National Health Services now contracts services with the center due to the high quality of its medical care. In the first half of 2000, the center provided services to 2,000 girls and women and their children. The Women's Program funded a group of teachers from a village in central Poland to run workshops for rural women. The topics included women's rights, family planning, educational and vocational development, economic activities, and violence against women. The project also provided health exams, including mammograms. Thirty of the participating women farmers and homemakers established an association of rural women, also with funding from the Women's Program. The association monitors the situation of women in the community and encourages the local government to include women's issues on its agenda. They also organize cultural and social events, participate in NGO training, and attend meetings of women's groups in the Polish Parliament. A dynamic association of women now exists in a community where women have traditionally lacked self-confidence and opportunities and lived in isolation. Romania "Our public events, radio talks, articles in newspapers, and training courses turned domestic violence from a taboo subject to a problem that needs to be addressed." In the ongoing struggle of transition, Romania faces both old problems, such as violence against women, and new ones, such as trafficking in women. Despite expressed commitments by officials in decision-making positions, governmental programs and policies in Romania have not truly begun to address gender issues and women's rights. The government has resisted taking the necessary steps to integrate gender awareness into Romanian society, and public discourse seldom touches upon the problem of gender discrimination. Due to the pressure of women's organizations, however, gender is being taken into consideration in criminal law discussions. The law already addressed many issues, such as rape, although incompletely. Romanian law previously allowed rapists who married their victims to evade punishment, but this proviso has now been repealed. Other issues, such as domestic violence and trafficking in women, have not yet been addressed. The Women's Program of the Open Society Foundation–Romania has brought valuable expertise and assistance to the women's movement. One of the strengths of the Women's Program is making taboo subjects, such as domestic violence, visible. As one NGO member said: "At the beginning it was very hard, especially because we were working with an unknown subject in domestic violence. People looked at us suspiciously. But interest in the subject increased due to our public events, radio talks, articles in newspapers, and training courses. This turned domestic violence from a taboo subject to a problem that needs to be addressed." In September 1999, the Women's Program cofunded and organized a major event that caught the attention of the media: an outdoor gathering of over 100 participants to protest domestic violence. The meeting was to protest an article in the Romanian Playboy, entitled "How to Beat Your Woman Without Leaving any Marks." An impressive number of men supported this event, which represented the public emergence of the Romanian feminist movement. Not only did the event raise public awareness, but it also resulted in the creation of a shelter for battered women, financed by Playboy magazine itself. In 2001, the Women's Program launched an antitrafficking project with the participation of Romanian government ministries, the International Center for Migration and Health in Geneva, OSCE, United Nations agencies, and the World Health Organization. The project will work on prevention and reintegration through research and analysis of the problem, effective legislation and law enforcement strategies, awareness campaigns, and training. Women's economic empowerment is a component largely ignored by rural economic empowerment initiatives. The Women's Program and the Economic Development Center created a training and counseling program for rural communities. The Center, a member of the Soros Open Network, helps small and medium-sized businesses by providing information, training, and consultation. As a result of this initiative, the special needs of women are now taken into consideration when creating courses on income generation and community development. The leadership of the OSF–Romania Women's Program at the regional level led to the development of the subregional network program Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in the EU Accession Process. Renate Weber, president of OSF–Romania, believes that the program "is well-positioned, not only to promote the values of equal treatment of women and men within this region, but also to find appropriate means of convincing the European Commission, the European Parliament, and other relevant EU institutions to promote the same values on a more global scale." Russia The Open Society Institute–Russia Women's Program is helping to make gender issues more visible and accessible. It has effectively worked to mainstream gender into crucial social institutions, and to change policy to empower women and promote strategic advocacy by women's groups. It has covered a wide range of issues in collaboration with activists, NGOs, university departments, mass media, and the government. The Women's Program also collaborates with almost every other foundation program. Anita Soboleva, the director of the OSI–Russia Rule of Law program, said: "When the Women's Program showed us concrete facts about discrimination against women, we started to take this issue more seriously. No doubt, it was a huge shift in our awareness. Now when we consider a problem, we try to look at it from the gender perspective as well." There are thousands of women's organizations active in this large country. Since distances are long and travel costs high, the Women's Program helps women's organizations, many located in remote regions, build coalitions and gain access to new communications technologies. Projects connect women through websites and links to vital resources. A leading resource is the Open Women's Line, an Internet portal containing a vast amount of information. Another prominent project is an Internet network of Russian libraries. In early 2000, the Program launched a unique publication of Russian-language resources, "Women on the Web," now widely used as a reference tool in Russia and in many other countries. The Women's Program has supported numerous university gender studies courses and publications. In 1998, gender education grants helped to expand the gender studies community, providing women teachers with valuable peer support. In 1999, a grantee created an interdisciplinary resource center for teaching courses on gender studies, including a model gender studies course for professors from 20 regional universities. The Women's Program has also worked to incorporate gender-sensitive education into federal educational standards and develop a system of teacher retraining. Russia's participation in the Human Rights Advanced Leadership Training for Women program brought together a multisectoral team from different geographical regions of Russia to choose and work together on a common issue: women's labor rights. The team members overcame differences resulting from their varied backgrounds and experiences and disparate understandings of advocacy. Together with numerous women's NGOs and associations, they participated in hearings held by the State Duma, establishing contacts and dialogue with Duma members to advocate for changes in the Labor Code. To break gender stereotypes and strengthen popular images of women, the Women's Program encourages creativity in culture and the arts. At the regional level, the Women's Program, in cooperation with its counterpart at the Soros Foundation–Kazakhstan, is coordinating the network-wide program Mass Media and Gender Policy. Each of the 12 participating countries will produce a high-quality documentary film to make gender issues more visible. To bring exposure to the works of Russian women artists from 1500–2000, the Women's Program sponsored a ground-breaking women's art exhibition in one of Russia's leading art galleries, the Tretyakov gallery in Moscow. The exhibition drew wide interest from the mass media. About 10 radio stations and women's magazines served as informational sponsors. An article in the January 25, 2002 Moscow Times described the exhibition as "an eclectic, democratic display of the talents of women from many walks of life—some anonymous, some named, all deserving of the recognition they have now acquired. This is a long overdue tribute to their relentless dedication." Slovakia One of the most important goals of the Open Society Foundation–Bratislava Women's Program is to help build an active network of women's NGOs to cooperate on projects vital for women's empowerment. The Women's Program works to challenge existing prejudices and stereotypes, which are deeply rooted in society. Many of the issues tackled by grantees, such as violence, reproductive rights, or sexual orientation, are considered delicate, controversial, embarrassing, or even nonexistent. With state and local government reluctant to work with women's NGOs, the Women's Program plays an important role in filling the funding gap for projects addressing these often controversial and otherwise invisible issues. The Women's Program also provides leadership opportunities for marginalized women to present their ideas in local and international forums. One increasingly controversial issue is freedom of reproductive choice. The Women's Program supports advocacy, public debate, and education to raise people's awareness. In response to the Christian Democratic Party's attempts in 2001 to restrict women's reproductive rights, the Women's Program, in cooperation with an alliance of NGOs, helped to establish the Initiative for Freedom of Choice. Women's NGOs in Slovakia came together to lobby against proposed restrictions to women's reproductive rights. Violence against women is an often invisible and taboo issue. The civil association Pro Familia in northeastern Slovakia has helped break much of the silence surrounding gender-based violence. Its project, "Violence Against Women – A Women's Human Rights Issue: Women Writing Laws," led to positive changes in legislation and legal practice. Seminars and workshops for social workers, psychologists, lawyers, police officers, teachers, and journalists provided training to increase awareness. The majority of projects have focused on assistance to socially and economically marginalized women and girls, including unemployed, uneducated, Romani, refugee, or rural women, disabled women or mothers of disabled children, lesbians, domestic violence victims, and women on maternity leave. The Club of Disabled Children of Kosice works with mothers of disabled children. These women are disadvantaged both within their families and in society, often having to give up their jobs and free time to take care of their children. In many cases, they are left alone, sometimes with several children, dependent on state support. The club provides mothers of disabled children with a support network, peer counseling, and services for their children. The project has succeeded in bringing disability issues to the attention of the public and bringing essential actors together to help propose solutions for positive change. In addition, it has created an information database for legislative changes and established successful cooperation with the mass media, which regularly covers stories about the club. The Help Foundation in Bratislava teaches skills to unemployed women from marginalized groups, including Romani and disabled women, so that they can gain employment or start their own businesses. The Foundation created a counseling center in Bratislava, with a team of expert volunteer workers to advise clients on education, employment, and various social and legal issues. Tajikistan Tajikistan has suffered from a deep economic crisis worsened by civil war, which created a new population of widows. The increasing influence of more restrictive forms of Islamic law, the reemergence of polygamy (technically forbidden by law), and an increase in early marriages by young girls have led to further subjugation of women. With fewer opportunities for education and less access to decision-making structures, women find it difficult to effect change in Tajikistan. The Women's Program of the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation–Tajikistan has helped to shape public opinion through a number of funded projects. During the election campaign of 1999, these activities contributed to a presidential decree vowing to increase the role of women in the society. Consequently, the number of women in leadership positions rose, as did the number of women deputies in the Majlisi Oli (Parliament) and local majlisies. In October 2000, the Women's Program, in cooperation with the Foundation's Legal Program, held a workshop to address the disturbing rise in cases of young women in rural areas resorting to self-immolation (the deliberate and willing sacrifice of oneself, as a desperate form of protest, often by fire). The workshop attracted representatives of the khukumats (local government bodies), governmental and nongovernmental women's organizations from the Khatlon oblast, and international organizations. Participants recommended preventative strategies and published a brochure on self-immolation of women and girls. The Women's Program funded emergency work by a local women's NGO in remote villages to mobilize the community, raise awareness on the complex factors that lead to this form of protest, and provide psychological counseling to women in crisis. Within five months of operation, not one case of self-immolation was registered in this area (compared to seven in the previous two months). Drug addiction/abuse among women and women's involvement in the drug trade are on the rise in Tajikistan. The Women's Program and OSI's Central Eurasia Project (CEP) have funded various research-based projects to help deal with this issue. One project is researching the court cases of women convicted of drug-related charges to determine reasons for the growth of drug crimes by women. OSI–Tajikistan, in cooperation with CEP, published the brochure Women, Crime, and Drugs and held several events on the subject, including the showing of a documentary, Light Glows in Darkness, followed by a discussion. The film by A. Tsirulev is about the fate of a woman sentenced to 12 years for attempting to illegally transport drugs. This major initiative has the potential to positively affect U.S. foreign policy with regard to women in Central Asia. The Women's Program is a leader at the subregional level. For example, the Ferghana Valley Forum of women's NGOs in Central Asia helped connect women from NGOs in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan (countries through which the valley stretches). At the Forum, described as a kind of "folk diplomacy," participants discussed numerous political and gender initiatives, which have been subsequently implemented. As part of the Mass Media and Gender Policy initiative, the Women's Program is working to create a core of gender-sensitive journalists at the local and national levels and, at the same time, heighten awareness around the issue of women in the drug trade. Ukraine Ukrainian independence in 1991 provided the impetus for a women's movement and helped to put women's issues on the country's agenda. However, in spite of a growing number of women's NGOs, women's issues have not gained special significance in society, and the movement is mostly confined to urban areas. Among the public, there tends to be a general lack of information as well as negative attitudes regarding issues of feminism and women's rights. The new women's movement has experienced both victories and failures in its struggle to ensure that women's rights are adequately protected by the country's laws. On a positive note, in November 2001, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted a Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence (initiated by a Women's Program board member). At the same time, some members of the Parliament recognize that women's empowerment, if taken seriously, may change the gender power balance, especially with respect to political decision making. In a heated debate on a proposed gender equality bill, one Parliament member went so far as to proclaim, "Gender is a threat to national security." The bill was rejected. The Woman's Program of the International Renaissance Foundation is one of the oldest women's programs in the network. The Program has succeeded in creating new jobs and credit unions for women, expanding gender-sensitive education at all levels, improving professionalism in women's NGOs, increasing gender awareness within the population, and allowing for research on key gender issues. In cooperation with the Women's Information and Consultative Center, the Women's Program takes a leadership role in promoting the network program Empowering Education, which is operating in different locations around Ukraine as well as in eight other countries. One of the most significant achievements of this program in Ukraine was the official licensing of the Empowering Education training course by the Ministry of Education. This multicultural program has been translated and adapted for use with such ethnic groups as the Roma and the Crimean Tatars, with part of the course focusing on the resettlement and integration issues of returnees from Uzbekistan. In the Lviv oblast, the Empowering Education program, together with Heifer International, provided gender and family courses for families from mountainous villages in the Carpathians. The trainers, concerned with how the introduction of gender issues would be received, were surprised with the participants' enthusiastic response. "Before this program," a 70-year-old woman said, "my whole life I thought I was crazy because I had looked at women and men as equals." Another important area is economic empowerment. The Women's Program has enabled the creation of new jobs for women, credit unions, business incubators, and green tourism. Economic training courses, in cooperation with Winrock International, have allowed many women to receive credit to start their own businesses. The Women's Program has also helped to form networks and to increase the skills and capacity of women's NGOs. Various projects have pursued change on the policy level. The Kharkiv Women's Research Center, one of the most advanced gender studies centers in the region, began an information campaign to draw the government's attention to gender inequities in trade and bring about more gender-equitable trade policies. The Parliament recently adopted an economic regulatory law, initiated by a Women's Program grantee through the project "NGO and Government Cooperation as a Social Partnership." To respond to the problems of sexually transmitted diseases, drug abuse, and the sex trade among young people, the Trans-Carpathian Association of Family Planning created an innovative theater group. Performances of What a Beautiful Life Means and Adventure Seekers inform secondary school and university students about these important issues and the consequences of poor life choices. The theater also does monthly traveling performances for rural youth in western Ukraine on issues of reproductive and sexual health. Uzbekistan In recent years, Uzbekistan has been the focus of criticism by international human rights organizations for numerous human rights violations, and especially for neglecting the issue of gender-based violence. This issue is not unique to Uzbekistan, but the efforts of advocates have been hampered by the fact that until recently the government refused to admit the problem existed. Women's NGOs have mobilized their efforts to pressure the government to recognize the existence not only of violence against women, but also of a broad range of gender inequalities in society. These efforts, though far from achieving long-term changes in practice and attitudes, have brought some initial success. For example, the government of Uzbekistan has taken some steps to guarantee gender equality. The year 1999 was officially declared the "Year of the Woman," prompting discussion on gender issues. The government has openly recognized the existence of gender-based violence and is considering launching a national program to publicly support crisis centers. However, attitudes toward women's rights and roles are deeply ingrained. The Women's Program of the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation–Uzbekistan promotes cooperation among women's NGOs and encourages rural women's participation in the women's movement. It organizes quarterly meetings of women's NGOs to provide women leaders with a forum to discuss important issues and share their activities. The meetings have also helped to build a bridge between the vibrant, nonhierarchical NGOs and the politically engaged, often exclusive governmental organizations. The meetings have opened up taboo topics for discussion, such as domestic violence, unemployment, gender stereotypes, and Islamic fundamentalism, and set strategies for dealing with these issues. More than anything else, the meetings provide a unique opportunity for women from different parts of Uzbekistan, with different experiences and backgrounds, to meet each other and identify common goals. The Ishonch (Faith) Crisis Centers are located in the Ferghana Valley, the most densely populated region of the country with half of Uzbekistan's largest cities. Women in the Ferghana Valley must grapple with issues of high unemployment, domestic violence, and drug trafficking and addiction. The Ishonch Crisis Centers provide free legal, psychological, and medical counseling, operate a hotline, and conduct outreach in remote districts to help educate women on women's rights, domestic violence, and sexually transmitted diseases. Legal Education for Girls, a project for teenagers, is based on the interactive teaching methodology of Empowering Education, the network-wide program initiated in Ukraine. The participants valued the program's atmosphere of trust and partnership. The girls' self-esteem increased as they gained legal knowledge on human rights, women's rights, and gender equality as well as training skills. Boys in the pilot classes increased their awareness and interest in gender issues. One of the most unexpected and exciting results was that the teaching staff of pilot schools and colleges expressed a desire to become project volunteers. In addition, the project has received considerable encouragement from local state educational authorities and the local khokimiyat (mayor's office). Yugoslavia Contemporary feminists have raised "the woman question" in Yugoslavia since 1978, yet in the last 10 years, instability has defined the situation of women and the women's movement in Yugoslavia. Women's rights and gender issues have been trivialized in the aftermath of war and the destruction of institutions and public space. Now, however, society has begun to address the issue of women as a politically and socially relevant topic. The destructive phenomena of increasing violence, a devastated economy, and a ruined education system have had a negative effect on women's image, roles, and opportunities in society. In addition to its gender-mainstreaming approach to grantmaking throughout the foundation, the Women's Program of the Fund for an Open Society–Serbia (formerly the Fund for an Open Society–Yugoslavia) has contributed to the emergence of women's political perspectives in Yugoslavia. It has supported the development of Romani women's leaders, initiated energetic and creative programs targeting disabled women and breast cancer survivors, and brought women's studies to rural areas through a mobile educational outreach program. From its very beginning, the Women's Program has dealt with issues of marginalized women. In 1998, the Program supported the first Romani women's groups, including the Bibija Center for Roma Women's Rights in Belgrade and a group of disabled women. The Bibija Center started promoting the rights of Romani women by holding workshops for women and girls in Romani settlements. The workshops, which focused on sexuality, smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, and nutrition, also evolved into discussing gender consciousness and women's human rights. In more than three years, the group has worked in 10 settlements, participating in large Romani development programs and cooperating with other Romani groups. The Center organized a door-to-door election campaign and workshops for Romani women voters. In 2001, they initiated the Romani women's leadership seminar for Romani women activists from Serbia and a roundtable on Romani women's human rights. Around the elections of 1999, the Women's Program supported a multisectoral group of women politicians, NGO members, and women from trade unions in organizing a successful door-to-door campaign to influence rural and ethnic minority women. These organizers established strong contacts with the regional ministry for women's issues in promoting women candidates for the presidential elections. Two hotline activists and volunteers from the Autonomous Women's Center and Incest Trauma Center created Out of the Circle, a support group for disabled women and children and mothers of disabled children. From an initial counseling service, the group expanded to include training and education on violence and discrimination against women, terminology on disabilities, and social and political advocacy. Out of the Circle held workshops by and for hospitalized disabled women; lectures on "Architecture without Barriers" for architectural students; an exchange program for women with disabilities; and a disabled women's conference with participants from Serbia and Montenegro. The 2000 conference focused on enabling women with disabilities to organize around women's human rights, an agenda distinct from traditional organizations and programs. In 2001, the group trained trainers and planned to start branch groups in other cities. Women experienced in psychosocial programs founded the Uzice Women's Center in 1998 for refugees. Starting from basic activities and with help from feminist activists, the group has developed into a resource organization. The Center developed its own team to work on girls' issues through educational, psychological, and creative workshops and the publication of a magazine for girls. The group also started a woman's health program for girls with diabetes and a pioneer program on establishing self-help groups, counseling, and medical treatment for the women survivors of breast cancer. |