December 9, 2017,  : On December 8 and 9, 2017 in Prishtina, Kosovo, the Regional Women’s Lobby for Peace, Security and Justice in South East Europe (RWL SEE) from 7 countries of the region, its Chair,

Edita Tahiri, Kosovo, Gordana Sobol, Croatia, Nada Drobnjak, Montenegro, Eglantina Gjermeni, Albania, Sonja Biserko, Serbia, Irina Pockova, Macedonia, and Nuna Zvicdic, Bosnia & Herzegovina in close partnership and with funding support from UN Women and the Swedish Government gathered to discuss and present their observations on the political and security situation on their countries and the region and ways of further empowerment of women’s role in helping better peace and stability in the region and its Euro-Atlantic future. They also focused on increasing the role of women in peace building and security at municipal level in Kosovo and member countries of the RWLSEE. 

During RWL SEE Steering Committee meeting, the women members from seven countries, evaluated accomplishments during 2017 and discussed challenges ahead. The RWLSEE Annual Report of 2017 was approved further to be completed with reports from member countries. In second part of the meeting, they discussed and drafted the RWL SEE action plan for 2018 based on the Strategic plan of RWL SEE for year 2018-2019. Based on Country Reports of 7 focus countries of RWL SEE presented at the meeting, it was concluded that Regional Women’s Lobby for more than a decade of its work, succeeded to contribute in empowerment of women in peace and security processes in the region, offering unique model as how women leaders can work together for better future despite the troubled past, wars and tragedies, that affected our region. Steering committee members agreed on a set of conclusions and recommendation that encompass rethinking strategies for a sustainable empowerment in decision making, peace building and security agenda, in the light of 17 years after the UNSCR 1325. RWL SEE members extended heartfelt thanks to UN Women and head of Kosovo office, Ms Flora Macula, as well as Swedish Government, our strategic partners,  on their valuable support provided, cooperation and generosity extended through all these years on RWL’s journey for women empowerment.  

Follow up day convened a group of over 30 women from Novo Brdo multiethnic municipality, as a follow up of earlier roundtables held in several municipalities in 2015 and 2016 and joint conference that RWLSEE held with women at local level in Kosovo. Today’s meeting provided forum for discussion and recommendations on what has been achieved in this two year period on peace building efforts of women empowerment at local level as well as on addressing daily concerns of these women, important community issues, education, employment and security, which they are facing within their daily lives.  RWLSEE members shared their experiences also in these issues with women of local level while highlighting that exchange of experiences serve mutual reinforcement in our joint efforts for gender equality between women and men particularly at national and local level where situation has to be changed in favor of women. 

The Regional Women’s Lobby for Peace, Security and Justice in Southeast Europe (RWLSEE) represents a successful model of regional cooperation in the construction of peace that can be used as a model for peace processes in other regions of the world.  It advocates for sustainable peace, democracy, justice, security and reconciliation in post conflict countries; respect for different cultural values; and the creation of a new future for the region. 

Members of the Regional Women’s Lobby for Peace, Security and Justice in the Southeast Europe (RWL SEE):

Albania: Eglantina Gjermeni, Marieta Zaçe, Majlinda Bregu

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Memnuna Zvizdić, Nada Tesanović, Lidija Živanović, Ismeta Dervoz

Croatia: Grodana Sobol, Morana Paliković Gruden, Lovorka Marinović

Kosovo: Edita Tahiri, Teuta Sahatqija, Luljeta Vuniqi

Macedonia: Irina Pockova, Teuta Arifi, Savka Todorovska

Montenegro: Nada Drobnjak, Slavica Striković, Ljubomirka Mira Asović

Serbia: Sonja Biserko, Natasa Mičić, Liljana Radovanović, Stasa Zajović