HeforShe shines at Kosovo's DokuFest
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The spotlight was on gender equality at the 16th edition of DokuFest, the international documentary and short film festival held 4-12 August in Prizren, Kosovo[1].
UN Women and the UN Kosovo team supported DokuFest’s 2017 theme Future Is my Love, with art and a lively public panel to promote the global HeForShe solidarity movement, which asks women and men around the world to commit to gender equality.
The Future is Equal, a panel organized by HeForShe Kosovo, discussed gender equality, women’s rights and power relations between women and men in Kosovo, while Paint Your Future, a large canvas in Martyr’s Square, was quickly filled with creative visions of the future, embracing women’s rights and celebrating an equal future for all.
Achieving gender equality so women and girls in Kosovo can obtain their full rights and fully contribute to their communities is a priority for the UN Kosovo team, which also works to mobilise men and boys to stand up and work for gender equality.
More than 50 people including filmmakers, women’s rights activists and members of the public participated in the The Future is Equal panel, which promoted the importance of involving men and boys in tackling gender inequality in Kosovo and UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) 5 on gender equality and SDG 10 on reducing inequalities.
Panellists included Danielle Brenner, director of Lord of the House, a documentary about women’s struggles against gender-based barriers for education that inspired the panel discussion, and Gjejrane Lokaj, lead actress and head of the Women's Initiative Association in Dragash.
Other participants included: Flora Macula, Head of the UN Women Kosovo office; Igballe Igo Rogova, Executive Director of the Kosovo Women’s Network; Besnik Leka, Care International coordinator; human rights expert and director Ruken Tekes; and Valdete Idrizi, Executive Director of CiviKos Platform, a voluntary union of Civil Society Organizations in Kosovo.
Participants were spell-bound as Ms. Lokai discussed her long-struggle for education and fighting discriminatory traditional practices preventing women from achieving their basic human rights.
Panellists also discussed how men and women could find a common dynamic and equally share responsibilities, educating the young on gender equality issues, and getting more men to actively support gender equality. Audience reaction was lively and hopeful.
Asked about gender equality, a young boy from Pristina told the audience: “I have two sisters, both in high school. Each time we discuss gender issues we all say the same thing: ‘We are all humans no matter our gender, age or race. We all need to fight for human rights.”
UN Kosovo team and HeForShe Kosovo will support activities to promote gender equality among men and boys and the youth during the upcoming 16 Days of Activism campaign.
[1] All references to Kosovo in this story shall be understood in full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999)