In this issue:

- Successful completion of business courses giving out recognitions and business plans - Second meeting of the Steering Committee - Rural women day - Meeting with the Gjilan mayor Mr. Qemajl Mustafa - Visit study in Macedonia women enterpreneurs in agriculture - Women entrepreneurs project launch: Machinery for creation of work places in South-East Europe 2012-2015

Supported by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

WOMENS BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

SUPPORT TO WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN AGRICULTURE 2012 2015

NEWSLETTER
Volume 2, Issue 2 / December/2012

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF BUSINESS COURSES GIVING OUT RECOGNITIONS AND BUSINESS PLANS
June-December, 2012
During this period, in the region of Gjilan trainings were held in the following areas: municipality of Gjilan (village Doberqan, Perlepnic), Kamenica municipality (village Rogan), Vitia municipality. A group of girls from the Agriculture High School Arbria in Gjilan also beneted from the course. While in the Gjakova region, trainings were held in the following areas: municipality of Gjakova (village Cermjan, Rracaj, Molliq and Novosell), and in the Malisheva municipality (Banja e Malisheves, Kijev, Terpez, Lubishte, Turjak, Vermic, Mleqan, Drenovc, Mirusha and Moral) After successful completion of the business courses organized by SHE-ERA staff, recognitions were given out to 122 participant women and girl farmers from Gjakova and 141 beneciaries in the region of Gjilan. Women and girl farmers beneciaries in these two regions who successfully attended nine modules of How to Start a Successful Business developed their individual ideas and developed their group business plans during the course, which each group followed for a month, ve hours a day. As a result of the courses held in these two regions, 245 business plans were distributed (43 group business plans and 202 individual business plans). SHE-ERA will continue from January 2013 to hold courses and provide other services for increasing the management capacities of women farmers, for empowering them economically and creating new work places in the rst two regions planned for 2012-2013, Gjilan and Gajkova. Another 225 women and girls farmers will benet in these two regions. As part of the project Support to Women Entrepreneurs in Agriculture, during this period, SHE-ERA offered advice to 31 women entrepreneurs in agriculture in the region of Gjakova who work with dairy processing, beekeeping and cultivation of fruits and vegetables. Advice was offered to increase their marketing capacities, so as to ensure the best product placement in the market.

www.she-era.org

SECOND MEETING OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE

September, 2012
The second meeting of the Steering Committee comprised of representatives from: the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mikael Erbse), MAFRD Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (Nysrete Doda), Kosovo Chamber of Commerce (Safet Grxhaliu), local NGO Drita e Krushes (Ola Syla) and CB Mitrovica (Afrdit Syla), was held in September, and the following points were discussed: the six month progress report, strategic plan 2012-2016, work plan and follow-up activities for 2012, budget for 2012, and the creation of data on women in agriculture increasing the number of new fee paying members women farmers in SHE-ERA. Executive Director Kusari-Purrini for the project Support to Women Entrepreneurs in Agriculture, informed the members of the Steering Committee on the projects ow, the activities carried out so far, challenges during the project implementation and how they were overcome, and the expected results for the working period after the rst Steering Committee meeting. Also, each item on the agenda was discussed, and Steering Committee members gave comments about the ongoing work. The Steering Committee concluded that the phases of the project Support to Women Entrepreneurs in Agriculture were following the planned schedule, and expressed its willingness to contribute to support the project in its other phases.

RURAL WOMEN DAY

December 2012,

In December 2012, for the rst time in Kosovo, women farmers enjoyed their day. The conference Rural Women Day, an initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (MAFRD), with support from USAID, UNDP and SHE-ERA, aimed at creating opportunities for successful women farmers, and the participants discussed models and ways of different sectors to nd common opportunities and overcome challenges in agricultural development and womens economic empowerment. Problems faced by women farmers, among others, are: limited access to land, access to nance, education, extension services and other support services. Participants discussed how to deal with, overcome and manage in the future some of the challenges women farmers face every day. They also discussed practical strategies that women farmers can use to take advantage of government grant schemes and other schemes offered by other development partners, local and international. Interest among women was high, and this is proven by their presence in the Rural Women Day, 300 participants were present in total, out of which 274 were women farmers from the region of Kosovo. During its presentation, SHE-ERA informed the audience on the project Support to Women Entrepreneurs in Agriculture 20122015 in four regions of Kosovo (Gjakova, Gjilan, Mitrovica and Peja), supported by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from which 1440 women and girl farmers will benet. At the end of the day, the ceremony of awarding the grant to the best women farmer in 2012 was held for two sectors, processing and cultivation. SHE-ERA with the support from UNDP and in cooperation with MAFRD and USAID awarded 5000 Euro investment grants to Selvete Fetahu municipality of Podujevo in the sector of vegetable processing, and 5000 Euro investment grants to Vlora Xhemajli municipality of Gjakova in the cultivation sector.

MEETING WITH THE GJILAN MAYOR Mr. QEMAJL MUSTAFA

November 2012,
The purpose of the meeting between the Mayor of the Gjilan municipality Mr. Mustafa and Executive Director of SHE-ERA Mrs. Kusari-Purrini, was to inform the Mayor about the ongoing activities that SHE-ERA is undertaking in the Gjilan region as part of the project Support to Women Entrepreneurs in Agriculture, supported by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mrs. Kusari-Purrini presented the plans and the current achievements in the region of Gjilan noting that till now 117 women and girl farmers in rural areas of this region have beneted from the offered trainings and advice. Mr. Mustafa was also informed about the ideas of the individual and group business plans of women entrepreneurs in agriculture, investment projects designed by women farmers in the region of Gjilan. He was asked to look into the possibilities of co-nancing from the budgets of municipal grants schemes so as to contribute to the creation of new work places and to the empowerment of women in agriculture. Mr. Mustafa showed willingness to support the action plan of the Womens Business Association SHE-ERA, and to support investment projects for women in agriculture through various nancial schemes available from the municipal budget as well as other development partners in the Gjilan region. Present at the meeting was also the MP in the Municipal Assembly Mrs. Shkodra, who on behalf of the group of women parliamentarians expressed their willingness to assist and integrate rural women in the economic, political, cultural and social life.

VISIT STUDY IN MACEDONIA WOMEN ENTERPRENEURS IN AGRICULTURE

November 2012,
Through the study visit to Macedonia, Knowledge Transfer in the Rural Sector, organized by MAFRD and supported by the World Bank, SHE-ERA made it possible for 6 women beneciaries of the project Support to Women Entrepreneurs in Agriculture 2012-2015 to be part of the group and learn from the experiences of other producers and processors in the region, learning rst-hand about the problems and challenges in other countries in the region. Though this visit, women farmers were able to see and understand how the agriculture sector services function in Macedonia, and also learn about improvement and management of the supply chain in fruits and vegetables, production techniques, particularly greenhouse production, fruit and vegetable collection, management of collection centers and technologies implemented in processing of fruits and vegetables. The study visit lasted 3 days, from 21-23 November 2012, and beneciaries of this visit were women from the two regions of Gjilan and Gjakova. After the visit, women said they were very pleased and felt fortunate to be part of this visit since they had the opportunity to see rst-hand the organization of several collection points for fruits and vegetables, processing of fruits and vegetables in Skopje, Strumica, Gevgelija, as well as various greenhouses and the winery in Kavadarc. Women considered this visit very important also for the exchange of contacts and opportunities for cooperation with successful farmers in various elds of agriculture not only in Kosovo, but also in the region.

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS PROJECT LAUNCH: Machinery for creation of work places in South-East Europe 2012-2015
October, 2012
Womens Network Millenium promoted the start of the project which includes the following countries: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Moldova, Serbia, Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey: Female

entrepreneurship Machinery for creation of work places in SEE, supported by the Kingdom of Sweden. The following people presented at the meeting: Mary Ann Rukavina Ceptiq Executive Director of the GTF Regional Center for Gender Equality, Ingrid Johansson Kingdom of Sweden, Teuta Sahatqija Women Caucus at the Kosovo Assembly, Mirlinda Kusari Purrini Executive Director of SHE-ERA, Vjolla Kuqi Qeliza Network. The purpose of the project is to promote women entrepreneurs in SEE through joined efforts of the public and private sector. Promote best policy practices in women entrepreneurship in line with the Small Business Act for Europe and capacity building of national and regional women entrepreneurs networks & associations. Women entrepreneurs in South East Europe will directly benet from this project with the aim of improving the environment for doing business, the legal framework and scal policies. Expecting result of the project is: -Awareness raised and policy dialogue initiated/advanced on women entrepreneurship policy framework in accordance with relevant SBA principles. - Enhanced capacities of women entrepreneurs' networks & associations Women Entrepreneurs in SEE are the most direct project beneciaries, as they will gain the direct benet from improved policies and actions undertaken. They are participants in the project as well, through business networks and associations and by providing their expertise.

LINK OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN AGRICULTURE

SHE-ERA has updated its Internet web page to turn it into an effective tool, where by creating the SHE-ERA space it will enable its members to promote their work and form partnerships with different local and international stakeholders, the business community, development partners and to promote the interaction among SHE-ERAs members and women entrepreneurs abroad. On the website there is a database for SHE-ERA members (http://www.she-era.org/antaret.php) and Women Entrepreneurs in Agriculture (http://www.she-era.org/mod.php?mid=31), which includes data on women farmers. Through this link, they will get major help towards the realization of their efforts, their capabilities as entrepreneurial women will be highlighted and they will have the opportunity to cooperate with local and international programs and agencies focused on womens economic empowerment. SHE-ERA members with no internet access can contact the SHE-ERA ofce where information can be faxed or mailed upon request.

THE SHE-ERA TEAM SHE-ERA MEMBERS OF STAFF Mirlinda Kusari-Purrini - Executive Director Ardiana Qela - Project Manager Ymrane Nura - Administrate/Finance Zana Rizvanolli - Training Coordinator Edita Axhemi - Training Assistant Vjollca Salihu - Trainer (Gjilan region) Linda Kosumi - Training Assistant (Gjilan region) Bujar Haxhibeqiri - Driver & Logistic SHE-ERA BOARD MEMBERS Xheraldina Vula - Board Chairwoman Justina Shiroka Pula Lulzim ela Luljeta Vuniqi Burbuqe Berisha HONORARY MEMBER Naxhije Buqinca SENIOR ADVISOR FOR ECONOMIC AND GENDER ISSUES Glynis Long Jocelyne Talbot WOMENS BUSINESS ASSOCIATION SHE-ERA Rr. Ismail Qemajli nr.9 (arshija e Jupave) Tel: +381 (0) 390 323 194 Fax: +381 (0) 390 323 194 Emaili: wsheera@gmail.com www.she-era.org