Stronger together: how Trag united a women’s rights movement in the Balkans

Image © Forgotten Children of War

Through its grant-making and support, Trag Foundation connects local organisations and people working towards positive change in their communities.

Civil rights movements throughout history have shown that people achieve a bigger impact when they work together than when they act alone.Trag Foundation, a grant-making organisation that works to empower local communities and advance women’s rights in the Balkans, knows this very well. That’s why it brings together people who believe that small changes can make a big difference. 

Multiple wars in the 1990s left lasting tensions and divisions across the Balkans. Trag was founded 20 years ago to support small community organisations and individual citizens in the face of domestic violence, trafficking, exploitation, and other social problems that emerged from the atrocities committed during these wars. Through its “Stronger together” programme, Trag connects local organisations working on similar issues, helping community activists organise themselves and work together to enact greater change.

From a portfolio of excellent partners, three stand out for their impact:

Three organisations, stronger together

Forgotten Children of War (ZDR): Led by people who were born children of war, this unique organisation represents and supports those born from conflict-related sexual violence, as well as those born from fathers who were members of peacekeeping forces or humanitarian workers. ZDR advocates for these people to gain full social and legal recognition, find scholarships, and apply for government support. ZDR also uses performance art and theatre to increase awareness about children of war and their experiences in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Using various activist methods, lobbyist methods, advocating methods, artistic expressions, workshops, panel discussions, and networking, we are trying to put this topic on the table, as a universal topic- essentially, as a right to human rights,” says Ajna Jusic, president of the organisation.

ZDR is one of the first organisations in the world to be led by children of war. It is now starting to work with organisations  doing similar work for the rights of children of war on an international level. You can find out more about FCW’s work here.

Roza is the first organisation dedicated to improving women’s labour rights in Serbia. It advocates for policy changes to protect women in the workforce, helps seasonal workers understand their rights, and leads workshops for school-aged young women preparing to enter the workforce. Trag has been instrumental in Roza’s growth and impact by providing the organisation with training sessions and capacity-building. You can find out more about Roza here.

The Initiative of Youth with Disabilities of Boka defends the rights of women and children with disabilities against violence and exploitation in Montenegro. It works to ensure they are fully included in social and economic life and have opportunities to live independently. The initiative runs workshops teaching employable skills, offers legal support, and provides data and policy briefs to decision makers in Montenegro that support laws defending disability rights. Other notable projects include managing an emergency hotline for local women living with disabilities.

 “This was the first project dealing with the issue of violence and exploitation against people with disabilities in Montenegro,” says Miroslava Mima Ivanovic, executive director of the initiative, “Trag provided not just financial support, but also support in equipment, raising our capacities and knowledge, assessing of our current achievements, and [identifying] potential further steps.” You can read more here about the initiative’s work.

Watch the video below to hear more from the organisations:

The bigger picture

Trag provides these partners with physical and virtual spaces in which knowledge, discussions, planning, and actions are shared. For example, an online platform allows 65 organisations to connect and view grant opportunities and other resources, such as communications templates and legal toolkits. Grants offered on the platform support mental health and wellbeing, fundraising efforts, hiring staff and external consultants, travel expenses and more to cover the operational needs of the partners.

Oak Foundation supports Trag Foundation as part of our Issues Affecting Women Programme (IAWP). We believe that all women and girls should be safe, free and have an equal chance to thrive. We find inspiration and hope in strong and vibrant movements, built and led by women, which are transforming lives and communities across the world. Read more about IAWP’s strategy here or find out more about Trag’s work here.