Solidarity is Our Strength: Regional Networking and Exchange Forum

Held from 4-6 February 2025 in Budva, Montenegro, the event brought together women’s rights organisations from across the Western Balkans to strengthen regional connections, exchange experiences and strategise. It was a chance for women’s rights activists from the region to come together and share their experiences of working in increasingly difficult contexts.

The forum was opened by Ristin Thomasson, Kvinna till Kvinna’s Regional Director for the Western Balkans, and Sarah Pilbeam, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Podgorica. In her opening remarks, Pilbeam reaffirmed the UK’s unwavering support for women’s rights activists and highlighted their indispensable role in advancing democracy and human rights. Her message underscored the importance of international solidarity at a time when feminist movements across the world are under immense pressure.

Defending Women’s Rights Amid Growing Challenges

The participating 18 civil society organisations from six Western Balkan countries — Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, are at the forefront of defending women’s rights in the region. Their activities span from supporting victims/survivors of gender-based violence and advocating for legislative change, to raising awareness on gender equality and promoting feminist values, while continuously challenging injustice in their communities. Despite increasingly difficult conditions and mounting pressure due to increasing backlash against women’s rights, they continue to push forward and create change.

Throughout this three-day forum, discussions focused on pressures facing feminist movements and finding strategies to counter these worrying trends. On the first day, the event featured a virtual session by Adriana Zaharijević, a feminist philosopher and Principal Fellow at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, at the University of Belgrade. She led an insightful discussion on growing anti-democratic sentiments, globally and in the region. Participants also listened to a session by Kvinna till Kvinna’s Eva Zillen, Senior Adviser and one of the organisation’s founding members, and Charlotte dos Santos Pruth, Senior Advocacy Adviser, who presented the State of Women Human Rights Defenders report, Hope and Resistance Go Together — the only global report providing an overview of the challenges and risks women human rights defenders face and the most recent in a decade-long effort to monitor their security worldwide. The day continued with a panel of activists speaking about their own experiences with increasing repression and ways they challenge this backlash in their own work.

Participants during one of the sessions. Photo: Milica Pavlović

From Challenge to Change – Strengthening Feminist Activism

Participants also focused on the future – identifying how best to develop strategies to strengthen their work. With a strong emphasis on resilience and hope, they explored ways to navigate challenges while sustaining their activism. A presentation by a partner organisation from Montenegro highlighted good practices and social media tools for impactful campaigns, demonstrating how organisations can use their stories to craft compelling messages. Two sessions dedicated to media examined how feminists can engage with the media and collaborate with journalists to amplify their voices, giving activists new tools and fresh ideas to enhance their advocacy. One of the key takeaways from these discussions was the recognition that if feminists do not actively occupy space in the media, others will shape the narrative in their absence, directly influencing the messages that reach society.

As the forum came to a close, participants reflected on the importance of solidarity, collaboration, and sustained action in the face of ongoing challenges. The connections forged and the ideas exchanged during these three days will continue to fuel the efforts in advancing women’s rights and defending democratic values in the region. While the obstacles ahead remain significant, this gathering reaffirmed a shared commitment to pushing forward for women’s rights and democracy together.

As one of the participating activists put it:

“None of us can stand alone. I know that behind me there are generations of women who fought for equal opportunities […] I am part of a long line of feminists who did their share of responsibility toward their society. We have to stay united, because this is not a story of one woman, it’s a story of all of us.”

Nicole Farnsworth, Kosovo Women’s Network. Photo: Milica Pavlović

This Forum was part of Kvinna till Kvinna’s programme Democracy and Resilience in the Western Balkans — Supporting Feminist Change Agents, made possible with support from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.