Girl Be Heard project funded by U.S. Department of State Global Womenand Security Peace(GWPS) Initiativeis an 18 month effort that started being implemented in October 1, 2016 and will last till March 30, 2018. The project aims to empower young Kosovo girls with opportunities to make their voices heard and contribute, as equal partners in building a democratic society and peace, and prevention of conflict.The project develops the sense that through active work, dedication and meritocracy, girls can also advance in Kosovo society. The project also contributes to the decrease of the unemployment rate among vulnerable groups, as 30 university girls’ ages 18-24 directly benefit from a part-time engagement, receiving a monthly stipend for producing news stories and short videos relating to life in Kosovo that aim to reach international audiences.
Participating project girls are equipped with market-demanded skills locally and internationally, enrich their resumes, and later on be capable of performing work in the media, communication, creative and marketing agencies, or film production companies locally. Thus, the project is envisioned to address the needs of this shifting and growing media landscape, by providing skills to young females – directly impacting professionalism in the Kosovo online media.
Training Academy and content Creation/Production program component
Two week training academyis developed to impart basic journalistic skills adapted to the local challenges faced by the young participants. The trainings are built to be mostly practical, with an emphasis on the use of affordable, state-of-the-art mobile audio-visual and communications tools. The second component of the project is content creation/production and will last for 5 months. Participants are in charge of choosing the subject, researching, finding reliable sources, interviews and filming. Filming takes place throughout Kosovo. Participants produce video news/stories on topics selected by them, with the advice/input of their mentors. The mentors offer technical support for the filming process and are in charge of digitalization, conversion, editing and graphic design.
The news articles and short-films are initially showcased on KosovaLive.org and Kosovalive360.com, YouTube and social media. Selected articles and video stories will also be distributed internationally through Global Girl Media via KosovaLive. The produced content are focused on issues related to security, economic empowerment; access to education concerning Albanian girls/women, non-majority communities, including Serb, Turkish, Bosnian Roma, Ashkali, persons with disabilities and LGBT community. In addition, the project will have strong social media presence, with the goal to share the news and videos and reach at least 10,000 citizens.
