Jeta Krasniqi is a former UN Volunteer who served with the office of UN Women in Kosovo (as per UN SC 1244). Applying her law education and passion for gender equality and women’s rights, she contributed to advancing gender equality, and creating a society where women and girls can reach their full potential.
As an ardent supporter of gender equality and women's rights, Jeta Krasniqi has always been deeply passionate about creating positive change and empowering marginalized communities. This passion led her to become a UN Volunteer, serving as a Gender Equality and Partnership Associate with UN Women. In her volunteer role, Jeta actively contributed to addressing gender disparities, promoting inclusivity, and supporting the empowerment of women and girls.
I believe that my experience with UNV helped me utilize my skills, knowledge and dedication to make a meaningful impact, promote gender mainstreaming, and work towards a more just and equitable world for all. --Jeta Krasniqi, Gender Equality and Partnership Associate with UN Women, Kosovo
Further, she provided vital support for the office's administrative and communications functions. One part of her role involved implementing activities, joint advocacy initiatives, as well as delivering training and workshops.
Her responsibilities also extended to managing communications and social media, which involved writing articles on topics such as ending violence against women, gender responsive budgeting, occupational health and safety, COVID-19 response efforts and advancing the women, peace and security agenda. An additional aspect of Jeta's role was regularly communicating with other UN agencies, national authorities, international partners and civil society organizations to collaborate and align advocacy efforts.
During her assignment, Jeta had the opportunity to work on a number of advocacy campaigns for gender equality and women's rights. Through developing communication campaigns, messages and materials, she played an instrumental role in raising awareness around gender equality issues, strengthening resilience for women and girls with disabilities, combating violence against women, promoting women's economic empowerment, and improving access to economic opportunities.
Another important aspect of Jeta's role was providing communications and administrative support for various taskforces and working groups. She played a key role in supporting the Secretariat with internal and external communication for the multi-stakeholder Security and Gender Group.
Chaired by UN Women, the purpose of the group is to coordinate joint activities, issue joint advocacy letters and statements, and organize public consultations. In addition, Jeta supported the Secretariat of the Informal Advocacy Task Force on Gender-Sensitive Standards for Occupational Safety, Health and Decent Work, chaired by the Ombudsperson in Kosovo.
For several years, Jeta supported the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, which raises awareness, advocates for gender equality, and works to combat violence against women and girls. Her role was managing a calendar of activities across Kosovo, which included engaging with local communities through events, workshops and awareness drives.
For me, volunteering with a focus on awareness-raising to prevent and respond to violence against women is a precondition to progress towards sustainable development. --Jeta Krasniqi, Gender Equality and Partnership Associate with UN Women, Kosovo
Jeta reported that the most rewarding aspect of her assignment was having the opportunity to meet with survivors at women's organizations and domestic violence shelters with whom UN Women partners. This had enabled Jeta to see firsthand the impact that UN Women services and economic empowerment programs have on the lives of women and girls in Kosovo.
One particularly rewarding project that Jeta worked on during her assignment was interviewing survivors in shelters to write articles on their stories. These articles aimed to raise awareness, break the silence surrounding domestic violence, and advocate for positive change.
During this project, Jeta worked closely with shelter staff, counselors and experts in the field of domestic violence to gather accurate information and insights. She shared that this experience enabled her to “witness the immense will of survivors to continue their lives and reintegrate into society,” which she found particularly inspiring.
Jeta recalls supporting advocacy and outreach for historically marginalized and discriminated-against groups, including Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities. She had the chance to visit beneficiaries of UN Women programmes that specifically aid these vulnerable communities. By sharing their stories, Jeta was able to highlight the achievements of these communities and increase awareness of the risks and dangers of child, early and forced marriages for young girls.
Overall, Jeta would describe her experience as a UN Volunteer as enriching and supportive. She found the regular communication with the UN Volunteer office in Kosovo particularly beneficial in motivating her to pursue her goals at the UN Women Kosovo Office.
She also developed her knowledge of gender equality through working closely with experts in this subject area within UN Women. According to Jeta, “having the opportunity to meet inspiring people who are the driving force” behind the work of UN Women was one of most rewarding parts of her experience as a UN Volunteer.
As Jeta sets her sights on the future, she is currently pursuing a master's degree in law, with plans to leverage her education and UN Volunteer background in the humanitarian and development sector. She shares that her assignment gave her the opportunity to gain a "lived experience of human rights education,” which she couldn’t have obtained in a classroom. Jeta continues working for UN Women and aspires to continue advocating passionately for the rights of women and girls and amplifying the voices of the most marginalized members of society.
*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).
This article was prepared with the kind assistance of Online Volunteer Megan O’Neil. Find out more about how to become an Online Volunteer or engage Online Volunteers.