Kvinna Till Kvinna

Kvinna Till Kvinna, formally the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, is a Swedish women's rights and peacebuilding organization established in 1993 in response to the wars accompanying the breakup of Yugoslavia. Its work is based on the view that sustainable democracy and peace must be built by people living in affected communities, particularly women who are often excluded from formal political and security processes. Rather than presenting itself as an outside substitute for local civil society, the foundation generally works through partnerships with women's rights organizations and other locally rooted groups. The organization's central field of activity has been the Western Balkans, where it supports advocacy, women's participation in public life, prevention of and responses to gender-based violence, protection of women human rights defenders, and efforts to overcome ethnic and political divisions. Its work has also extended to conflict-affected and politically fragile settings in the Middle East and the Caucasus. The geographic focus reflects the foundation's origins in the Yugoslav Wars, but its broader model is applicable to environments where women face insecurity, discrimination, displacement, restricted civic space, or exclusion from peace processes. Kvinna Till Kvinna combines grantmaking and organizational support with research, advocacy, networking, and public communication. Its partners are involved in efforts to strengthen women's movements, improve access to justice and safety, expand women's representation in politics and decision-making, and promote reconciliation across communities. The foundation emphasizes that local organizations should define priorities according to the needs of the people they represent. This partnership-based approach is a defining part of its institutional identity. The organization received the Right Livelihood Award in 2002 for helping women in war-torn societies act as agents of peacebuilding and reconciliation. Kerstin Grebäck, who served as the foundation's founding president in 1993, accepted the award on its behalf. The recognition helped establish Kvinna Till Kvinna as an internationally visible organization in the fields of women's rights, peacebuilding, and civil society support. In addition to direct cooperation with partner organizations, Kvinna Till Kvinna produces knowledge about women's rights and political participation. One of its recurring publications, Women's Rights in Western Balkans, examines subjects including women's representation in politics, gender-based violence, the security of women human rights defenders, and women's participation in employment. The publication had reached its sixth edition by 2022, and the foundation participated in discussions with the European Stability Initiative about strengthening indicators for the region. Kvinna Till Kvinna receives institutional and project support from donors including the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and also conducts fundraising. The foundation has described its administrative spending as a minority share of total costs and makes information about funding and disbursements available as open data. It is an active Swedish civil-society organization rather than a commercial consumer brand, and its name functions primarily as an organizational and public-facing program identity.

Kvinna Till Kvinna emerged in 1993 as a Swedish response to the wars in the former Yugoslavia. The conflict made the vulnerability of women in war zones highly visible, but it also demonstrated the importance of women's local organizations in providing assistance, documenting abuses, advocating for rights, and maintaining social ties across divided communities. The foundation developed around the principle that women living in affected societies should be central actors in peacebuilding and democratic reconstruction. Its initial and enduring regional concentration has been the Western Balkans. Over time, the organization supported and cooperated with women's rights groups working on issues such as political participation, gender-based violence, reconciliation, human rights, and the protection of activists. The foundation's role has generally been to provide resources, solidarity, technical or organizational support, and access to wider networks while allowing local partners to determine priorities. This distinguishes its model from a purely service-delivery organization directed from Sweden. Kvinna Till Kvinna's approach is grounded in the idea that democracy cannot be sustainably imported or imposed by external actors. Local communities and civil-society groups must shape the institutions and practices that govern their lives. Women are treated not only as beneficiaries of peace and development programs but also as political actors, community leaders, advocates, and negotiators. The foundation's work therefore combines women's rights with conflict transformation, civic participation, and democratic development. The organization later expanded its activity beyond the Balkans to parts of the Middle East and the Caucasus, applying its partnership model in other settings affected by conflict, repression, insecurity, or weak democratic institutions. Across these regions, its work has focused on strengthening women's movements and supporting organizations confronting discrimination, violence, political exclusion, and threats against human rights defenders. A major institutional milestone came in 2002, when Kvinna Till Kvinna received the Right Livelihood Award. The award recognized the foundation's contribution to helping women in war-affected societies become leading participants in peacebuilding and reconciliation. Kerstin Grebäck, who had been the organization's founding president in 1993, received the award for the foundation. The recognition raised the organization's international profile and reinforced its association with grassroots women's rights and peace work. Research and public documentation became another important component of the foundation's identity. Through Women's Rights in Western Balkans, Kvinna Till Kvinna has tracked conditions affecting women in the region, including representation in politics, gender-based violence, the safety of women human rights defenders, and women's position in the labor market. By 2022 the publication had reached its sixth edition. The organization also engaged with the European Stability Initiative on improving indicators used to assess progress in the region. Kvinna Till Kvinna is funded through a combination of institutional donors, including the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and fundraising. Its funding and disbursement information is presented as open data, reflecting an emphasis on accountability in the nonprofit sector. The foundation has stated that administration represented less than one-fifth of expenditure in an earlier account of its operations. It remains an active Swedish civil-society organization whose public identity is built around long-term partnership with women's groups in conflict-affected regions.

• 2022

  Sixth edition of Women's Rights in Western Balkans

  [1]Kvinna till Kvinnaen.wikipedia.org

  The organization's regional publication reached its sixth edition, covering political participation, gender-based violence, women human rights defenders, and women's employment.

• 2002

  Right Livelihood Award

  [1]Kvinna till Kvinnaen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation received the Right Livelihood Award for helping women in war-torn societies contribute to peacebuilding and reconciliation.

• 1993

  Foundation established in response to the Yugoslav Wars

  [1]Kvinna till Kvinnaen.wikipedia.org

  Kvinna Till Kvinna was established in Sweden to support women affected by war and to strengthen women's organizations in the former Yugoslavia.

A locally partnered women's rights and peacebuilding foundation focused on strengthening women's movements and democratic participation in conflict-affected regions.

• Nonprofit programs · 1993

  Women's rights and peacebuilding partnerships

  Kvinna Till Kvinna works with women's rights organizations and other civil-society groups in conflict-affected regions. Support can include funding, organizational development, advocacy assistance, networking, and public solidarity. The model is designed to strengthen locally led action on women's rights, democratic participation, peacebuilding, and protection from violence.

• Research publication

  Women's Rights in Western Balkans

  This recurring publication documents the position of women across the Western Balkans. Its coverage includes women's participation in politics, gender-based violence, the security of women human rights defenders, and women's involvement in employment and public life. The series provides advocacy-oriented evidence for civil-society organizations, policymakers, and researchers.

• 2022

  Sixth edition of Women's Rights in Western Balkans[1]Kvinna till Kvinnaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Kvinna Till Kvinna's recurring regional publication documented issues including women's political representation, gender-based violence, the safety of women human rights defenders, and women's participation in work. The organization also discussed regional indicators with the European Stability Initiative.

• 2002

  Kvinna Till Kvinna receives the Right Livelihood Award[1]Kvinna till Kvinnaen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The foundation received the Right Livelihood Award for supporting women in war-torn societies as agents of peacebuilding and reconciliation. Kerstin Grebäck accepted the recognition on behalf of the organization.

1. 1Kvinna till Kvinnaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Kvinna Till Kvinna official websitekvinnatillkvinna.se