VZCZCXRO4163
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSQ #0845 2921216
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191216Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY SKOPJE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6637
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 0063
RUESEN/SKOPJE BETA

UNCLAS SKOPJE 000845 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ANDREA BOTTNER (G/IWI) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWMN PREL KPAO PHUM MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: NOMINATION FOR SECRETARY'S AWARD FOR 
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE 
 
REF: STATE 126072 
 
¶1. (U)  After consulting with members of the country team, 
Post has identified Xhane Kreshova (Dzane Kresova) as this 
year's Woman of Courage.  Ms. Kreshova has been notified of 
her nomination. 
 
BIO DATA 
 
¶2. (U)  Name of the nominee: Xhane Kreshova 
In passport: Dzane Kresova 
Job title/association: President of the Forum of Albanian 
Women, Tetovo 
Date of birth: October 16, 1947, village of Bukovik 
Country of birth: Macedonia 
Citizenship: Republic of Macedonia 
Address: Nikola Tesla 6, 1200 Tetovo 
Telephone:  389-44-337-440 
Cell phone:  389-70-256-879 
E-mail: info@forumi.org.mk/ www.forumi.org.mk 
Passport number: 2130544 exp. August 2114 
 
A RURAL NURSE TURNED ACTIVIST 
 
¶3. (U)  When Xhane Kreshova began working as a nurse in rural 
mountain villages in Macedonia in the late sixties, she 
understood first-hand that the traditional culture in many 
remote ethnic Albanian villages could be stifling for women 
and girls.  Since there were no laws at the time allowing 
NGOs to operate in Macedonia, she had no choice but to create 
informal networks to serve the underprivileged. 
 
¶4. (U)  She has since led many dozens of projects with the 
goal of empowering women through education projects on human 
rights, health issues, gender equality, domestic violence, 
and human trafficking issues.  In 2001, with NGOs now able to 
operate in the country, Kreshova became president of the 
Forum of Albanian Women in Tetovo.  Current projects include 
a legal advising center for female victims of domestic 
violence in Tetovo, including pro bono representation. 
 
FACING SKEPTICISM, KRESHOVA WORKS FOR WOMEN'S ECONOMIC 
EMPOWERMENT 
 
¶5. (U)  Kreshova's Forum initially faced widespread 
skepticism because of the traditional conservative and 
male-dominated nature of the ethnic Albanian culture in 
Tetovo.  Under her leadership, her NGO is now firmly 
established.  Lately she has been expanding the focus of her 
network to aid all women in Macedonia, regardless of 
ethnicity.  Because she estimates that the employment rate 
for women in rural villages is only approximately 2%, she and 
her team have started micro-finance projects for women in 
which they make clothing exemplifying traditional national 
dress that can later be sold.  Their next project will be to 
support female students in need of scholarships. 
 
RESPECTED BY ALL, BUT WITH MUCH WORK LEFT TO DO... 
 
¶6. (U)  In an area where local politics are especially 
fractious, Kreshova has earned the respect of local leaders 
and the public, regardless of party affiliation.  She gets 
things done that others could not possibly achieve, according 
to her supporters, building democracy, strengthening respect 
for human rights, and striving to improve the economy.  Every 
day, her work promotes U.S. mission priorities. 
 
¶7. (U)  In spite of all the progress she has made, she thinks 
there are still "too many prejudices" against women in rural 
parts of Macedonia.  "I want women to walk alongside men," 
she says.  In small villages and big towns, thanks to 
Kreshova,s decades of labor, that vision now has a chance to 
become a reality. 
MILOVANOVIC