About Us
By Girls. For Girls.
The F’Oda Summit has been theorized and developed by a group of young Albanian women in
the diaspora inspired to design a mission for girls, by girls. Individually, we specialize in a variety of
disciplines including international studies, politics, economics, journalism, global public health,
photography, performing arts, theology, and advocacy. We are brought together by a common mission to empower the Albanian women and girls of Kosova.
Our Story
The traditional Albanian Oda is both a physical and symbolic space for the exclusion of women and girls from both knowledge and decision making in Albanian society. Physically it was placed outside of the home, a structure that stood alone in its speciality. A place where only the men and boys of society were given the privilege to enter, and the door was closed to women and girls. The Oda served as the epicenter of Albanian authority, the transfer of knowledge and brotherhood. Within this space, men engaged in political discourse, sang songs of patriotism, shared historical stories, and much more. Although the Oda has served as an important space for the preservation of Albanian tradition and the construction and transfer of knowledge by elders, we recognize that it has unjustly excluded women and girls from these processes. As a collective, we aim to create such a space for women and girls through the F’Oda Summit, the first ever female Oda! In this space, the voices of women and girls will not only be amplified, but they will be listened to and appreciated. A space where the young girls of Kosova will learn the importance of Albanian sisterhood from the local to the diaspora, the power of a shared space to transfer knowledge between the two groups and, ultimately, to empower one another.
Our Mission
The F'Oda Summit will provide a forum for high school girls to learn about the complexities of gender inequality in Kosova. It will be an educational experience that will not only provide them with resources to prevent, combat, and mitigate barriers to gender equality in their own lives, but also how to thrive in their community. The summit will cover a wide range of topics, including girl empowerment, sexual education, career workshops, and much more. In an effort to ensure a truly educational atmosphere, we are bringing together a myriad of Albanian women who are specialists in their respective fields to serve as speakers. While maintaining a pedagogic environment is incredibly important, the F’Oda summit aims to create an equally nurturing space that promotes meaningful dialogue about identity and self discovery. The F’Oda Summit will strive to create a space for participants to freely discuss, learn, and explore their own identity while fostering networks between other young Albanian women and girls both in Kosova and abroad.
Our Sponsors
