Pristina, February 27 - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is announcing the launch of a new activity to support vulnerable and marginalized groups in Kosovo and strengthen civil society’s role in influencing the development and implementation of policies affecting these communities.

"Working with marginalized communities is integral to our work in each of USAID's programs in Kosovo," said USAID Mission Director James Hope. "This program will use the knowledge we've gained in this work across various sectors to focus on meeting the specific needs of these vulnerable groups."

Engagement for Equity will provide sub-grants and targeted technical assistance to local civil society organizations working to protect the rights of women, the lesbian, gay, bisexual,  transgender and inter-sex (LGBTI) community, people with disabilities, and youth.

USAID has allocated $2.5 million to this three-year activity to empower women through improved property rights, increase the engagement of women in governance and the economy, enhance civil rights protections for the LGBT community, and expand representation and participation for people with disabilities and the country’s large and vibrant young population.

The project will be implemented by the Advocacy Training and Resource Center (ATRC), a local non-governmental organization that works to increase citizen and civil society participation in decision-making by providing training and other resources to strengthen the advocacy efforts of the country’s civil society organizations.

USAID, an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State, has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for over 50 years.