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The Agency for Gender Equality in cooperation with Kosovo Center for Gender Studies has organized a high level consultative meeting  “Institutional response to violence aginst women during period (post) COVID 19” with institutional actors, experts, represententatives from civil society. This meeting was organized with aim to advance inter-sectorial coordination to fight the gender based violence towards women in Kosovo during and after pandemic Covid 19.

In this meeting were present Prime Minister of Kosovo Mr. Albnin Kurti, Mrs. Albulena Haxhiu- Minister of Justice as well as representatives from institutions and other organizations in the country.
 

On openening event, Edi Gusia- Chief of Executive at Agency for gender Equality has stressed that as Agency  has taken promt action to asses the consequences of pandemic  with effect to decrease the violence. “we have supported 24 women organizations in amount of 630 Thousand Euro.

These are organisations that execute initiatives in the field to improve the possibilities of employment of women and 270 small bussiness of women. AGE welcomes establishing the cooperation  with women organisations”.

While, Luljeta Demolli, Executive Director at Kosovo Center for Gender Studies said that the violence toward women and girls manifests gender inequality’. “Kosovo has created a range of mechanism and laws to treat the violence towards women. However, in many cases, there is a lack of practical execution.

It is important that fighting the violence is priority of institutions and every challenge is followed by normative orinetation of Istambul Convention, stressed Demolli.
“The gender ineqaulity and violenece against women are the same side of medalion. We should fight them  at the same time in a equal manner with determination. We have a need for more women police officer, procecutors and judges, because we know that women who serve in first line of justice , they consolidate the justice. We support real economic recovery as one efficent prevention strategies.  
Talking to violence towards women and girls, the Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that “ We don’t have lives of women and girls to loose. The inequality, injustice and prejudism should be fight together and to make priority  the cases of domestic violence so that we can have a susccessful result, said the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti in a consultation meeting with subject  “The institutional response towards the violence aginst women during period (post) Covid 19”.

The lack of justice and equality stimulates dominant and patriarcal norms and adding the injustice from not acting the state in its protection role it makes it more visible. This  squeeze is sending to the denial the right of women and girls for life in Kosovo. To improve the situation, it requires not to shut up but to act and not to hide the truth but to act in core of problems, said the prime Minister. The Prime Minister thanked all who offer protection and support to women and girls, whenever and wherever they need help.  “The dignifite life and the right to enjoy it are the guaranteed rights with Costitution and  and none can deny this. Every temtation to deny is prohibited and punishable, he said, by stresseing that the duties of civil society in Goverment is guarantee and save einviorment without dismay or fear”.

While, Albulena Haxhiu-Minister of Justice has stressed that since January 2021 till October there are 200 cases  of domestic violence reported. “Economic development and justice are essential to adress and minimaze these cases. We are working as goverment to open new working places. 14 precent of women are included in labor market and here there is exclusion  not inclusion. The study of law is essential to prevent these cases. Against domestic violence we should speak powerfully, because Kosovo is facing it”, said Haxhiu.

Vlora Nushi from “UN Women” in Koosovo has mentioned that lockdown  is a consequence of pandemic has has impact in increase of number of domestic violence “ from the assessment we have noticed that till 26 percent the violence has been increased in first months of pandemic. 63 perecent of women stated that domestic violence has been increased.

 With police as “UN Women” we have worked in cretaing the sttetegy against domestic violence. “We have tried that as family of United Nations to make an assesment of situation in the ground “ Rapid Assesment”. In three phases we understood that the effects of COVID 19 are more visible to men than to women”.

Further, it was Jeta Tela from the Ministry of Internal Affais who has shown the figures of domestic violence caes and use of armed weapons. “Since the beginnnig 2020, there are 29 cases of domestic violence with use of armed weapons . 15 cases in 2020 and 14 in 2021. As far as use of arms of domestic violence is concerned, women are more at risk, two were killed and two were injured during this period. In six cases, weapons were used as a tool to threaten women. The majority of cases has happened in urban areas”.

Then, Igballe Rogova, Executive Director of Kosovo Women Network and Ehat Miftaraj form Kosovo Justice Institute said that women should be part of each process and in institutions of justice there should be placed people with integrity”. “The Istabul Convention requires that in each phase of drafting the legislation to consult women organizations and to know the expertice and not to say “ close your mouth”. Women organziations should be part of each process. It is a moment that there should be adequate budget, expecially linked with rehabilitation and integration of gender based violence”, stressed Rugova.

While Miftraj said that “ As IKD within a year has monitored six to ten thausand cases. The violations that happened in these cases in all fields- police, prosecutors office go beyond negligence. It is preseption that in institutions we have people that have culture that are ubable to treat women same as the other gender”.