In the first week of June, the Council of Europe supported a delegation of local authorities and key stakeholders from Kosovo to participate in the international conference “Toward Effective Perpetrator Programmes in Line with European Standards” in Budapest, Hungary.

Among the participants was Adelina Berisha, Program Director for Addressing Gender-based Violence at the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN).

The conference brought together policymakers, law enforcement representatives, victim support services, perpetrator programme facilitators and civil society organisations from across Europe to exchange experiences, discuss challenges and strengthen cooperation in addressing violence against women. Discussions focused on improving policies and practices, designing effective and safe perpetrator programmes, enhancing collaboration with specialist victim support services and strengthening evaluation, monitoring and accountability mechanisms.

Reflecting on the event, Berisha highlighted the practical value of the discussions for KWN’s ongoing work:

“Each panel and working group was highly relevant to our work. I learned a great deal, but what I valued most was the strong emphasis on engaging victims and survivor support services in the evaluation of perpetrator programmes. Equally important was the emphasis on ensuring separate state-funded budgets for victim support services and perpetrator programmes, to guarantee that resources intended for victims are not diverted to perpetrator interventions.”

The conference also provided an opportunity for participants from Kosovo to showcase ongoing efforts in addressing violence against women. Representatives from the Ministry of Justice presented progress made through the National Programme for the Treatment of Perpetrators of Violence Against Women, developed and implemented with the support of the Council of Europe.

KWN remains committed to advocating for survivor-centred policies and services, while supporting evidence-based approaches that contribute to the prevention of violence and the accountability of perpetrators.