In June 2018, Adea Roka began her internship at the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) as a legal assistant. For five months, she became part of the KWN staff, where she was mainly engaged in issues of gender-based violence, focusing on domestic violence.

A part of her experience was providing legal advice to cases of gender-based violence addressed to KWN, by advising on the legal framework as well as about the role and responsibilities of relevant institutions where victims can report their experiences. This was done in cooperation with the persons in charge within KWN.

Following the signing of the cooperation agreement between KWN and the Kosovo Judicial Council, Adea had the opportunity to start monitoring gender-based violence cases in the Basic Court in Prishtina, more specifically in the Serious Crimes Department. There, she had the opportunity to become familiar with the specifics and difficulties encountered when dealing with gender-based violence, through the analysis of case files handled in this department during years 2014-2017.

“Human rights, including women’s rights, are part of my work and interest. The practice in KWN has helped me understand the work of the justice system in Kosovo, as I had only theoretical knowledge. Here I have managed to hear the stories of victims of violence, which has enabled me to learn even more about gender-based violence. The experience in court through monitoring of archives has complemented my professional knowledge, so the experience gained during this time will serve me a lot in my professional career. Also the cooperation spirit that prevails in KWN has contributed so that I feel comfortable and perform my work effortlessly”, said Adea after having completed the internship.

Adea is now working on the Master’s Thesis, with the aim to continue to contribute to issues related to gender equality in Kosovo.