On 5 December 2018, within the scope of 16 Days of Activism, the Kosova Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (KRCT), organized the event: “The echo of her voice: The Impact of public appearance of Ms. Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman, a survivor of sexual violence during the war in Kosovo”.
The main part of this event was the launching of a awareness raising video-message made by Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman, where she once again calls for a stronger support to all survivors.
In a panel composed of Feride Rushiti, director of KRCT; Igballe Rogova, director of Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN); Kadire Tahiraj, director of the Center for Promotion of Women’s Rights (DWG); Mirlinda Sada, director of Medica Kosova; Linda Gusia, sociologist; Ramize Murtezi Shala, journalist, and Fitim Fluga from the Islamic Community of Kosovo; opinions were expressed regarding the impact of Vasfije’s story on the empowerment of the survivors.
Further, Ms. Rushiti said that, “The year 2018 has been a historic one for the survivors of sexual violence”, stressing that during this year the status of victims of sexual violence began to be recognized and their compensation commenced.
Whereas, Igballe Rogova in her speech hailed the family support from where the courage of the public appearance of Vasfije originated. By stating that we still don’t know about many women’s stories since after the war, she recalled also the activist Sevdije Ahmeti, as the first person who publicly raised this issue, by sending women to testify at the Hague Tribunal.
Given that the discussion’s purpose was continuous sensitizing of Kosovo’s citizens about the survivors, addressing discrimination, the stigma, as well as the demand for access to justice for survivors of sexual violence and equal integration in society, this was unanimously emphasized also by the panellists.
This event took place within the scope of the “Be My Voice” campaign, implemented by KRCT and Medica Gjakova and supported by the United Kingdom Embassy in Pristina and Medica Mondiale in Germany.
