The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) conducted the first ever Kosovo-wide household survey on incidence of domestic violence in 2008 in collaboration with the Agency for Gender Equality in the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo (AGE) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Women’s Safety and Security Initiative.
Much time has passed since the baseline study and now the time is ripe to carry out a follow-up study to measure how attitudes have changed over time as well as to identify remaining gaps in the legal outface and its implementation. KWN, in cooperation with other key stakeholders, plans to carry out this important research. The research also will inform the new National Strategy and Action Plan on Protection against Domestic Violence, planned to be drafted in 2015. This research will be funded by the Austrian Development Agency.
Entitled Security Begins at Home, the resulting publication examined levels of awareness regarding domestic violence, its forms, and where to seek assistance. The research also involved interviews with officials in institutions responsible for implementing the then existing legal framework pertaining to domestic violence. This important study informed the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence, Strategy and National Action Plan (NAP), and Standard Operating Procedures in Kosovo for persons who suffered domestic violence (SOPs) used by all institutions.
The aims of the new research to be undertaken by KWN in the coming months, include measuring (changes in) attitudes, awareness and incidence of domestic violence and sexual harassment in Kosovo, respectively; and monitoring implementation of the legal framework by relevant public institutions (e.g., police, judges, prosecutors, victim advocates, shelters, legal aid offices, etc.), particularly the National Action Plan on Protection against Domestic Violence.
The research methods will involve mixed methods including: review of Legal Framework to identify remaining gaps in the legal outface and its implementation; conducting a survey with 1,290 citizens to measure awareness, attitudes and incidence of domestic violence and sexual harassment (95% confidence); interviews with institutions and actors responsible for implementing the legal framework; and review of statistical data gathered from relevant institutions on official interventions in cases of domestic violence since 2008.
The research is planned to be publish on the first half of September 2015 and will be available in three languages. The research will be used to inform advocacy initiatives carried out by KWN and its members between mid-2015 and the end of 2017 (in cooperation with other interested actors). The exact same research process will be repeated in 2017 to measure improvements in attitudes and behaviours.
The research is planned to be publish on the first half of September 2015 and will be available in three languages. The research will be used to inform advocacy initiatives carried out by KWN and its members between mid-2015 and the end of 2017 (in cooperation with other interested actors). The exact same research process will be repeated in 2017 to measure improvements in attitudes and behaviours.