Early Marriages still a Burden for Kosovar society

01.04.2019

Network of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Women’s Organizations of Kosovo (NRAEWOK), a member organization of Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), on Feb. 26 held its last meeting under the initiative “Supporting the prevention of early marriages of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Kosovo”.

Xhulieta Devolli, Gender Equality expert stated that this action took place in the top three municipalities that are populated with non-majority communities such in Mitrovicë, Graçanicë and Lipjan.

Early marriages by Devolli are viewed as “a very common occurring”, emphasizing that they should be dealt by the society itself. She also spoke about the Report on the Istanbul Recommendations on the Implementation of the Istanbul Convention on the situation of early marriages of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Kosovo.

Executive Director of NRAEWOK, Shpresa Agushi said that the lives of these women will be improved to a small extent due to this report. She also mentioned that “the first support for us [NRAEWOK] came from KWN”.

Ariana Qosaj-Mustafa, Programme Director and Senior Researcher at KIPRED, which is among the drafters of this report, expressed her concern regarding the lack of law’s implementation.

Amongst other things, she highlighted that “statistics of early marriages do not exist, this because only few cases are being reported”.

A closing conference of this action will be held in the end of April, as an opportunity for state actors to be introduced with the initiative’s achievements.

This initiative is implemented by NRAEWOK, supported by UN Women and financed by the European Union.

 

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KWN and Lobby Support Podrimqaku-Subashi

01.04.2019

The Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) and the Kosovo Lobby for Gender Equality (Lobby) express their deep concern regarding the unfair treatment and pressure applied against Zahrie Podrimqaku-Subashi, Coordinator of the Municipal Human Rights Unit and Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities Officer in Drenas, by the Mayor of this Municipality, Ramiz Lladrovci.

Since his arrival, he has pressured Podrimqaku-Subashi to leave her position. In January, the Mayor called her into his office, pressuring her to resign from her workplace. This was illegal and without respect for Kosovo laws pertaining to recruitment and transfer. Lladrovci’s exerted this pressure with the intention to replace Podrimqak-Subashi with his sister’s daughter-in-law.

After news broke regarding this case, Mayor Lladrovci decided on 1 Mar. to temporarily transfer Podrimqaku-Subashi to the position of Head of Assembly Services in the same functional category.

Podrimqaku-Subashi challenged this decision, based on Law No. 03/L –149 on The Civil Service of the Republic of Kosovo.

Among the reasons for refusing this transfer, Podrimqaku-Subashi referenced that her transfer was “intentional, unreasonable, without a time limit, violent, and forced”.

Recalling Podrimqaku-Subashi’s work and activism in defence of human rights, particularly towards women’s rights, a contribution affecting all periods of Kosovo’s recent history, KWN and Lobby express unreserved support for Podrimqaku-Subashi.

Moreover, they demand that the Municipality of Drenas, as well as other relevant institutions, immediately stop pressuring Podrimqaku-Subashi and allow her to continue exercising her merited public function and the benefitting citizens, as Podrimqaku-Subashi has done to date.

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The New Family Law is cherished

01.04.2019

On March 5, the Initiative for Justice and Inequality (INJECT) organized a roundtable conference to inform the public on amendments made to the Family Law.

The new Family Law entered into force on 17 January 2019 with proposed changes from Luljeta Aliu, Executive Director of INJECT. According to Aliu, “the purpose of these changes [in the Family Law], relies in eliminating inequalities occurring towards the most marginalized group in Kosovo – women.”

INJECT has proposed that Article 47 of the Family Law be added the paragraph equalizing the work of one spouse translated into monetary value, with the contribution of the other spouse on the welfare of the family. Accordingly, the work of women in childcare and home care should be accounted for as part of the economic contribution when deciding on the division of property, such as in divorce cases.

Aliu emphasized the support she received from Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) on publishing her findings based on the law’s analysis. “KWN was amongst the first NGO’s I asked for support for changing the Family Law, and I got it right away” she said.

Albulena Haxhiu, Head of the Legislative Committee expressed her gratitude on the initiatives that aim to eliminate patriarchy and support accomplishing gender equality. “It is a major issue the fact that according to the latest statistics, 80 % of women in Kosovo belong to the inactive category of the population. Whereas according to findings from KWN, 30 % of employed women work without contracts. This is scandalous”, said Haxhiu.

Other panelists also recognized the importance of this legal initiative. Jo-Anne Bishop, Gender Advisor of UNMIK and Rozafa Kelmendi from UN Women conveyed their optimism that this change will lead to open more doors of hope for women, and it will provide them financial stability.

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DIS Students are Introduced to the work of Kosovo Women’s Network

01.04.2019

On March 27, a group of students from the Danish Institute for Studies Abroad (DIS) program for Humanitarian Law and Armed Conflicts visited the Kosovo Women’s Network offices (KWN). Over the recent years, various generations of students from this program have visited KWN during their study visits to Kosovo.

Nertila Qarri-Gërguri, KWN’s Project Coordinator, informed the students about KWN’s work and activities ever since its establishment in 1996. A particular focus on this meeting was put on the role that women play in social processes and toward achieving gender equality.

The students appreciated representatives of the KWN for the time to welcome them, emphasizing that such meetings help them acquire a hands-on experience about the best practices regarding contributes that women and girls carry on post-conflictual societies.

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Wheelchair users mark their Day by Marching and Dancing

01.04.2019

March 1st marks The International Wheelchair Day. Dancing, marching and playing basketball were among the ways to celebrate this day in Kosovo.

The ceremony event was organized by Handikos, a members of Kosova Women’s Network (KWN), under the motto “This is how we move” (Ne kështu lëvizim) and it gathered many people in wheelchairs, and others supporting their equal rights too.

Drita Kluna, a member of Handikos Drenas, shared her happiness for participating in this march, while spreading a message for everyone. “We do not need remorse. All of us are missing something, but this does not imply that we cannot live by ourselves, this does not mean that we cannot have access. We are all equal”, Kluna stated.

Sulltane Qafleshi, a member of Handikos Prizren considers that nowadays people are more aware of the conditions of people in wheelchairs.

“I can only talk for Prizren, I am pleased with a number of activities taking place for us there. As from where I stand, we [women] are equal to men”, said Qafleshi.

In the meantime, not far from the place where she was giving this statement, a basketball field was being prepared only for men with wheelchairs to play.

Durim Gashi, representative of Handikos , has an explanation why there is not a single girl or woman playing basketball.

“In basketball tournaments there are more girls involved, but in this particular case it was more difficult. We have only two girls who play basketball. One of them is not in Kosovo, and the other one couldn’t join us today”, said Gashi, while adding that the game carries a symbolic meaning that people with wheelchairs can move too.

This event was held in order to appreciate the positive impact of using the supporting equipment for people in wheelchairs.

In several recent years women with disabilities have been supported through KWN’s work and activities, as member organizations.

Notably, a newly action launched by KWN in 2019 seeks to Strengthen Women’s Participation in Politics, aspiring to engage more women with disabilities in decision-making processes.

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KWN Calls for Respect, Recognition for Survivors of War-time Sexual Violence in Kosovo

01.04.2019

Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) on March 19. through a press release has expressed its concern regarding the statements made by the Council for Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) in relation to compensation for persons who suffered sexual violence during the war in Kosovo.

KWN calls for continued public support for survivors of sexual violence.

“There has been manipulation of the number of victims of sexual violence during the war. Without any evidence or evidence-based list, it is speculated on the list of 20,000 victims of sexual violence that has been misused and is being abused by both politics and the non-governmental sector”, is CDHRF’s statement which KWN strongly condemns with the following arguments.

First, in this statement, CDHRF contradicts itself; it states that there is no list and then immediately suggests that there is a list. There is no list and there can never be any list, given the specific nature of this heinous crime. Internationally, evidence has proven that all victims will never come forward, for several reasons. Therefore, as with the prevalence of any such crime, it is impossible to ever arrive at a specific number.

The estimate of “more than 20,000 women” derives from several sources. Among the most convincing, based on a survey of women refugees conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hynes and Lopes Cardozo, estimated that between 23,200 and 45,600 Kosovar Albanian women were raped between August 1998 and August 1999.

Other authors from outside Kosovo, with absolutely no political interests at stake, have provided similar estimates, as detailed in KWN’s prior reports. These estimates do not include women of other ethnicities, or men, who suffered sexual violence and who also qualify for state benefits under the amended Law on the Status and the Rights of the Martyrs, Invalids, Veterans, Members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Sexual Violence Victims of the War, Civilian Victims and Their Families.

Related to the fact that such awful crimes rarely are reported, it is completely unsurprising that only 968 persons applied for status recognition. Rather, this demonstrates that many brave women came forward.

“In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there were an estimated 60,000 women raped, but only 1000 applied,” said Igballe Rogova, KWN Executive Director. “Why? Because of stigma they did not want to come forward. The majority of survivors may not apply, but for them it’s important that the society stops stigmatizing them”.

KWN and its members know from experience that some survivors do not want to come forward for their own personal reasons. Society must respect their choice. We have no right to expect or demand that they come forward if they choose not to do so. What is important is that survivors feel recognized and fully supported by Kosovo institutions and society.

In conclusion, we are deeply saddened that such hurtful statements would come from CDHRF, which historically has been a defender of human rights and freedoms in Kosovo.

KWN continues to voice its strong support for all women and men who have suffered sexual violence during the war. We continue to demand justice, as well as seek recognition and respect for all survivors.

 

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KWN Supports Childcare

01.04.2019

On March 14 Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) participated in a conference dedicated to childcare. This event was organized in the Assembly of Kosovo by the Self-Determination Movement (VV) organization with members of political parties and civil society.

Referring to earlier research conducted by KWN, Advocacy Coordinator Adelina Berisha presented information and stressed that the prerequisite for gender equality is the funding and support of day care centers for children.

“Women’s free work for childcare usually goes unnoticed, though it is of crucial importance to the functioning of the household economy, the community, human well-being, and the economy,” said Ms. Berisha.

In conclusion, Ms. Berisha urged the government and the members of the parliament to raise their initiatives in increasing the number of day care centers for children, and in this context for the elderly and people with disabilities, in order to encourage employment of women and the division of responsibility for child care between men and women.

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The women of Fushë Kosova’s Uglar introduced to the Mechanisms against Domestic Violence

01.04.2019

On February 22, “Luna” organization held its last meeting on the project “The promotion and protection of women’s right- against gender based violence”. This meeting took place in Uglarë, a village of Fushë Kosova and gathered over ten women from Serb community.

The subject of discussion was: “Informing women for their rights in case of domestic violence, regarding institutions, the support and acknowledge of problems which women from non-majority face when they are subject of domestic violence”.

Nevenka Riaklo, Director of “Ruka Ruci” organization, a member organization of Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), gave a detailed description of this initiative for the attendees.

Amongst the speakers in this meeting was Ariana Qosja-Mustafa, Programme Director and Senior Researcher of KIPRED, and also Chair of the Board of KWN. She spoke about the causes and the most common victims of domestic violence. She also introduced the participants to the Law on Domestic Violence Protection, and the institutional ways to pursue in case of experiencing such a violence.

Qosja-Mustafa stated that Kosovo’s laws guarantee equal treatment, but the implementation of these laws remain weak.

Furthermore, the participants discussed amongst themselves for the importance of law implementation, and also about the forms of institutional response in the cases of domestic violence.

The participants highlighted the need for the Government to provide funds for running  the Office of Free Legal Aid, which used to exist in Graçanicë.

This initiative is supported by Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF) of KWN, and is financed by the Austrian Development Agency (DA).

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Civil Society reacts against the statements of prosecutor Rexhep Maqedonci

01.04.2019

On March 27 through a press release Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) with its partners from civil society have expressed concerns over the statements made by prosecutor Rexhep Maqedonci, published on 25 Mar. 2019, in the news portal Kallxo.com, more specifically the article “The Prosecutor Rexhep Macedonci calls ‘scurvy’ the student who complained of sexual harassment”.

In this discourse, the civil society called for the aforementioned prosecutor to be discharged from the case, due to the impartiality of the prosecutor on the case by aligning with the perpetrator hence failing a fair treatment of the victim.

Abstaining on having influence over the state prosecution’s independent investigation, civil society considers that the prosecutor’s statement is prejudicial, offensive and discourages the victim and the subsequent victims to denounce similar cases in the prosecution.

The civil society also emphasized the crucial significance for the State Prosecutor and the Kosovo’s Prosecutorial Council to distance themselves from this public statement of Maqedonci prosecutor.

Read HERE the full press release where you can find legal references in Kosovo’s laws and in the European Union’s directives as well.

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Civil Society reacts against the statements of prosecutor Rexhep Maqedonci 

01.04.2019

Alarmed by the statement of Prosecutor Rexhep Maqedonci, published on March 25, 2019, on the portal Kallxo.com, more specifically the article “The Prosecutor Rexhep Macedonci calls ‘scurvy’ the student who complained of sexual harassment”, we the below signed express our concern on the approach and statements given by the prosecutor concerned.

Abstaining on having influence over the State’s Prosecution independent investigation, the civil society deems that the prosecutor’s statement is prejudicial, offensive, and moreover discourages the victim of this case and also other victims to report similar cases to the Prosecution.

Attorneys’ allegations that a harassment cannot be reported after three years and the allegations that the case is a defamation still without listening to the victim’s statement indicates the incorrect approach of the state prosecution in addressing these cases. At the end the prosecutor warns that he will deal with the denouncers, which is a clear message to the other casualties who have the courage to report such issues to the prosecution. There is no time limit in the Kosovo Criminal Code forbidding the party to report sexual harassment, so it is not the prosecutor’s right to prejudge whether he will investigate the case or not based on when it was reported.

Prosecutor Rexhep Maqedonci, instead of initiating independent and objective investigations into the reported case of sexual harassment, has decided to “blame the victim”, thus directly affecting the conduct of the investigation as well as intimidating and blackmailing the sexual harassment victim to continue reporting and seeking justice regarding the allegation that the professor has sexually harassed. In his statement, the prosecutor emphasized that reporting is taking place 3 years after experiencing sexual harassment, and here seized the opportunity to threaten the victim’s spouse.

According to the Kosovo Anti-Discrimination Law and European Union Directive 2002/73 / EC on Equal Treatment in Employment for Men and Women supplemented by the European Union Directive of 5 July 2006 on the Application of the Principle of Equal Treatment of Women and Men in Employment and Occupation, persons who complain of discrimination or harassment before a court or other legal institution, leave the burden of proof to the person against whom a complaint is filed. This person must prove that the charges against him or her are not true, by providing evidence that there has been no violation.

Also, since January 2019, Sexual Harassment is defined in the Criminal Code as a criminal offense, where in para. 3 of this article states that: “When the offense provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article is committed by the perpetrator who is a teacher, a religious leader, a health care professional, a person entrusted with the caretaking of such person or in any way the perpetrator shall be punished by imprisonment of six (6) months to three (3) years.”

Given the progress of this investigation by the prosecutor Rexhep Maqedonci, through this letter, we the representatives of the civil society are requesting the dismissal of this prosecutor from the case in question because of the negligence with the accused party and the unfit treatment of the victim in question. The prosecutor’s prejudices deprive each victim of sexual harassment from seeking justice while encouraging other potential offenders to continue with their harassment.

It is very important that the State Prosecution and Kosovo Prosecutorial Council refrain themselves from proclaimed positions of the prosecutor Maqedonci in his public statement. Otherwise, this will be cosidered as a silent approval of such access to sexual harassment.

We remind the Chief State Prosecutor, Kosovo Prosecutorial Council and prosecutors in all Prosecutions in Kosovo that the treatment of sexual harassment and other forms of violence and sexual harassment against women and girls requires need serious treatment, objectivity and above all understanding of the relationship of power and discriminatory social norms on women and girls.

Therefore, let this case serve these institutions, including the Academy of Justice, to engage in capacity building of prosecutors and judges dealing with cases of violence and sexual harassment so that victims of these crimes receive dignified treatment and the perpetrators are penalized by merits.

Signed by:

Alter Habitus

Anibar

Community Development Fund – CDF

Dajana Berisha, Activist

Ellen Frank-Lajqi, Activist

Environmentally Responsible Action (ERA) group

FEMaktiv

Forum for Civic Initiatives – FIQ

Kosovar Civil Society Foundation– KCSF

GAIA Kosovo

Kosovar Institute for Policy Research and Development- KIPRED

Prishtina Institute of Political Studies- PIPS

INTEGRA

Youth Initiative for Human Rights – YIHR

Organization for Increasing Quality of Education- ORCA

The Program for Studies and Gender Research UP

Advocacy Training and Resource Centre –ATRC

Kosovar Gender Studies Centre – KGSC

Centre for Contemporary Art “Varg e Vi”

Art and Community Centre- – Artpolis

Centre for Social Group Development –CSGD

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network- BIRN

Kosovo Women’s Network- KWN

Network of Cultural Organizations

Syri i Vizionit

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