On 6 May, the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), in cooperation with the Social Contract Institute (SCI) in Albania, organised a screening of the film Loud Enough – Surviving Justice at Media Center in Pristina.

Set against the fifth-year anniversary of the #MeToo movement, the film follows Madison Smith, a sexual assault survivor from Kansas, in her fight for justice and systemic change.

Madison survives a life-threatening sexual assault only to find the local county prosecutor declining to file charges against her rapist. Refusing to accept a justice system that dismisses both evidence and survivors, Madison and her family embark on a difficult journey, challenging institutional bias, undergoing profound personal transformation and ultimately stepping into advocacy to fight for lasting change.

The screening of this powerful story was followed by a discussion with Director Hilary Klotz Steinman; former prosecutor Julie Germann; former police detective Justin Boardman; and Kosovo prosecutor Mimoza Shala, who works on sexual violence cases.

Participants joining both in person and online engaged in a thoughtful conversation on justice, accountability, victim support and the importance of centring survivors’ voices.

Reflecting on the situation in Kosovo, Mimoza Shala stated “Victims are initially uninformed about where to turn. They know that they must first go to the police, but beyond the police, they do not know where to continue. The Office for the Protection of Victims provides free protection, but this is not sufficient considering the trauma that victims experience.”

Participants also discussed measures to increase the number of cases that actually lead to convictions. “Improving the laws around consent would help in the majority of countries”, said Julie Germann. “Being able to just prove that the victim didn’t say yes … would help”. But it is also an issue of biases, lack of knowledge and harmful norms and attitudes. “We all have to work to change the rape culture in our community”, established Julie. “When we do that, the victims will no longer be afraid to speak out.” “We need to start with educating our children, but also … our neighbour, our friends…”, reflected Justin Boardman.

“In Madison’s story, the first thing that happened was that she opened up to her friend, who didn’t judge her but listened to her”, added Director Hilary Klotz Steinman. “Because she received support from her relatives, she was comfortable enough to go to the police.”

The event reflected a shared sense that meaningful change requires both institutional reform and collective action. Stories like Madison’s should not remain the norm, but rather serve as a catalyst for building more just and responsive systems.

Are you, or do you know someone who is experiencing violence? Contact KWN at +383 48 105 800 for support.