Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, has called for institutional officials who failed to fulfill their duties in the case of the murder of Arlinda Zekaj to face disciplinary and criminal responsibility.
Speaking at the 64th meeting of the General Council, Kurti said that Arlinda’s case shows that women can remain unprotected even after reporting violence and turning to institutions for help.
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“The murder of Arlinda Zejkajt has once again confronted us with a harsh truth: a woman can follow every path provided by law, report violence, seek protection, and even warn in writing that her life is at risk, yet still end up murdered. Arlinda did what institutions ask women to do when they face violence,” Kurti said.
According to him, efforts will continue until every official who failed to act in accordance with their duties is identified and punished.
“On this occasion, I reiterate that we will remain engaged until the very end so that every responsible official who failed to perform their duty is held accountable, not only disciplinarily but also criminally. Every person responsible and every responsibility at every link in the chain must be investigated. Anyone who neglected their work or violated their legal obligations must be held accountable and will face disciplinary and criminal measures,” he declared.
Kurti also addressed the influence of the patriarchal mentality, which, he said, continues to view women as property and their departure from a relationship as a threat to a man’s authority.
“This mentality does not change through laws alone; it requires continuous confrontation within families, schools and institutions, as well as within our own political organizations and entities,” he stressed.
The head of government also highlighted the importance of reforms in education. He said that teaching about equality, respect and the peaceful resolution of conflicts must begin at an early age.
“We cannot continue educating girls to be obedient and patient, while boys are expected to be, above all, dominant. We must courageously examine these inherited roles, both in school textbooks and in the way we educate children,” Kurti declared.
He added that preventing femicide requires coordinated interventions in education, the economy and social policies, with the aim of increasing women’s empowerment and independence.
“We must start with how we educate children, how we divide responsibilities within the family, how we guarantee women’s property rights and how we enable them to achieve economic independence. Gender equality must also combat social inequality, and it must be demonstrated in the decisions we make, the policies we implement and the way we protect women when their lives are at risk, since gender equality lies at the foundation of that society,” Kurti said.
