Kosovo Women’s Network mobilizes citizens for November 25 protest against femicide

The Kosovo Women’s Network has called on citizens, organizations and institutions to take part in the nationwide protest against the killing of women and gender-based violence, which will be held on November 25.

Adelina Berisha, director of the Program for Addressing Gender-Based Violence at the Kosovo Women’s Network, said that the latest killing in Gjilan once again demonstrates the urgent need for femicide to be addressed in Kosovo as a phenomenon closely linked to gender inequality and power relations.

“The fact that our legislation considers gender an aggravating circumstance is not sufficient if the killings of women are not investigated and addressed by taking into account gender-based violence and the circumstances that preceded the case.

Kosovo urgently needs a legal definition of femicide, as well as the establishment of a Femicide Watch mechanism, which would enable the systematic monitoring and analysis of cases, the identification of institutional failures and the prevention of further killings. These steps are in line with the spirit and requirements of the Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women, protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators,” her statement says.

Berisha also emphasized that justice should not wait for a woman to have previously reported violence in order to consider the case serious.

“The fact that there was no previous report does not mean that violence did not exist. Institutions must investigate the history of the relationship, threats, control and every other possible form of violence, so that the woman’s experiences before the killing are included in the investigation and in determining criminal responsibility.

Justice cannot stop at the moment when the killing occurred. It must analyze the entire context of the violence, along with any institutional failure that may have contributed to the loss of life,” Berisha stressed.

The November 25 protest aims to bring citizens, organizations and institutions together in a united stance against the killing of women and gender-based violence.

“Let us turn solidarity into action and demand justice, accountability and concrete measures to prevent femicides,” Berisha’s statement says.