between governmental,
non-governmental, and international efforts to
combat gender-based
violence in KosovoDownload
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a serious violation of human rights and a life-threatening health and protection issue. Reports show that gender-based violence is highly prevalent in Kosovo society. An OSCE report from 20194 on gender-based violence found that nearly
two-thirds of women surveyed (64%) believed that violence by partners, acquaintances, or strangers was very or fairly common, while over a quarter (27%) considered it to be widespread.
More than half of all women (54%) reported experiencing psychological, physical, or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner since the age of 15, and nearly three in ten (29%) said they had experienced sexual harassment. Additionally, one in seven women (14%) reported experiencing physical or sexual violence from a partner or non-partner, excluding psychological violence.
Barriers to seeking support include the normalization of violence, mistrust in the ability of the system and its actors to provide protection, the lack of longterm housing and financial support (ibid, 2022), inadequacies of protective orders designed to offer immediate legal protection for individuals at risk of violence (KCSS, 2024). Because of these considerations, it is not only impractical but also hazardous to leave an abusive partner.
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by domestic violence, with the majority of victims being female.
In the first six months of 2024, a total of 1,521 people reported
domestic violence in Kosovo, according to statistics from the Kosovo Police. Of these, 1,198 were women and girls, while 323 were men and boys. The number was also high in 2023, with 2,460 violent cases reported. For the period from April to June 2024, the Ministry of Justice recorded 770 reports of domestic violence. Of these, 625 victims were women and girls.
