OSCE launches Survey on the Well-being and Safety of Women in Kosovo

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 22 November 2019 – The OSCE Mission published today a report on the Well-being and Safety of Women in Kosovo, which provides detailed data on the patterns of violence against women, attitudes towards gender roles and the impact of violence in the lives of the women affected.

The survey shows that nearly two-thirds of women in Kosovo think that violence against women and girls is common in their communities, while over a quarter think that violence is very common.

“Violence against women is a form of gender-based violence that inhibits many women from fully taking part in political, economic and public life in a society. This is one of the most widespread human rights violations – which cuts across all generations and communities in Kosovo and worldwide,” the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Jan Braathu, said.

“Many of the statistics in the Survey should be a call to action for all of us. The biggest responsibility for action falls on the shoulders of the relevant institutions, however, it also tasks every individual – men and women alike – with an active role in preventing all forms of gender-based violence,” said Braathu,

The survey aims to raise awareness on the particular challenges of women and girls, and to advocate for more comprehensive policies to prevent and combat violence against women. Its results provide evidence for informed decision-making that will contribute to reducing violence against women in Kosovo and will lead to improvement of services for survivors.

Recommendations focus on the enactment of gender sensitive legislation and their implementation, improvement of multi-agency cooperation and adequate training, improvement of specialized services and support for women, and education, information dissemination and awareness raising. The report also recommends the removal of discriminatory language and stereotypes in school textbooks.

The full report can be found here