Pristina, December 10, 2022
In marking the 74th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and on the last day of the “16 days of activism against gender-based violence”, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, emphasized that with the diligent, tireless and unsparing commitment of the Ministry of Justice, which has determined the prevention and addressing of domestic violence and gender-based violence as one of its 5 strategic objectives, the Government has prioritized the fight against violence against women and girls.
Prime Minister Kurti began his speech by counting the names of women and girls who have been killed by their partners. He stated that violence against women and girls is not a phenomenon only in our society and that unfortunately, every year, in every country, where more or less, women and girls continue to be victims of frustrated and violent men.
Studies show that one in three women in the world experience physical or sexual violence, mainly from their partner. It prevents them from fully participating in society, it affects their families, the common community, but also the state as a whole, the Prime Minister further emphasized.
“Therefore, it must be addressed together. Only through joint work and activism we can change the social mentality. For this we need national and international solidarity”, he said.
In front of a large audience, Prime Minister Kurti also stated that the mechanisms for preventing and combating domestic violence and gender-based violence have been established and are now functioning, but that in addition to professional responsibility in our institutions, joint efforts and actions in the fight must be increased against domestic violence and gender-based violence.
“As a conscious society, as responsible institutions, as conscious citizens, we must fight this phenomenon efficiently all the time, from all, from each, everywhere. So that we don’t allow to have even one more victim”, Prime Minister Kurti said at the end.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Igballe Lalloshi
Diana Kastrati
Antigona Morina
Donjeta Pajazitaj
Zejnepe Berisha
Dafina Zhubi
Flora Omuri
Sevdije Berisha
Valbona Ndrecaj and her daughter
Sabile Mavrovqani
Sebahate Morina
Marigona Osmani
Lirie Qerimaj
Sanije Godanci
Hamide Magashi
These are just some of the names of women killed by the men in their lives.
The names of those whose stories were made public.
That we know.
How do we know how many others are no longer alive if we haven’t heard their stories?
Honorable Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Glauk Konjufca,
Honorable Deputy Prime Minister, Ms. Emilija Rexhepi,
Honorable Minister of Justice, Mrs. Albulena Haxhiu,
Honorable chair of the Women’s Group in the Assembly of the Republic, Mrs. Tinka Kurti,
Honorable our most prominent activist, Mrs. Igballe Rogova,
Excellences ambassadors and other diplomats,
Deputy Minister and Member of Parliament,
Leaders and representatives of local and international organizations,
Activists of civil society,
Ladies and gentleman,
Honorable attendees,
Violence against women and girls is not only a phenomenon in our society. Unfortunately, every year, in every country, where more or less, women and girls continue to be victims of frustrated and violent men. Betrayed and hurt by their loved ones. Every day.
Studies show that one in three women in the world experiences physical or sexual violence, mainly from their partner. Violence against women and girls causes immediate and long-term damage. These damages, whether physical, whether sexual, whether psychological or emotional, are devastating, even in cases where the epilogue may not be death.
Violence prevents them from fully participating in society. It affects their families, the common community, but also the state as a whole. As a result, this phenomenon affects and belongs to all of us. Therefore, it must be addressed together. Only through joint work and activism we can change the social mentality. For this we need national and international solidarity.
Murders of women by their partners do not come as spontaneous acts, but are the culmination of previous violence experienced in the relationship. We have to keep this in mind when we talk about femicide.
Femicide has different definitions, but femicide is the killing of women and girls first and foremost because of their gender. And it is more than disturbing when home becomes the most dangerous place for someone. Can you imagine it? That at the end of the day you dread going home?
We can imagine how we fear being outside and go inside, but being afraid to go inside is extremely difficult. And when this happens daily, it is unbearable.
The more we work together, the better we can address this huge problem in our society.
Because women and girls continue to be killed every day by the patriarchal system built over years and generations. Every family that raises a girl differently than a boy continues to kill them every day, because that is where the seed of evil lies. Those who tell the girl “stay at home because it’s late” while support the boy unconditionally. The lack of an effective prosecutorial and judicial system continues to kill them. But we must continue and we will continue to work together and never give up.
That the perpetrators of the crimes receive meritorious punishments. So that the burden of injustices of the justice system does not fall on the shoulders of women and girls.
But among our greatest goals should be the prevention of these cases. Prevention has deep and widespread roots. In family. In society. In the education system. In the economy.
I am not the only one saying this, but there are countless studies that prove that the intentional killing of women and girls around the world is driven by dominant cultures of misogyny, patriarchy, violent and toxic masculinity, and rigid traditional and cultural gender stereotypes. In other words, bias. Bias must be judged before all perpetrators are tried and punished for the crimes they commit.
Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful violation of human rights that knows no geographical boundaries. As long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress to be proud of. Today we mark the Human Rights Day in the world. From the tragedies and wars that are accompanied by great moral insults and destructions of universal proportions that affect the essence of humanity, then arise moral and legal norms aimed at protecting human beings from repetitions. A response to the tragic experience of the Second World War was the Convention Against Genocide followed a day later by the foundational document for the creation of a world order centered on man and his humanity, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted today 74 years ago by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948.
And we must commit to all people, to each person, but mostly and first of all to those whose rights are violated by rights violators.
Therefore, today, when we mark the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on its 74th anniversary, and on the last day of the 16 days of activism, he reiterated that the Government has prioritized the fight against violence against women and girls with the diligent, tireless and unsparing commitment of the Ministry of Justice, which has defined the prevention and addressing of domestic violence and gender-based violence as one of its five strategic objectives. Mechanisms for preventing and combating domestic violence and gender-based violence have been established and are already functioning.
In addition to the professional responsibility in our institutions, joint efforts and actions in the fight against domestic violence and gender-based violence must be increased.
As a conscious society, as responsible institutions, as conscious citizens, we must fight this phenomenon efficiently all the time, from all, from each, everywhere. So that we don’t allow to have even one more victim.
Thank you.
Last modified: December 13, 2022