Prishtina, 29 November, 2023
Within the activities of the global campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence”, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, and the Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, participated in the launch of the first National Program for the Treatment of Perpetrators of Violence against Women.
In an effort to address the consequences of violence and prevent its recurrence, Prime Minister Kurti said that the launch of this program offers a comprehensive approach and will not diminish the importance of punishments for the perpetrators of violence, but will offer a path for change and return to society with shared values.
“In addition to psycho-social rehabilitation for those who have committed violence against women and girls, the ultimate goal is to create a safe environment for survivors, providing the support and security necessary to move forward,” he said, strongly emphasizing the belief that every girl and woman has the right to live without violence.
The institutional commitment to this phenomenon, according to Prime Minister Kurti, is evidenced by the definition of violence against women as a criminal offense in the Penal Code, by the regulation of the legal basis for additional punishments for persons found guilty of domestic violence and sexual violence, and by prioritizing investigations and judgments for these cases.
At the same time, the Prime Minister said that we have increased the funding of shelter services by over 100% for 2023, until through the approval of the draft law for social and family services, we started the reform for the Centers for Social Work. For these cases, regardless of socio-economic status, free legal aid is offered to victims of domestic and gender-based violence.
In order to make it easier for them financially to deal with the consequences of violence, the Government has approved the Law on Compensation for Crime Victims. The measure for employment of survivors of domestic violence is also being finalized. Institutional and social cooperation is already facilitated by the Guide for the functionalization of local mechanisms against domestic violence and gender-based violence, as well as the adoption of the National Strategy for Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence against Women (2022-2026).
The elimination of violence against women and girls is an area that takes place and seats in government meetings. Among other things, the Minister of Justice has been appointed the national coordinator against domestic violence, as required by the law against violence. Violence needs treatment and political commitment, on this occasion he confirmed his unconditional commitment in this field.
“Today and every other day!” is the slogan of the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign, which is in line with the institutional and social commitment to preventing and combating violence against women and girls.
The complete speech of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, at the launch ceremony of the first National Program for the Treatment of Perpetrators of Violence against Women:
Dear Ms. Albulena Haxhiu, Minister of Justice,
Dear Mr. Frank Power, head of the Office of the Council of Europe in Pristina,
Honorable vice-president of the Assembly of the Republic, Mrs. Saranda Bogujevci,
Your Excellency, Mr. Jorn Rohde, Ambassador of Germany in Kosovo,
Your Excellency, Mr. Tunç Angılı, Ambassador of Turkey in Kosovo,
Dear attendees,
Ladies and gentlemen, sisters and brothers,
Every girl and woman has the right to live without violence. No fear of violence. Without being threatened and without feeling threatened. Every girl and woman has the right to live freely. This is my deep conviction and this is my commitment. It is the commitment of all of us. We have this goal in our Constitution, we have it in laws, and we have it in various acts and articles. Moreover, we have it in our minds and in our attention every day.
We are in the 16th day of the global campaign of activism against gender-based violence. We will be active these days and every day after these.
Today we are united here by an effort to address the consequences of violence, and a concrete action towards preventing its recurrence and changing harmful behaviors.
The first National Program for the Treatment of Perpetrators of Violence against Women will offer a comprehensive approach to help prevent the recurrence of violence both in the family and in society. In addition to psycho-social rehabilitation for those who have committed violence against women and girls, the ultimate goal is to create a safe environment for survivors, providing them with the support and security they need to move forward.
We cannot turn back time for crimes that have occurred, but we can provide support to victims and prevent future crimes.
And for this, we are investing, ensuring that victims of violence have the necessary and appropriate resources and structures to rebuild their lives.
It is very important that a victim does not end his normal life after that crime, but can recover and live with dignity, and for this they have our support, as they also need the state.
We have increased funding for shelter services by over 100% for 2023. We understand the importance of shelter work and the weight of life for the time women and children stay there. Through the approval of the draft law on social and family services, we started the reform for the Centers for Social Work.
The program we are launching today will not diminish the importance of punishments for perpetrators of violence, but will offer a path for change and return to society with shared values. Therefore, we are continuing to improve the legal framework and mechanisms that serve to protect women and girls.
So, in addition to protecting the victims, we want to show them that the crime was not what it used to be. The crime should never have happened. And we do this by punishing the crime, but at the same time by drawing lessons for the prevention of crimes in the future that sometimes seem to be similar.
We have advanced the fight against crime through the definition of violence against women as a criminal offense in the Penal Code, and we have adjusted the legal basis for additional punishments for persons who will be found guilty of domestic violence and sexual violence, and prioritization of investigations and trials for these cases. All this to show our determination that there is neither tolerance nor justification for crime.
We are offering free legal aid to victims of domestic and gender-based violence, regardless of socio-economic status. The number of those seeking legal aid and being provided with it is increasing. More help is being sought, but more help is being given.
In order to make it easier for them financially to deal with the consequences of violence, we have approved the Law on Compensation for Crime Victims. While we cannot turn back time, we can do something that compensates and eases the future towards it.
We are finalizing the employment measure for survivors of domestic violence. Employment is the goal and sometimes it is both the need and the solution, because by hiring, we integrate regardless of the past and make them part of the common project of socio-economic progress for the future. It is important for the victims of violence to feel part of society in the contribution they make, in the benefits they receive and in this way feel equal to everyone else. The victim should not be labeled as a victim through help, but should be helped as a victim, in order to become a dignified human being, a citizen of the Republic beyond being a victim.
Dear attendees,
I appreciate the dedication of all of you in our fight against violence against women and girls.
We need joint institutional and social commitment. This is now facilitated by the Guide for the operationalization of local mechanisms against domestic violence and gender-based violence.
For deeper cooperation, with an inter-sectorial approach and a strengthened institutional chain, we have approved the National Strategy for Protection from Domestic Violence and Violence against Women 2022-2026.
For unified reporting, we are creating new modules in the national domestic violence database.
The elimination of violence against women and girls is a field that occupies a seat in our government meetings, at least twice a month. I appointed the Minister of Justice, Mrs. Albulena Haxhiu as the national coordinator against domestic violence, as required by the law against violence. Violence also requires treatment and political commitment, which is why even as prime minister I reaffirm my unconditional commitment to this.
“Today and every other day!” is the slogan. In accordance with it, the institutional and social commitment to preventing and combating violence against women and girls continues every day. It continues every hour of the day from all of us, so that we never again have such ugly and harmful crimes for the whole society, but first of all for women and girls who need our unsparing and unreserved solidarity.
Thank you.
Last modified: November 30, 2023