Following the end of the global campaign of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the Security and Gender Group (SGG) repeats the call for the elimination of violence against women and girls, and for the guarantee of all rights, for all women everywhere.

From 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, the Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign was a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world.

All around the world, including Kosovo, women and girls still struggle to exercise their full human rights. Violence against women and girls is perhaps the most obvious manifestation of the deep imbalances in power in our societies, and the vulnerabilities and limitations that follow them.

Every woman and every girl has the right to a life free of violence. Yet this rupture of human rights occurs in a variety of ways in every community, particularly affecting those who are most marginalized and vulnerable.

To end this greatest of violations of human rights that is constraining our progress in so many ways, let us all unite to leave no-one behind, and to further our collective action to end violence against women and girls.

The SGG expresses deep concern about the murder of a woman, allegedly committed by her husband in Skenderaj/Srbica on 8 December 2017, and the murder on 24 November 2017 in Pejë/Peć, of a woman who is suspected of having been attacked by her spouse.

The SGG strongly condemns any act of violence against women and girls, be it within the family or in public spaces. The SGG encourages Kosovo institutions to investigate these cases in full and in detail, as well as all other cases of domestic violence. We also appeal to the justice institutions to treat domestic violence cases with high priority and ensure a fair trial of these cases, to guarantee justice for the families of the murdered women and for all women, girls, men and boys who have been affected by any form of domestic violence.

Domestic violence is not a private matter, therefore the SGG encourages the police and all relevant stakeholders to take seriously the reports of criminal acts committed in family relations.

The SGG extends cordial condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

Note to the press

The Security and Gender Group (SGG) is a multi-stakeholder group, chaired by UN Women. The following institutions are members of SGG and support this public statement:

International organizations: UN Women, and other UNKT agencies, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UN-Habitat, UNHCR, UNOPS, WHO,  as well as others like UNMIK, OSCE, EU Office.

Kosovo institutions: Agency for Gender Equality

Women’s organizations: Kosovo Women’s Network, Kvinna till Kvinna Kosovo, Kosovo Gender Studies Centre, Kosova Women 4 Women.

You can read the Albanian translation of the statement here
You can read the Serbian translation of the statement here