“Let us unite to end violence against women and girls,” said SRSG and Head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh, as she invited UNMIK staff on 25 November to join her for a solidarity walk marking the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism campaign and demonstrating the UN’s shared commitment to ending gender-based violence. “Building a society of zero tolerance for all forms of gender-based violence and transforming harmful norms while saying 'NO' to this often-hidden scourge are the first steps toward ending the devastating reality of femicide”.

As in previous years, UNMIK joined Kosovo’s 16 Days campaign – Not Even One More, No Excuse, Enough - supporting institutions and civil society organisations in promoting women leadership and the existing gender-based violence prevention and reporting mechanisms.

At the Barabar Centre in Pristina, UNMIK supported NGO Integra to launch the second edition of the "Capturing Women Leadership" exhibition; this time celebrating 20 women leaders committed to promoting women empowerment in all spheres of life.

 Opening the exhibition, which ran from 3 to 13 December, SRSG Ziadeh remarked, “Today, we are celebrating the rise of women from victimhood to leadership. We turned our weaknesses into strengths and our challenges into resilience. Women today are heroes”.  

This empowering message continued at the 7 December’s “The Story of One of Them” event, which built on the exhibition, bringing forward 250 powerful narratives of both women and men, highlighting the resilience and strength of women who have overcome violence and adversity.

These two events at the Barabar Center were part of UNMIK-supported awareness-raising efforts, carried out in collaboration with NGO Integra and the Ministry of Justice, which encompassed social media and TV campaigns and more than 60 activities across Kosovo, including artistic performances, outreach events, and fairs showcasing women-run businesses.

UNMIK’s work to end all forms of gender-based violence and empower women extends beyond this campaign. The Mission will continue to engage with all relevant actors in Kosovo, promoting the full implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.