Why do women keep getting killed? – DW – May 10, 2024

Erona C., a young mother from the city of Ferizaj, was just 21 years old when she was murdered by her ex-husband. He had met with Erona to give her back her child. Once he did, he pulled out a gun and shot his ex-wife and injured her brother, who was with her at the time.

Gjyljeta U., a mother of three from the city of Peja, was 42 years old when she was murdered by her partner. According to official reports, he turned himself in to police with the words “I shot my wife.”

Both women – Erona C. and Gjyljeta U. – were killed within just five days in mid-April in Kosovo. Their murders caused outrage in the small Balkan country with just 1.8 million inhabitants.

President Vjosa Osmani has declared a national day of mourning in memory of all women and girls killed as a result of gender-based violence in Kosovo.

But despite the outrage, the news of the femicides may have come as a surprise to few people in the country. For years, activists and human rights organizations have been criticizing the structural deficiencies in the country, which lead to Kosovar women repeatedly becoming victims of violence. Many people are wondering what has to happen for something to finally change.

Perpetrators have little to fear from the law

At least on paper, there have been a number of positive developments in recent years. Domestic violence has been a criminal offense in Kosovo since 2019. Courts can now impose fines of between 100 and 25,000 euros (between $108 and 27,000) and sentence offenders to up to three years in prison. In most cases, however, the penalties remain lenient.

The case of Gjyljeta U. is a perfect example of this: her murderer was known to the police because he had already been sentenced to a fine of 100 euros and a three-month prison sentence for domestic violence in 2022. However, he avoided a prison sentence by paying 300 euros.

Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu wrote on Facebook on April 16: “Perpetrators have often become murderers precisely because there is a lack of appropriate punishment from the relevant institutions.” She called an emergency meeting with the interior minister, the police chief, the chief public prosecutor and other high-ranking officials to discuss the matter.

But activists say such knee-jerk reactions do nothing to change the atmosphere of impunity that surrounds domestic violence in Kosovo. “We need a stronger judiciary, faster procedures and more frequent imposition of maximum sentences for perpetrators,” says sociologist Bukurije Rrustemi in an interview with DW.

Women fear that the police do not take domestic violence seriously

According to official police statistics, there were four femicides and 2,120 cases of abuse of women in Kosovo in 2023. It is likely that the actual number of cases is much higher because many women do not report the perpetrators, partly because they fear that the police and judiciary will not take them seriously.

In a survey published by Amnesty International in August 2023, victims of domestic violence say they were told by police officers that their partners’ violent behavior was completely normal.

Women reported that intimidation, threats and psychological aggression were largely dismissed and that police often only intervened when there were visible signs of physical violence, such as bruises.

According to psychologist Kaltrina Ajeti, victims are often given the feeling that they are partly responsible for the situation – which has serious consequences: “Victims often think that they did something to bring about such a situation, that they brought about the perpetrator. “They are exposed to ongoing violence and are forced to destroy the family,” she told DW.

This attitude, she said, was widespread not only within the police but also throughout Kosovo society.

Gender roles in Kosovo

Attitudes in Kosovo society and its deeply patriarchal structure have created a space conducive to femicide. “The role of a woman in Kosovo is to be a housewife and to take care of her children, her husband and the elderly in the family,” says sociologist Bukurije Rrustemi. She adds that male dominance in many parts of society is difficult for many women to overcome. “They lack education, jobs and economic independence,” she says.

Zana Asllani, head of the women’s shelter in Pristina, confirms that many women who have the courage to leave their abusive husbands later often return to them for purely economic reasons. They simply cannot afford to live independently as they often have no income of their own. In 2021, around 50% of men but only 17% of women in Kosovo were officially employed.

Lack of financial independence

Women in Kosovo have very few opportunities to become financially independent. The majority of property is owned by men, and women are often excluded from inheritance.

Although Kosovo law grants brothers and sisters equal rights when it comes to inheritance, in many cases tradition prevails: in such cases it is the sons who inherit, while the daughters leave empty-handed. The idea is that by marrying into their husband’s family, they are leaving their own family and thus losing their right to have a say and their right to a share of the inheritance.

In many cases, tradition prohibits a woman from returning to her parents’ home – even if she is a victim of domestic violence. In practice, this means that when Kosovar women marry, they effectively become their husband’s property.

Women who are rejected by their families and return to their partners often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, says psychologist Kaltrina Ajeti. The perpetrators, on the other hand, says Ajeti, often feel empowered. “The perpetrator is now aware that his partner has no choice and no other way out.”

A problem across the Balkans?

Bukurije Rrustemi says that this problem is not limited to Kosovo. “There are cases of femicide all over the Balkans. The patriarchal society is similar everywhere in the Balkans. You could talk about a Balkan mentality,” she says.

The situation is aggravated by the violence during the Balkan Wars and the difficult socio-economic situation in many areas. Other reasons for excessive violence, which can also be observed in other countries, are psychological problems such as psychoses, depression and other untreatable psychological problems of the perpetrator, drug and alcohol abuse and social reasons, says Bukurije Rrustemi. “Violence on television and in social networks and especially hate speech also lower the inhibition threshold for violence among young men,” she says.

Nevertheless, she is convinced that the patriarchal aspect plays the greatest role in maintaining the status quo: all attempts by women to change this situation are blocked by men.

This article was originally written in German.