Strengthening Readmission and Sustainable Reintegration in Kosovo

EUROPEAN UNION

EUROPEAN UNION OFFICE IN KOSOVO / EUROPEAN UNION SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE

PRESS RELEASE

For more access of women to justice in practice Pristina, 22 May 2013

Access to justice is among the biggest challenge to women’s human rights. The backlog of cases in the justice system, especially related to domestic violence, prevent women from reporting. Without timely trials, women are in grave danger of retribution.

Mr. Samuel Žbogar, Head of the European Union Office in Kosovo/European Union Special Representative, and Mr. Bernd Borchardt, EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo – EULEX, had chaired the roundtable discussion with representatives of women's rights organizations and the institutions of Kosovo on the access of women to justice. This crucial issue was discussed with the members from local civil society the women's caucus of the Assembly of Kosovo, the Kosovo police and other relevant institutions of Kosovo. Mr. Žbogar opened the meeting by saying that "a debate can never solve situation, but it can open the way to solutions". He sees this meeting as "the first in a series of consultations and informative meetings with concrete follow-up actions related to women's rights". Mr. Borchardt insisted that rule of law institutions must protect women. "Particularly in post conflict society there must be legal accountability for crimes committed against women, and mechanisms to protect the safety and dignity of women victims and witnesses in judicial proceedings." Therefore EULEX consults with women’s groups on

Kosovo Street 1, Pristina, Kosovo, P.O. Box 331 Tel.: +381-38-51 31 200, Fax: +381-38-51 31 305 www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/kosovo their experience of crime and violence and "provides practical assistance to the Kosovo authorities on a number of areas”, said Borchardt. In her introductory address Mrs. Luljeta Vuniqi, Executive Director of Kosovo Gender Studies Center, analyzed gender equality legislation and policies adopted over the last few years in Kosovo. "We can conclude that in practice, the amount of the legislation and policies does unfortunately not correspond to their implementation in practice", she said. The access to justice for women has a wide variety of aspects ranging from the protection of victims of human trafficking to addressing domestic violence or the difficult question of compensating victims of sexual violence from the war days. The EU Office in Kosovo is active in a number of these fields to make sure that gender equality issues are strictly respected. This element will also be vital when European Commission will start to negotiate an SAA with Kosovo.

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Stojan Pelko, Spokesperson / Press and Information officer [email protected], +381 38 5131 248, 049 787 928

Kosovo Street 1, Pristina, Kosovo, P.O. Box 331 Tel.: +381-38-51 31 200, Fax: +381-38-51 31 305 www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/kosovo