Osmani: Respecting Property Rights

The European Union's Mission for Rule of Law in Kosovo (EULEX) and the Forum for Leadership and Diplomacy have organised today discussion on the “Property Rights and Family Violence” theme. Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said the current situation in terms of heritage continues not to be satisfactory. While stressing the need for economic empowerment and respect for property rights.

President Osmani said discussing property rights within the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence is the principle of a clear message that economic empowerment and gender equality are fundamental preconditions for creating a society where girls and women feel both secure and powerful.

She said discussions further empower efforts to combat violence against girls and women.

“Prona represents an instrument of strengthening and economic stability above all. The current situation regarding heredity continues to be counterproductive. A small percentage of parents are inherited from girls. Equality is impossible without economic empowerment and disrespect of property rights. Kosovo has a package of laws regulating this sphere. The number of cases reporting violence has increased compared to previous years. As president of the country together with other institutions, I will commit to protecting women from violence, this violence will be eliminated. I invite justice institutions to address cases of violence against women” to priority, she said.

She said many cases of violence and murder against women could be prevented if institutions had done their job properly and when needed.

EULEX mission chief Lars-Gunnar Wigemark said that as a mission committed to gender equality. Until he added that fighting gender-based violence has continued to be a priority along EULEX's various mandates.

The fact that most women in Kosovo do not exercise their basic human rights on property is one of the main causes of domestic violence. Although women in Kosovo have legal rights to be property owners, patriarchal traditions and anachronistic social norms deprive them of exercising these fundamental rights. Facts and statistics speak enough, only 17 per cent of women in Kosovo are property owners, while only 7 per cent of women in Kosovo inherit property. To make matters worse, many Kosovo women each year forgo their right to inherit property, thus deepening the current inequalities in property ownership. About 19 per cent of women in Kosovo have relinquished their property or inheritance rights, while about 38 per cent of men and 33 per cent of women do not think women should have access to property heritage from families in which” were born, he said.