Insufficient Fund for Reintegration of Family Violence Victims

The Kosovo government does not allocate sufficient funds for reintegration of domestic violence victims, which are mainly women with their children, civil society representatives say.

The lack of a long-term solution to the shelter of victims of violence, they say, is the most serious problem in dealing with institutional domestic violence in Kosovo.

Vows are made to resolve the issue, but the extent to which they have begun to apply are not clear.

Ten housing victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence, victims of human trafficking and abused children, abused, neglected and without family attention are functioning in Kosovo.

For these shelters, 900 thousand euros were allocated from the state budget in 2023.

For 2024, according to the draft budget issue published by the Government of Kosovo, 1.5m euros are allocated.

Satisfying but Not Enough

The executive director at the Centre for the Protection of Women and Children in Prizren, Jubilia Kabashi, says the financial tools the Kosovo Government shares for its housing are insufficient to help reintegration victims into society.

“As to the basic housing needs and rehabilitation of victims of violence, the tools that are separated from the government are satisfactory, while in terms of reintegration, after exiting the shelter, it would be welcome to add”, Kabashi tells Radio Free Europe.

Reintegration of victims of domestic violence, which, in addition, means housing security, Kabashi says it is more expensive and that, for this reason, the budget should be increased.

Its shelter, which this year has housed over 50 women victims of domestic violence, has had 69 thousand euros in budget shared by the Kosovo government.

These tools, Kabashi says, have met 80 per cent of the needs the rest of the needs of the city have had -- the rest is then covered with help provided by the Prizren Community and donors.

The shelters are temporary settlements, where the victims can stay up to six months, but in cases where the victim has no solution, she continues to stay there after six months.

Kabashi shows that some of the victims of domestic violence, sheltered at the centre, have been forced to return to homes where they have suffered violence from marriage mates, while some have returned to the family of origin. This, because of their harsh economic conditions.

According to Kabashi, a very small number of victims have demanded rented residence, which they have already provided with great difficulty.

“S late, a 5-member family we've paid the rent, we as a centre, for three months, until a long-term settlement is made by the municipality or someone else”, Kabashi shows.

REL reported last year on the problem of secure housing of domestic violence victims. He seems to continue, even though he has pledges on paper to solve it.

“Unsupported strategy”

Kosovo's Justice Ministry has drafted a national strategy for protection from domestic violence and violence against women, which has entered into force since January 2022.

This strategy envisions developing a three-year social residence plan in municipalities and planning social residence for victims of violence against women.

To that end, over three years the separation of 120 thousand euros from the Kosovo government and municipalities is planned.

The strategy also envisions the creation of funding for the employment of victims of domestic violence and violence against women, as well as other employment and self-employment facilities.

Radio Free Europe requested comments from the Ministry of Justice about the implementation of this strategy and the possibility of raising funds for protecting domestic violence victims, but until the publication of this article, no response was received.

Kosovo Centre for Gender Studies Executive Director Luljeta Demolli tells Radio Free Europe that this strategy, in terms of housing resolution for domestic violence victims, has not been implemented.

“The strategy was approved last year, but it went too slow. It was reported for activities, but the strategy was not budgeted. No step has been taken to settle social residence, since there are no funds”, Demoli says.

The budget, shared by the Government of Kosovo for the protection of domestic violence victims, according to her, is only for temporary housing.

If it goes according to what the Istanbul Convention requires, these tools that are separated for the protection of domestic violence victims are ridiculous”, Demolli says.

In 2020, the Kosovo Assembly has approved the Istanbul Convention, an international agreement of the Council of Europe aimed at preventing and fighting violence against women and domestic violence in general.