“has not come up since we've been waiting for” - Did survivors of domestic violence employ the government's move?

The justice ministry has not disclosed the number of them that have been employed during this time. Meanwhile, nongovernmental organisations do not express satisfaction and say the small number of applications is disturbing.

Under the measure “support for employing women victims of domestic violence” was envisioned for the government to cover 70 percent of the gross salary of up to 300 euros a month for a period of six months.

Director of the Centre for Women's and Children's Protection Zana Hamiti reports that around 150 women and children have been sheltered last year. Most domestic violence survivors, she adds, live in difficult economic conditions.

The “hasn't come out since we expected it, we are hoping that other conditions will probably be created because only one of the components that meets the victims is employment. Most of them don't even have a living, with this salary they can't be independent to pay the rent, live as many children, two-three, kids. It's unaffordable again cost”, she says.

It considers the small number of applications under this measure of employment disturbing.

“During meetings that we have had in progress even under institutions, with the Ministry of Justice, it has been disturbing why there is such a small number of employment applications within this point. However, we have come to a conclusion that here is the possibility of 70 percent of the basic salary paid by the Ministry, and 30 percent of the employer is connected with contracts in six months, of course, with the possibility of continuing, but where we've noticed in these cases domestic violence, most of them either work in private businesses that don't transfer pay through the bank, or have social assistance. That if you take your means through bank accounts, you stopped social aid”, she declares.

That the move has not been successful, says Webi Mujku of the Institute for Social Policy Development.

Its results [of size] cannot be said to be visible, measurable or vulnerable. Because we should remember that when it comes to domestic violence, even those who are employed find it difficult to keep their job and not talk about those who are victims of domestic violence who have never been to work. Because procedures one victim of domestic violence has to pursue are extremely serious, bureaucratic procedures. He must run to the police, to the center for social work, to the court, even to the prosecutor's shelter, and it is impossible to keep his job and take care of”, he claims.

Women who are survivors of domestic violence need to be economically independent.

Besarta Breznica of the Kosovo Women's Network says they also experience economic and psychic violence.
Every woman who experiences domestic violence is extremely important to hire her in order to create economic independence and, based on that, she can create a more suitable environment for herself and her children so that they don't return to abusive environments and not forgive rapists, as she has always done. One of the things that we're aware that's happening in our society is that victims of domestic violence constantly attract statements, constantly pardoners. This is due to economic pressure that they do not have in their home, they do not have financial means, they have no jobs, they have no inheritance”, Breznica points out.

On this issue, Kosova Press is interested in receiving an answer even from the Ministry of Finance, but until the moment of publication, no such thing has happened.

The application for the “move for employment of women victims of domestic violence” has all girls and women victims of domestic violence, who are: over the age of 18, not registered as employed in ATK for the last three months before the application and are registered as unemployed in the Kosovo Employment Agency.