The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls - UNFPA

More than two years have passed. On 17 November 2001, the people <strong>of</strong>
Kosovo will elect a General Assembly and form a new “government” consisting <strong>of</strong>
Albanians and probably Serbs. <strong>The</strong> Kosovars are slowly regaining control.
Municipal elections were held last year, and 30 municipal governments are
slowly evolving. Most <strong>of</strong> the main roads have been fixed, the schools are
operating and most people have found shelter. However, enormous problems
remain and must be solved.
<strong>The</strong> difference between the cities and villages can be measured in
centuries. <strong>The</strong> dominant agriculture is still based on very old techniques. Many
people in the villages, especially old people, live under the poverty line.
Unemployment is estimated to be at 60-70 per cent. Access to health-care
services is limited and the services need to be improved. A gap must be bridged
in providing education. <strong>The</strong>re is a huge demand for new curricula and multiple
kinds <strong>of</strong> training. Pollution is a serious problem. <strong>The</strong>re is still a lot <strong>of</strong> violence,
with efforts to kill or harass minority groups. <strong>The</strong>se people have very limited
freedom, many living in enclaves without regular work and <strong>of</strong>ten without social
services. Trafficking in women and girls is a growing problem. Hatred and
demands for revenge are still widespread among Albanians, but there are small
signs <strong>of</strong> hope that reconciliatory times are ahead.
<strong>The</strong> situation <strong>of</strong> women in Kosovo is difficult and unique when seen with
Northern European eyes. <strong>The</strong> Albanian houses in the villages are like symbols
for the position <strong>of</strong> women. High walls surround each <strong>of</strong> them. <strong>The</strong> women,
specifically mothers, daughters and daughters-in law, also live inside “walls” and
cannot be seen from outside. <strong>The</strong> men are typically out in the fields, or just
chatting and smoking in the cafés. <strong>The</strong> worlds <strong>of</strong> women and men are divided.
<strong>The</strong> same can be said about the society as a whole. Women are rarely seen in
the leadership <strong>of</strong> Kosovo. Few women take part in <strong>of</strong>ficial policy-making or
peace-building. Many women must fight for the daily survival <strong>of</strong> their families.
Active women work at the grass-roots level, building up NGOs and civil society,
while simultaneously taking care <strong>of</strong> their homes, housework and their families.
<strong>The</strong> men do not share family responsibilities, such as housework. 34
Most <strong>of</strong> the Kosovo-Albanians are Muslims, whereas most Serbs belong
to the Orthodox Church. <strong>The</strong> Kosovo-Albanians have tried to protect their old
patriarchal culture with isolation, in part refusing to accept legislation and social
reforms coming from the Serbs that contradict their traditions. When Kosovar
women were asked to describe what they saw as most characteristic <strong>of</strong> conflict
between women and men, they always mentioned lack <strong>of</strong> respect for women as
a dominant pattern in male behaviour. 35 Oppressive and disrespectful attitudes
towards women, reflected in all areas <strong>of</strong> society, can at least be traced back to
34 Women at Work: <strong>The</strong> Economic Situation and Opportunities for Women in Kosovo (UNIFEM,
2000), pp. 82-87.
35 UNIFEM workshops 2000-2001.
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