The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls - UNFPA

the heritage <strong>of</strong> the Ottoman Empire and the Kanun <strong>of</strong> Lek Dukagini (Albanian
laws from 15th century), 36 but the roots <strong>of</strong> women´s subordinate position most
certainly lie much further and deeper in history.
Historical Background
Kosovo is a province in Southern Serbia. Its area is 11,000 square
kilometres, surrounded by mountains on all sides. It has borders with
Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro.
<strong>The</strong> population is estimated to be about 2 million people, Albanians being
90-95 per cent <strong>of</strong> the population, with minorities constituting 5-10 per cent. In
1971, Serbs and Montenegrins constituted 21 per cent <strong>of</strong> the population <strong>of</strong>
Kosovo. Half <strong>of</strong> the population is 25 years <strong>of</strong> age and younger, 33 per cent are
15 years and younger, while only 8 per cent are 60 years and older. 37
<strong>The</strong> Kosovo crisis can be traced to the fall <strong>of</strong> the Ottoman Empire, where it
has cultural, religious, economic and political roots. Serbs and Albanians have
fought over the fertile grounds <strong>of</strong> Kosovo for a long time. After World War II,
Serbian Communists took power. During the 1970s, political changes took place
that gave the Albanian population advantageous positions politically,
economically and socially. <strong>The</strong> Yugoslav Constitution <strong>of</strong> 1974 almost made
Kosovo a republic, which would have been represented by the federal
presidency. Albanian Communists, however, became more influential than ever
in running the province <strong>of</strong> Kosovo. A few years earlier, in 1970, the University <strong>of</strong>
Pristina was established, giving women chances to pursue new life opportunities.
On 28 June 1989, the Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic made a
speech to celebrate the 600 th anniversary <strong>of</strong> the battle <strong>of</strong> Kosovo. It marked the
rise <strong>of</strong> extreme nationalism in Serbia and the beginning <strong>of</strong> the Kosovo <strong>Conflict</strong>.
<strong>The</strong> situation that followed began to worsen in Kosovo. Milosevic restricted the
autonomy <strong>of</strong> Kosovo, and thousands <strong>of</strong> Albanians were expelled from their jobs,
which had devastating effects on the Albanian population. 38 Many Albanians fled
to other countries; others began to organize peaceful acts <strong>of</strong> resistance under the
leadership <strong>of</strong> the LDK Movement and its chairman Ibrahim Rugova. A parallel
governmental system was organized, illegal elections were held, and Kosovo-
Albanians tried to survive with financial help from Albanians living abroad. 39
Women were active in the LDK movement during the 1990s. A women’s
branch organized financial help for widows, assisted old people and helped
36 For more about the Lek Dukajini see Noel Malcolm, Kosovo: A Short History (Papermac 1998),
pp. 17-19.
37 UNFPA Demographic & Reproductive Health Survey, UNFPA Information sheet.
38 Women at Work, pp. 24-26.
39 Judah, Kosovo, pp. 61-98.
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