The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls - UNFPA

strict rules and have punished their soldiers if it is proved that they have visited
brothels; others seem to do nothing. <strong>The</strong> United Nations DPKO has such rules,
but they are difficult to enforce. In addition, traditions and attitudes towards
prostitution vary from one part <strong>of</strong> the world to another. According to the
international press during the summer <strong>of</strong> 2001, foreign policemen working in
Kosovo have been arrested and sent home for being involved in trafficking, for
tipping <strong>of</strong>f “pimps” about police or army raids on clubs and brothels. <strong>The</strong> fight
against trafficking in women must and will continue, but it is obvious that the “sex
industry“ is powerful and difficult to deal with and that certain people are quite
content to use these “services.” One <strong>of</strong> the best ways to fight trafficking is to
raise awareness among the public, and to encourage people not to tolerate
trafficking in their communities.
Violence against Women
Violence against women in Kosovo is a widespread but hidden
phenomenon. After the end <strong>of</strong> the crisis, state agents focused on violence
against women, and gradually domestic violence and trafficking in women
received more attention. Discussion <strong>of</strong> domestic violence is new in Kosovo,
although some women’s groups have been aware <strong>of</strong> the problem for a long time.
As in other countries when the issue has first been raised, it has been difficult for
many to acknowledge how widespread the problem is. It is still new to question
men’s rights to treat their wives and daughters using corporal punishment. <strong>The</strong>re
has been a long debate between international and local lawyers, male lawyers in
particular, who are working on a new Penal Code to determine the scope <strong>of</strong> the
law in dealing with domestic violence. International lawyers want to include
domestic violence in the code, though some <strong>of</strong> the Kosovars say domestic
violence is a private matter and not public business. At present, work on the
Penal Code is not completed, though the United Nations is considering a chapter
on domestic violence for its legislative draft. 71
Kosovo-Albanian women stated in the UNIFEM workshops that violence
against women is a growing problem. It is impossible to know whether this is the
case, since there is no reliable pre-conflict information about domestic violence. 72
It is likely that the number <strong>of</strong> victims who are emboldened to seek help and
shelter as well as increased discussion about domestic violence gives the
impression <strong>of</strong> a growing problem. It is also possible that the incidence <strong>of</strong>
domestic violence is increasing in response to years <strong>of</strong> conflict and fighting. As
such, further research on this important issue is necessary.
Experiences from the war in Bosnia raised alarm about the rape <strong>of</strong>
Kosovo-Albanian women by the police, paramilitaries and soldiers. It is known
that numerous women were raped, but it has been difficult to provide concrete
71 Information from OSCE lawyers in Kosovo.
72 <strong>The</strong> NGO Center for Protection <strong>of</strong> Women and Children made a survey in 1996.
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