Gender-based violence and transitional justice in Kosovo: the marginalisation of minority groups and the role of international actors in the post-conflict dynamics of addressing sexual violence and ethnic confrontations

Abstract

The war in Kosovo left destruction all around the country, causing an economic, political and social crisis. Even though the conflict apparently stopped at the eyes of the international community, internal tensions were still heavily present and the violence continued; if during the war Kosovo Albanians were the main target, in the post-war dimension, circumstances flipped and other ethnic minorities in the country – Kosovo Serbs in particular – faced discrimination and punitive acts as an ethnic revenge. Transitional justice has been used as a tool for promoting peace throughout the mediation of international mandated bodies in the aftermath of the conflict; however, more than 25 years after, the ethnic tensions are still not solved. The response of international forces established in Kosovo since 1999 did not properly address the inner hostilities; they tried to reconcile different ethnic groups without first providing victims with justice and allowing them to heal. In addition, Roma, Ashkali, Egyptians, ethnic Turks, Croats and Bosnians were often overlooked by international actors in decision-making processes. Women, who during the conflict played a fundamental role in activism, were barely included in the settlements for the future of Kosovo, and even when present, their opinion was not considered. The opinion of international bodies in the territory at the time on Kosovar Women saw them as not well educated, coming from a traditional society based on patriarchal ideologies; the scarcity of women in the political sphere deeply affected the progress of the country. Furthermore, the influence of conflict-related sexual violence and the stigma towards it, still impacts, nowadays, gender-based violence and contributes to the under-reporting of the crime.