Thirty women survivors of violence are in small businesses, while two of them work in public institutions. By the end of February, 320 women were registered as victims of domestic violence, and in 2022, over 2,700 such cases were reported in Kosovo. Of them, 2 thousand 289 were women.

Domestic violence is a very present phenomenon in Kosovar society. Therefore, the employment of women is considered a factor that would empower them.

Sebahate Pacolli, from the Kosovo Center for the Rehabilitation of Torture Survivors, tells Radio Kosova that after psycho-social and medical rehabilitation, survivors of violence are trained for work through various programs. Pacolli explains that this center’s target is the employment of survivors of sexual violence.

"Thirty people have managed to be empowered to the level that they are ready for employment," says Pacolli.

"For all these people, we have made a mediation of the criteria that they should take into account when approaching them, in the sense of identifying the jobs that are most suitable and that have capacities with work that are distributed throughout small businesses and two of them work in public institutions", she says.

Days ago, the Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, announced an employment scheme, where women and girls who are victims of domestic violence would be employed.

Doruntina Gashi, director of the "Humanus Vita" organization in Drenas, says that she has several cases when victims of domestic violence have asked for help but, according to her, they have not been able to work because of children.

"We will work and we are trying to advocate the institutions to find them a job first because the shelters are offering solutions for a short time", says Gashi.

Meanwhile, Besmira Aliu, from the "IN-Time" organization from Lipjan, which deals with economic development, analysis, and training, says that in the organization she comes from, there are many victims of psychological and physical violence. At the same time, the victims are interested in working in the gastronomy sector.

"Usually older women are more interested in opening their businesses of traditional foods, which have been successful recently," says Aliu. "Normally, the rest is also manual work. Meanwhile, the younger ages have asked for tailoring".

By the end of February, 320 women were registered as victims of domestic violence. While in 2022, over 2,700 cases of domestic violence were reported in Kosovo, of which 2,289 victims were women.