Fri Sep 20 13:08:00 UTC 2024: ## Kosovo’s Silence on Wartime Rape: Former President Jahjaga Speaks Out
**PRISTINA, KOSOVO** – Former President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, has spoken out about the ongoing silence and lack of justice for survivors of wartime sexual violence in the country. Despite estimates suggesting that around 20,000 women were raped during the Kosovo War, Jahjaga claims that the issue remains deeply taboo within Kosovar society.
Jahjaga, who served as the country’s first female president from 2011 to 2016, has been a vocal advocate for survivors since her time in office. “It has been and continues to be an open wound and a taboo subject for our state and citizens,” she told DW.
The figures, which are based on a methodology also used in other conflict zones like Bosnia, Rwanda, and Myanmar, include both reported cases and estimated numbers based on factors like refugee camp abortions. While Jahjaga acknowledged the difficulty in obtaining precise figures, she emphasized the significant impact of this violence on the lives of thousands of Kosovars.
Jahjaga attributed the lack of public discourse to a complex mix of factors, including a patriarchal mindset and societal pressure to remain silent. She recounted her own experiences in raising awareness, facing resistance from those who believed the issue was a closed chapter. However, she asserted that the people of Kosovo were ready to confront the topic, but lacked the leadership necessary to address the unhealed wounds.
Despite numerous cases documented by international organizations like UNMIK and EULEX, the Kosovar justice system has only pursued a handful of cases related to wartime sexual violence. Jahjaga expressed disappointment at the lack of progress, highlighting the ongoing impunity for perpetrators. She stated that “thousands of cases were transferred to local institutions but were never treated as separate cases, only as part of the general cases related to war crimes,” leading to a loss of trust in the judicial system by survivors.
Jahjaga, through the Jahjaga Foundation, continues to advocate for survivors and promote dialogue regarding this sensitive issue. Her efforts are a call for a long-overdue reckoning with the trauma of Kosovo’s past and a demand for justice for the forgotten victims of wartime sexual violence.
First Piper 