Kosovo citizens gathered in their hundreds to march around the center of Prishtina on Friday to demand an end to violence against women and social, political and economic gender equality.
Hundreds of protesters marched under the banner ‘Marshojme S’festojme,’ or ‘We march, we don’t celebrate,’ in Prishtina on Friday, denouncing institutionalized violence against women, systematic poverty and calling for equality between men and women in Kosovar society.
The march, named ‘Ka Ardhe Koha,’ or ‘Time’s Up,’ began at Zahir Pajaziti Square in the center of the city, with Adelina Tershani reading the demands of the protestors.
“We have no reason to celebrate when women are still being raped and killed by their husbands and the state institutions are silent. We are aware of the economic violence towards women. The systematic gender-based discrimination of women at work has left 80 per cent of women jobless,” said Tershani, before adding that now is the time to fight gender-based inequality and other societal injustices together.
After the speech, the crowd continued the march towards the Heroine statue in Prishtina, which was erected to honor the role that women played during the Kosovo war and then in front of the NEWBORN obelisc, chanting “Edhe sa thirrje te humbura?”, meaning ‘how many more missed calls?’ This chant references the high number of women that have been killed in recent years, whose deaths have been linked to the failure of Kosovo Police to provide adequate protection.
The next stop was the main HQ of Kosovo Police, where participants loudly chanted: “Kush na mbron prej Policise?” meaning, ‘who protects us from the police?’
The march ended in front of the building of the Kosovo Assembly and the Kosovo government, where the protesters left numerous banners expressing their resentment for the negligence of public institutions to build a safer and more equal environment for women in Kosovo.
