Post-War Legacies of Sexual Violence

In Policy Paper N°12, President Atifete Jahjaga, Kosovo’s first woman President (2011-2016), delves into the decades of trauma that has and continues to tear through Kosovar society as a result of the mass rape and sexual violence that occurred during the 1998-1999 Kosovo War. She calls for renewed international accountability of the perpetrators and for justice and support for the survivors, emphasising the fact that many of the 20,000 rape survivors face stigma, isolation, and deep-seated trauma. In her policy paper, President Jahjaga puts forth a series of policy recommendations within a human rights framework that should be considered to further the country’s healing process.