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Begin New Search Topic Gender Based Violence Publication Year within 1 Year

11. Strengthening Protection Mechanisms of Gender Based Violence in Kosovo

Author:
Adelina Hasani and Vesa Kroçi
Publication Date:
07-2024
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)
Abstract:
Femicide and insufficiently addressed gender-based violence represent major security concerns in Kosovo, yet they have not been adequately prioritized as immediate issues by the full spectrum of state mechanisms. Activists in Kosovo have consistently demanded that gender-based violence be declared and treated a national emergency, a plea that state institutions have not taken into consideration. Within just five days in April 2024, two women in Kosovo were victims of femicide, murdered by their partners. Gender-based violence and femicide pose significant security threats to women. From January to March 2024, 698 cases of gender-based violence were reported to the police, compared to 2,638 cases reported throughout 2023. Despite the high number of reported cases, many cases remain unreported due to the complex socio-economic challenges’ women face across different regions of Kosovo. There are several reasons highlighting the inadequacies in addressing the prevention of gender-based violence. Recent research conducted by the Kosovo Centre for Security Studies elaborates on several problems concerning gender-based violence in Kosovo. There are some of them: Women’s trust in security and justice institutions is critical for reporting gender-based violence. However, the leniency of the judicial system towards perpetrators and the prolonged duration of domestic violence cases discourage women from seeking justice. There is a lack of sensitivity and expertise among law enforcement authorities, especially in rural areas, to handle genderbased violence cases effectively. The absence of property ownership among women is a significant barrier to their economic independence and security. Despite legal provisions for equal property rights, women often relinquish their inheritance, leaving them with limited resources and options when facing violence. This lack of financial autonomy leaves women in a troubling situation where they may feel compelled to return to their abusers. Many women withdraw their complaints of gender-based violence due to third-party interventions, often under family pressure. There is a tendency among family members and officials to blame women for reporting abuse, further discouraging them from seeking help. Women reporting domestic violence often endure double discrimination from institutions, society, and their families. There is limited information about rights and available support services for victims of gender based violence in Kosovo. The lack of awareness intensifies feelings of vulnerability and exacerbates the sense of helplessness when seeking solutions. There is also insufficient investment in support services for victims and consequences for perpetrators. Insufficient and unstable funding for shelters poses a significant challenge to supporting survivors of domestic violence. Without adequate resources, shelters struggle to maintain essential services and meet the increasing demand for their services. There is also a lack of sustainable institutional support for victims, leading some to return to their abusers. Addressing gender-based violence and femicide requires a holistic approach from all institutions involved in handling cases arising from diverse circumstances. In this analysis, we aim to examine the shortcomings in implementing protection orders for victims and the physical protection of shelters and the Centre for Social Work (CSW) from perpetrators.
Topic:
Security, Women, Gender Based Violence, Protection, and Femicide
Political Geography:
Europe and Kosovo

12. The Gender-Based Violence Crisis in Haiti

Author:
Christopher Hernandez-Roy and Juliana Rubio
Publication Date:
09-2024
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Abstract:
Gender-based violence (GBV) in Haiti is a widespread and escalating problem, exacerbated by the country’s deep-rooted gender inequalities, systemic impunity, and political instability. As the political and security crisis in Haiti has deepened in recent years, the use of GBV, particularly sexual violence, has increased as a systematic tool of intimidation and punishment, and ultimately of control. Local civil society organizations are continuing their efforts to support survivors of GBV, but they require additional external assistance. With the formation of a new interim government and the arrival of the Kenyan-led, UN-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission earlier in 2024, it becomes imperative to understand GBV’s deeply entrenched roots and recent expansion and escalation in order to begin to effectively address this crisis.
Topic:
Inequality, Gender Based Violence, and Sexual Violence
Political Geography:
Caribbean and Haiti

13. CTC Sentinel: July/August 2024 Issue

Author:
Devorah Margolin, Gina Vale, Kristina Hummel, Samuel Bowles, and Noah Tucker
Publication Date:
08-2024
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
CTC Sentinel
Institution:
The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point
Abstract:
Ten years ago, in August 2014, the Islamic State began its genocidal campaign against the Yazidi community. In our cover article, Devorah Margolin and Gina Vale evaluate how the group’s gendered violence has manifested during and after its caliphate years. “Even without its caliphate,” they write, “the Islamic State’s gendered violence continues, as its supporters and ideology remain. Arguably, the lack of timely and appropriate responses has perpetuated this violence.” Our interview this month is with William Braniff, director of the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships at the Department of Homeland Security. In it, he describes his office’s efforts to utilize a public health-informed approach to preventing targeted violence and terrorism. Edward Lemon and Noah Tucker examine Central Asians’ prominent role in recent global terror plots and attacks. They argue that analysis should focus more on “the factors that led to mobilization to Syria and Iraq a decade ago and that have been exacerbated in recent years, especially in Tajikistan, including crackdowns on religion, corrupt ineffective governance, high levels of migration, and well-established terror networks that are holdovers from the peak of the Islamic State” as a way to understand this evolving threat area. When news reports appeared earlier this summer suggesting that the leader of the Islamic State in Somalia, Abdulqadir Mumin, may have quietly become the “worldwide leader” of the Islamic State last year and may have been killed in a recent U.S. airstrike, the news created far more questions than answers. Austin Doctor and Gina Ligon take a nuanced look at what the developments—if true—could mean for the group. Jessica Davis provides analysis of the Islamic State’s post-caliphate financial strategies. “The future of the Islamic State’s financial infrastructure,” she writes, “is networked, resilient, and adaptive.” This reality, she warns, portends “a grim future for efforts to combat the group’s international presence.” Finally, in June, the U.S. State Department designated the Nordic Resistance Movement, the largest neo-Nazi group in Sweden, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, only the second white nationalist organization on its terrorist list. Peter Smith outlines the development of the group and considers what the designation could mean for its future.
Topic:
Genocide, Migration, Terrorism, Women, Islamic State, Gender Based Violence, Public Health, Yazidis, and Neo-Nazis
Political Geography:
Europe, Central Asia, Middle East, Tajikistan, North America, Sweden, and United States of America