About 37,000 people in Kosovo get the benefits of veterans in the recognition of their service during 1998/99 Kosovo. Of these, only more than 3.600 are veteran women.
One of them is Albina Hardinaz, a 42 -year -old ex -serviceman from Gajkova.
Although his experienced position ensures his official recognition and discovery as a free healthcare for himself and his immediate family, public acceptance of his contribution during the war is almost non-existent.
Young people joined
Hardinaz was 17 years old and a student when she joined Kosovo, which was fought between the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA/UK). At that time, Kosovo was part of Yugoslavia.
Born in Gajkova in Kosovo and RayZ, she and others of his generation felt forced to do something when the war began.
He said, “Almost all of us had gathered at that time, and most of us ended in the war. It was a collective energy – you knew that you had no other option; everyone had to make his way,” he told DW.
Male giants behave differently
During the struggle, she met the man who would meet her husband. Both have an official experienced situation, but when it comes to recognition – both government institutions and the public – their experiences are very different.
“They often give a certificate of praise on 8 March, specially, [International Women’s Day]For teachers or police officers, but I never heard of going to the veterans of a lady war, “Hardinaz told DW.
“On television, all places are given to men,” he continued. “We were with him – with a great hero Shelzen Hardinaz – I was there too. But the society does not give importance to my contribution in the same way that it gives importance to my husband. It is discrimination.”
She says that this treatment is rapidly opposite with the way sexes were treated during war.
“How is this possible,” she asks, “that when we were, we had equal duties?”
Women captured many types of roles
According to the Kosovo Ministry of Defense, women worked in various roles within the KLA on both the battlefields and the bandh, including the OTH duties of military engagement, logistics, intelligence, medical aid and strategic and operational importance.
Nerxhivane Azizi was 23 years old when she began to serve both as a military nurse and a photo journalist. After joining Kla, it became normal to help the injured, help in births and documentation of war crimes.
But even after the war ended, the weight of those memories – mixed with institutional neglect – made it difficult to move forward.
“I don’t know why this happens in institutions, but he has always tried to discriminate with us,” Azizi told DW. “It has been 26 years after the war, and they still cannot seem to tell us properly – to understand that we worked with great honesty, with great courage, and we were those who come out uncontrollably.”
Psychological marks left by war
He saw out of all things, this is the memory of a massacre in Ricak village which will never leave.
In January 1999, 45 precious Albanian villagers in Ricac were killed by Serbian forces from Yugoslavia. Among them were 14 -year -old Haleem Bekiri and 99 -year -old Evdil Sejdu.
Prior to the massacre, Azi had mostly photographed the burnt houses. That day, he decided to document everything and everything, including him, despite being involved in the dangers, because she was still with the firing range of Serbian soldiers.
“I remember I am telling myself: ‘I have to do it at all.” Nobody asked me to take those pictures.
‘A reality that is hidden’
In addition to the psychological mark left by the war, Kosovo’s female veterans were difficult even after the end of life enmity. Due to no institutional support, Azizi says that she was left to rebuild her life from scratch.
He said, “We are female veterans who tilt our apartments with bank loans, work through their sweat, to build a house, to put a roof on our head,” she said.
And inequality extends to the next generation. Azizi hence notices the difference between the post -war experience and the difference between some male veterans.
Azizi says, “What advantage of their children have taken in comparison to me? They have increased their privileges and have become rich, while we have, we have been reduced in a way – we remain poor,” Aziji said, “This is a reality that is hidden.”
As A 2024 United Nations Women’s StudyWomen in Kosovo have a greater risk of poverty than men, with economic inequality unpaid care responsibilities, labor market discrimination and lack of property ownership.
The aim of the ministry is to ensure ‘the voice of women is heard’
Miradi Calmandi, a female experienced, who joined the KLA and worked in various fields including cooking, laundry and transport, is disappointed with how the current government is treated which is treated and affected by war.
,I am not satisfied at all – when it comes to the families of disappearance, the attack with Kosovo, the veteran, mother and sisters, who raped. no way. To ignore us at this day and age, I do not know … ”Calmendi told DW.
In a written statement, Kosovo’s Ministry of Defense told DW that representatives of women giants’ organizations are involved in discussion and consultation on the formatting of strategic documents and policies related to experienced issues.
“The ministry has continuously promoted gender inclusion and ensure that the voices of women are heard in the thesis processes,” it is written.
Hero back by patriarchal mentality
Kosovo’s law on gender equality establishes legal framework to ensure equality and institutional support for women, yet in practice, the action of government institutions is reduced by these commitments.
The Gazed Sil, the deputy chairman of the War Veterans Organization, believes that the veterans face stigma due to a popular patriarchal mentality in Kosovo mainly faces a stigma that prevents women’s veterans from participating or preventing participation in public life.
After the war, many of these women got married. Especially in rural areas, husbands often do not allow their wives to participate in veterans’ events. Silla considers it an injustice.
“The mentality here excluded women out of the post -war life,” he told DW. “If women were not involved in the initiative after the war,-which were almost fully led by men-they really, ‘forgot’ by the society.
Impact on the life of women’s giants
according to a 2023 Study by researchers by university researchers at Kosovo and University of MaltaWomen in Kosovo face traditional gender norms, limited institutional support, economic inequality and important socio-economic challenges contained in social stigma, which hinders their participation in public life and access to rights and resources.
Sociologist Gain Zerxa believes that this neglect thesis will greatly affect the social self-stations of women and damage them as they feel as a result of the fact that their contribution is being ignored.
“Knowing that we still live in a patriarchal cultural context, where men dominate, we are not yet real social liberation and recognized that reflects real values,” he told DW. “When you connect the rural mindset and combine less social awareness about self-basstem-goon, Komain veterans should come from those areas-this mentality makes social recognition difficult, cumbersome with the burden of shadow and masculine dominance.”
Edited by: Angle Flangon
