Heroines of war: Justice for the women in Kosovo: A qualitative study about the impact of humanitarian NGOs in fighting against gender-based violence in Kosovo

Abstract

This thesis examines how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) address the recognition of the women survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) during the Kosovo war, exploring their roles as street level bureaucrats and the impact of stigmatization on their work. The thesis gives insights into how NGOs work with individual GBV survivors among stigma, societal attitudes, trauma, struggles with identification, and lack of family support while advocating for their human rights. The analysis and results are based on five semi-structured interviews: four with NGOs and one with a state actor in Kosovo. The qualitative method with a thematic analysis as approach, has been used to analyze the empirical material, employing the theoretical frameworks of stigma and street-level bureaucracy as analytical tools to interpret the results. The findings show that NGOs face stigma from families and communities, challenging interactions with and identification of survivors, leading to increased suffering, isolation, and normalization of GBV. Despite these challenges, the collective efforts of NGOs over decades have fostered public discourses and acknowledgment of GBV survivors. Their advocacy has pressured institutions, resulting in state recognition, legal reforms, and funding for survivor pensions.