Third Gender Equality and the Western Balkans Judicial Forum

28 February 2025

Ahead of the International Women’s Day, the Third Gender Equality and the Western Balkans Judicial Forum, organised by the AIRE Centre with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom, will take place on March 7, 2025, in Skopje, North Macedonia. This event will bring together key judicial actors from the region and beyond to address the critical issue of gender inequalities and to examine how the judiciary can better respond to these challenges.

Roundtable in Skopje: Femicide is almost preventable, every murder signals systemic failure

14 January 2025

North Macedonia has made important steps in addressing femicide, becoming the first country in the Western Balkans to criminalize the killing of women in the context of gender-based violence. However, despite instances of good practice, the implementation of these legal frameworks remains inconsistent and, in some cases, insufficient.

Roundtable in Podgorica: Every femicide is a call for change

10 December 2024

Montenegro has made significant strides in aligning its legislative framework with international standards in combating violence against women. However, despite these normative advancements, the inadequate implementation of laws leaves women among the most vulnerable groups in society, it was highlighted at the roundtable “Improving the Judicial Response to Violence against Women”, held in Podgorica..

Criminalising femicide: What the Western Balkans can learn from global practices?

9 December 2024

As we near the end of the 16 days of activism to end gender-based violence, the AIRE Centre would like to bring attention and contribute to the ongoing discussion in Western Balkan nations concerning the criminalisation of femicide. Ahead of our planned roundtable discussions on this matter, this article serves to provide much-needed context for the reader regarding the prevalence of gender-based violence in the region and present recommendations to address it,…

Workshop on improving judicial response to femicide held in Skopje

5 December 2024

The AIRE Centre and the Academy of Judges and Public Prosecutors of North Macedonia, with support from the UK Government, hosted a workshop for over 50 judges and prosecutors, focusing on improving judicial responses to femicides. During the event, held as a part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence…

Invitation to the webinar on gender-based violence in healthcare

21 November 2024

The AIRE Centre invites you to the webinar “In the shadows: Prosecution of gender-based violence in healthcare”. Through the analysis of real-life cases and addresses from experts, this webinar aims to empower legal professionals and other relevant stakeholders to better understand, prevent, and prosecute these often-overlooked human rights violations.

Montenegro’s Supreme State Prosecutor issues binding Guidelines to tackle domestic violence

15 October 2024

Montenegro’s Supreme State Prosecutor, Milorad Marković, has taken an important step towards combating domestic violence by issuing binding guidelines aimed at improving judicial practices and safeguarding victims. Guidelines for processing cases of domestic violence, which have been distributed to higher and basic state prosecutors, strive to standardise practices across the prosecution offices and ensure the use of effective mechanisms when addressing these crimes.

Ivana Jelić Elected as Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights

26 September 2024

The European Court of Human Rights (the Court) has elected Judge Ivana Jelić from Montenegro as its Vice-President, effective November. The AIRE Centre is proud to witness the distinguished Judge Jelić, a renowned expert in human rights protection, take on this prominent role within one of the longest-standing institutions dedicated to upholding the human rights standards established by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Prosecutors on gender-based violence: Fatal outcomes can be prevented in most cases

04 September 2024

Gender-based violence, with femicide as its most extreme form, is a pressing issue in Bosnia and Herzegovina. With proper risk assessment, almost every femicide can be prevented, making it crucial to improve responses to early signs of violence and risk management.

Invitation to the webinar “From silence to solutions: Judicial practice on harassment of women in the workplace”

04 June 2024

The AIRE Centre invites you to the webinar “From silence to solutions: Judicial practice on harassment of women in the workplace”, a crucial discussion about the pervasive issue of harassment faced by women in workplaces. Join the lecture on the on combatting harassment in the workplace, including sexual harassment, bullying, and mobbing.

From the Legal Framework to the Judicial Practice: How did Kosovo Respond to the Issue of Femicide?

15 March 2024

Between 2018 and 2022, twenty femicides and four attempted femicides were committed in Kosovo, and in almost all cases, the victims were killed by their husbands, it was stated in the report “Femicide in the Republic of Kosovo: Legal framework and judicial practice (2018–2022)”.

Conference on Enhancing Judicial Response to Violence Against Women Held in Pristina

15 March 2024

Over 100 representatives of key judicial institutions, including courts, prosecutor’s offices, and law enforcement agencies, as well as representatives of relevant government authorities, international organisations, embassies, and civil society, gathered today in Pristina for the conference “Implementing the Istanbul Convention through Case-Law: Judicial Dialogue for an Effective Judicial Response”.

Roundtable in Budva: Enhancing Judicial and Police Responses to Gender-Based Violence

8 February 2024

Almost every femicide could have been prevented, which is why it is necessary to improve inter-institutional cooperation. This would enable timely response to early signs of violence, ensure adequate prosecution, and ultimately prevent gender-based violence and femicide, concluded at the opening of the roundtable “Improving judicial practice in cases of sexual and gender based violence and femicides”, which is being held today and tomorrow in Budva.

On International Human Rights Day: Judicial Response to Femicide in the Western Balkans

10 December 2023

The Western Balkans is faced with an urgent issue — research shows that women are oftentimes the least safe at their homes, and most often are harmed and/or killed by their close family members and intimate partners. Even though femicide – the killing of a woman on the grounds of her sex, gender, gender roles, and the most extreme manifestation of violence against women – is not criminalised in most of the Western Balkans countries, the prevalence and the grave impact of this crime is felt almost daily, prompting more demands for protections of victims and their families, and more severe punishments for those responsible.

Victoria Billing on Gender-based Violence in BiH: Words are important; but not as much as actions

4 December 2023

Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are foreign policy priorities for the UK Government. They are also issues that I, as a British diplomat, have focused on in every country that I have been posted to during my career. I have seen first-hand how important gender equality is to unleashing the full potential in all countries for stability and economic development.

Deep (inter)connection between judicial transparency and fight against gender-based violence

17 October 2023

As public concern over gender-based violence (GBV) continues to grow with each new reported case, judicial transparency in its efforts to effectively prosecute and punish perpetrators seems to be more important than ever. At a regional conference held in Sarajevo and organised by the centres for judicial and prosecutorial training of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, members of the Gender Champions in the Judiciary Network (GCJ Network), …

How Can the Judiciary Effectively Tackle the Issue of Femicide?

12 September 2023

Over the past four years (2018-2022), 17 femicide cases were prosecuted in North Macedonia for the killing of 19 women. Notably, most of the victims were either current or former intimate partners of the perpetrators, or had familial ties, and all cases examined were committed in an apartment, house, or yard where the victim lived, it was stated in the report “Femicide in the Republic of North Macedonia: The State of Affairs, the Legal Framework and the Court Practice”, presented at today’s conference in Skopje

Public statement regarding the murders in Gradačac and cases of gender-based violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina

16 August 2023

Appalled by the murders in Gradačac in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the AIRE Centre expresses its condolences to the families and friends of the victims of this crime. The news of the murders shook the entire Western Balkan region, and the frequency of these crimes reminds us that this is a problem for all of us. That is why we repeatedly request the authorities to respond in order to punish such crimes and prevent them from occurring in the future.

Judicial Role in Combating Gender-Based Violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina

13 July 2023

Gender-based violence is widely prevalent in both public and private domains, deeply entrenched within the society and perpetuated by unequal power dynamics. We spoke with three judges from Bosnia and Herzegovina on their views on how the judiciary can tackle these problems.

The Largest Regional Judicial Forum on Gender Equality Opened in Belgrade

2 June 2023

Over 100 key judicial actors from the region and beyond, including the president and judges of the European Court of Human Rights, presidents and judges of regional judicial and other state institutions, academics and non-governmental organisations, gathered today in Belgrade for the second regional judicial forum “Gender Equality and the Western Balkans” organised by the AIRE Centre, with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom, and in cooperation with the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality in Serbia and the non-governmental organisation FemPlatz.

Unveiling Gender Equality Struggles in North Macedonia — Insights from Judges Gajdov and Belevska Projkovska

31 May 2023

With the Second Gender Equality and Western Balkans Judicial Forum just five days away, we had the honour of interviewing Judge Gabriela Gajdova from the Basic Court Veles and Judge Biljana Belevska Projkovska from Basic Court Ohrid, both of whom are members of the Gender Champions in the Judiciary Network (GCJ Network), who discussed the significant challenges faced by the country in addressing gender-based violence and explore the role of the justice system in dismantling these obstacles.

Advancing Justice and Empowering Women — Interview with Kosovo’s Acting President of the Supreme Court

26 May 2023

As the Second Gender Equality and Western Balkans Judicial Forum approaches, we are looking into Kosovo actions in combating gender-based violence and discrimination. In an interview with Mejreme Memaj, Acting President of the Supreme Court of Kosovo and member of the Gender Champions in the Judiciary Network (GCJ Network), she highlighted the challenges faced by the country and the importance of justice institutions in addressing gender-based violence.

Advancing Gender Equality in Albania — Experts on Combating Gender-Based Violence and Discrimination

26 May 2023

While the legal framework in Albania is comprehensive and contemporary, the challenge in addressing gender-based violence and discrimination lies in understanding and implementing these laws effectively. In fact, despite the existence of current laws in Albania proclaiming gender equality, the complete establishment of economic, social, and legal parity between women and men remains incomplete due to the prevailing influence of traditional norms and patriarchy.

Insights from Experts — Addressing Gender-Based Violence and Discrimination in Serbia

26 May 2023

Serbia, like many countries in the Western Balkans, struggles with significant challenges in combating gender-based violence and discrimination. Numerous studies highlight the widespread nature of violence against women, prompting Serbia to adopt new laws and amend existing ones to align with international standards.

Interview with Judge Popović: “Nearly Every Other Woman in Montenegro Has Experienced Violence from Their Partners”

24 May 2023

Judiciary has an important role in ensuring gender equality and the implementation of the UN CEDAW Convention

5 May 2023

Western Balkans Civil Society Organisations will Monitor Femicide and Gender-based Violence court cases in 2023

28 March 2023