Abstract
Women’s varied experiences and contributions to peace and justice have been overlooked in Kosovo’s post-conflict justice process, which has been centred on masculine militarised perspectives. Through qualitative interviews with human rights activists and a former politician in Kosovo, this research paper examines how women in Kosovo contribute to and understand justice, and the implications of women’s understandings to the field of transitional justice. The paper considers how women actively contributed to the inclusion of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Kosovo’s legal framework on war victims. In examining women’s understanding of justice, a central finding is that they have a broad understanding of justice that includes attention to women’s full protection of human rights. Moreover, the paper discusses how post-conflict justice mechanisms can adapt to ensure a more inclusive justice for women. It argues that transitional justice will benefit from including local perceptions of justice and a gender perspective that examines underlying structural factors that cause gender-based violence. The paper provides empirical evidence that supports earlier feminist studies, which argue that women’s inclusion in justice processes produces better outcomes for women’s human rights protection.