Long-Term Consequences of War-Related Sexualised and Gender-Based Violence

Dealing with Long-Term Consequences of War-Related Sexualised and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Kosovo

While SGBV in contexts of war and/or conflict is increasingly discussed in both academic and non-academic literature from the perspective of different disciplines and professions, empirical research on its consequences, in particular on long-term consequences, is still scarce. Something similar holds true for empirical evidence of the impact of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and of combined, multisectoral interventions in the context of international cooperation programmes. The research project addresses this twofold gap by centring the experience of survivors of war-related SGBV in Kosovo roughly twenty years after the war.

Designed as a participatory applied research project, the study is realized by medica mondiale e.V., a feminist non-governmental organisation based in Cologne, Germany and Medica Gjakova, a Kosovarian NGO whose mission is to improve the mental and physical condition of survivors of sexual violence and to advocate for social policies that support women’s welfare and their integration in all vital areas. As part of a three year cooperation between medica mondiale e.V. and the University of Applied Sciences Cologne, Dr. Barbara Umrath from the Institute for Gender Studies supports both organisations in the research process.

The purpose of this research is to deepen the understanding of

• long-term effects of war-related SGBV on survivors from an interdisciplinary perspective (physical and mental health, economic, social etc.),
• effects of war-related SGBV on families and communities,
• coping mechanisms and recovery trajectories of survivors as well as close family members,
• survivors’ experiences of social acknowledgement, in particular with regard to the reparations process in Kosovo,
• the impact of medica mondiale’s stress- and traumasensitive approach (STA®) and Medica Gjakova’s multi-professional support for survivors.

Bringing together academic and professional expertise, this study will contribute not only to the field of SGBV-research, but also to the further development of professional services for survivors of war-related SGBV. In particular, its findings will be used by medica mondiale e.V. and Medica Gjakova for knowledge-based advocacy work.

The research project makes use of a mixed-methods design, thus combining the respective strengths of quantitative and qualitative methods. Building on feminist and participatory methodologies, these are further enhanced by bringing principles of stress- and traumasensitivity to bear in research.