The two Arlindas of Kosovo
Arlinda Zekaj asked the state for protection, not to become a symbol of social justice.
Arlinda did not need to justify to the state her wish to live in her own home. It was the state that needed to explain what it had done to protect her from the people threatening her — in her own home.
The lives of men and women are equally valuable, but they are not killed for the same reasons.
Death did not change Arlinda’s convictions. It changed the way society spoke about them.
It is already too late for the first Arlinda. For the other women whose cases are now with police and in prosecution files, it is not.
Saranda Ramaj
Saranda Ramaj is an investigative journalist and public policy researcher, with a focus on healthcare, corruption, and human rights. She has over 11 years of experience at the KOHA Group and is the recipient of 20 journalism awards. She completed her master’s studies at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom.
DISCLAIMERThe views of the writer do not necessarily reflect the views of Kosovo 2.0.
This story was originally written in Albanian.