We Should Never Stop Striving for Gender Equality and Empowerment of All Women and Girls

The courtroom in the Court of Appeals is her arena where she fights daily battles to reduce corruption in Kosovo.

It is a public secret that women act as advocates for change in criminal justice system. Greater accountability requires diversity and inclusion in all institutions, especially when it comes to the fight against corruption.  

The UN General Assembly chose 10 March as the International Day of Women Judges, two days after International Women’s Day. This week, we celebrate women that step in a field where women have been traditionally underrepresented.

Judge Bytyqi always dreamt about becoming a judge:

“It was my childhood dream to one day become a judge. I thought that dispensing justice is a great honor. Being elected as a judge sends a positive signal to young girls and the women in general, increasing their self-confidence and raising their ambitions. It demonstrates that the great achievements and results are possible regardless of gender, race or nationality. With dedication and determination, you can achieve results”, she said.

Judge Bytyqi is an experienced judge, having handled and resolved many criminal cases of various natures. She has dealt with cases related to murder, terrorism, organized crime, war crimes, and high-level corruption. 

That requires courage and experience - so it was an easy choice for her to get involved in anti-corruption. “I have accepted to work in the Special Department at the Court of Appeal where cases of high-level corruption are handled. I have worked and continue to work in this field with commitment, courage, and professionalism to solve very complex and sensitive cases of corruption. I often have to work well beyond the regular working hours”, she said.

Afërdita is an experienced criminal judge, having handled and resolved many criminal cases of various natures. She has dealt with cases related to murder, terrorism, organized crime, war crimes, and high-level corruption. 

That requires courage and experience - so it was an easy choice for her to get involved in anti-corruption. “I have accepted to work in the Special Department at the Court of Appeal where cases of high-level corruption are handled. I have worked and continue to work in this field with commitment, courage, and professionalism to solve very complex and sensitive cases of corruption. I often have to work well beyond the regular working hours”, she said.

Judge Bytyqi believes that digitalization helps with the reduction of corruption and it makes her work easier. However, in the era of digitalization, gender balance still remains an issue:

“Gender balance of judges working in the field of anti-corruption is yet to be achieved, and more women are needed in this position. Much work still needs to be done to achieve gender parity. When corruption flourishes, the effects are disproportionately felt by women. We must redouble our efforts so that women's voices are heard - so that women are not overlooked, but given the opportunity to fight corruption, which is a cancer of society”, Judge Bytyqi explained.

Stereotypes still exist, but Judge Bytyqi explained that when she accepted the position as a judge, she was clear about why she wanted to be here and what she wants to change. Being led by her determination makes her stronger when faced with stereotypes. “Today, we have many powerful women in high positions with different titles. All this has been achieved with a lot of effort, sacrifice, strong will and hope. I think this should be an inspiration to not give up, to give yourself a path and another opportunity, different from what was possible before. Today, women serve as doctors, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, soldiers, and astronauts. They run large corporations, they are police chiefs, jobs that used to be reserved exclusively for men. No one can deny that progress has been made. We should never give up striving for gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls.”

Judge Bytyqi has a message for young girls and women:

“The big secret of success is that there is no secret. Whatever your goal, you will achieve it, if you are willing to work for it.

Now is the time to fulfill the promise - to create a world where every girl from every corner of every continent can fulfill her potential without barriers and without prejudice. To make sure that no one will ever again doubt for a moment that a woman can be a successful judge, or indeed, a leader in any field she chooses.”

The SAEK III Project is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Swedish Agency for International Development and Cooperation (SIDA). The SAEK III Project provides support at the policy, structural and capacity levels, towards achieving sustainable results by aspiring more transparent and accountable governing institutions. 

FootnotesStory by Danijela Mitic in close collaboration with SAEK Team. Photo credit: Xhemail Sllovinja