Press Release
19 September 2024 – Red shoes memorialize Kosovo’s victims of femicide in a mural that also recognizes the courage of women who steward peace, unveiled to mark the International Day of Peace.
The mural, painted on the Xhevdet Doda High School building, features an image of a woman holding a bouquet of sunflowers surrounded by red shoes. It was supported by UNMIK, in coordination with art NGO Mural Fest, as part of efforts to raise awareness about gender equality and femicide in Kosovo and as part of the United Nations’ upcoming Summit of the Future initiatives.
The inauguration ceremony was jointly held yesterday by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of UNMIK Caroline Ziadeh and Pristina Deputy Mayor Alban Zogaj, while tomorrow marks the International Day of Peace (21 September).
Highlighting the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace, cultivating a culture of peace, SRSG Ziadeh described the mural as “a product of peace”, created by a multi-ethnic team of six young artists in a spirit of collaboration.
“Peace begins with me and begins within each of us. Each small act of compassion, understanding, empathy and cooperation contributes to the larger goal of a peaceful world. It is about the cumulative effect of many small and positive actions,” she told those gathered, including the UN Development Coordinator Arnhild Spence, members of civil society, politicians, women’s groups and activists.
Deputy Mayor Zogaj thanked the young artists for their contribution to the civic space of Pristina and said the mural would spark conversations and help shape civic dialogue – and usher in an end to high numbers of femicide.
“We cannot allow a culture of silence or indifference to thrive when women are being killed in our homes, our neighbourhoods and our streets. We must stand in solidarity and we must push for legislative reforms that reflect the seriousness of this crisis.”
Argjenda Azemi is a 21-year-old female artist from Ferizaj/Uroševac who led the project along with a group of multi-ethnic young artists – K-Albanian, K-Serbian and K-Ashkali – from across Kosovo.
“What I wanted to represent with this mural, on a topic that is very important, is a woman holding her head high, holding sunflowers which represent hope, remembrance and healing. Around her are scattered red shoes which each pair represent a woman who was a victim of gender-based violence,” she explained during the inauguration.
“I wanted this mural to be a remembrance [of victims] and to work for a better future where women can live without fear.”
Director of the social protection organization Jelena Anžujska Foundation Adrijana Hodžić said during her remarks that systematic violence against women and girls needed to end for peace to begin.
“Peace cannot be sustainable if women and girls are not safe; peace is not just the absence of war, it is the presence of justice, equality and security for all.”
For further information, please contact UNMIK Spokesperson Hayat Abu Saleh:
abusaleh@un.org +383 44 151 816Attached photos and videos for media use, please credit UNMIK as holder of image copyright.
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About the International Day for Peace:
This year’s Peace Day theme is “Cultivating a Culture of Peace”, the stated intention of which is: “In a world with rising geopolitical tensions and protracted conflicts, there has never been a better time to remember how the UN General Assembly came together in 1999 to lay out the values needed for a culture of peace. These include: respect for life, human rights and fundamental freedoms; the promotion of non-violence through education, dialogue and cooperation; commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts; and adherence to freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations”.
About the Summit of the Future:
The Summit is a high-level event, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future. Effective global cooperation is increasingly critical to our survival but difficult to achieve in an atmosphere of mistrust, using outdated structures that no longer reflect today’s political and economic realities. This once-in-a-generation opportunity serves as a moment to mend eroded trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively achieve agreed goals and tackle emerging threats and opportunities. In September, world leaders will convene at the United Nations to adopt the Pact for the Future, which will include a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations as annexes.
About the Mural:
Supported by UNMIK, the mural aims to ensure that the growing numbers of victims of femicide from all communities in Kosovo are not forgotten; that the loss of these women can transcend grief into the will to action and a collective call for dignity, respect for life and peace Fostering dialogue and promoting understanding on a topic that is all-too-frequently seen as a private family matter is a critical component of peaceful and open societies, to which victims and survivors play a pivotal role.