Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Donika Gërvalla, today participated in a roundtable marking the International Day of Families, organized by the Ministry of Labour, Family and the Liberation War Values.

In her opening speech, Minister Gërvalla stated that families deserve continuous institutional attention and support.

“When the family is protected, society becomes stronger as well, which is why the slogan ‘The State Begins with the Family’ is so important. However, when violence, fear, lack of economic well-being, or absence of institutional support exist within the family, the consequences are reflected throughout society, affecting the well-being of children, the position of women, and the stability of the state itself,” she said, adding that strengthening families is a state responsibility.

In this regard, Minister Gërvalla emphasized that the Ministry of Justice undertook significant reforms during the period 2021–2025 to strengthen social and family services. She highlighted the doubling of financial support for shelters and organizations providing social and family services, increasing from €880,000 in 2020 to €2.5 million in 2025.

“In addition, support mechanisms for children without parental care have been strengthened, financial support for foster families has increased, thousands of social and family service professionals have been licensed, laws and sub-legal acts establishing higher standards of social protection have been adopted, and access to free legal aid for the most vulnerable categories of society has been expanded,” Minister Gërvalla further stated.

She also underlined the progress made by the Republic of Kosovo in strengthening institutional protection through the adoption of the new Law on Protection from Domestic Violence and Gender-Based Violence, harmonization with the Istanbul Convention, operationalization of local coordination mechanisms, implementation of perpetrator treatment programs, and expansion of services for victims.

“These are our fulfilled commitments: care, budget allocation, and services for families and children on one side, and policies, implementation, and continuous monitoring on the other. In other words, more for families, more for children, and more services,” Minister Gërvalla emphasized.

The roundtable was also attended by Caretaker Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, Caretaker Minister of Labour, Family and the Liberation War Values, Andin Hoti, institutional representatives, international partners, and civil society organizations.