RE-CREATE

Needs analysis and specific objectives
In Kosovo, prevention programmes for SGBV offenders in detention are promising, but generally not yet restorative or fully holistic. There is increasing interest and some movement (especially from civil society and international donors) towards this approach, but systemic implementation is lacking. The Kosovo Assembly ratified the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, yet significant challenges remain in fulfilling its obligations. While efforts have been made to strengthen the legislative framework on Domestic Violence (DV) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV), as well as expand services for survivors, little progress has been made in addressing perpetrator treatment in these cases. Victim awareness within SGBV offender programmes in Kosovo remains limited and is not yet a standard component of rehabilitation in detention settings. Some pilot initiatives by NGOs and international partners have introduced elements such as discussions on the impact of violence on victims, basic empathy-building exercises, and reflection on accountability, but these efforts are not consistently implemented or scaled. As a result, victim awareness is often treated as an optional or supplementary topic rather than a core element of behavioural change programming.

This project views detention as a critical opportunity for rehabilitation, addressing the current gap in prison programmes that promote responsibility-taking through acknowledgment of harm and reflection on toxic masculinity. By fostering survivor-prisoner dialogue and piloting restorative practices—such as experiential expertise, creative expression, and survivor-led engagement—it aims to build understanding and move more towards a culture of meaningful participation – starting from design of perpetrator programmes. This project supports the objectives of the Daphne strand by developing and piloting holistic, survivor-informed perpetrator programmes aimed at reducing reoffending among detainees – both those who have perpetrated the violence and those at-risk for such violence upon release. Combining restorative approaches with elements of preventing and combatting toxic masculinity and gender stereotypes, the initiative addresses both the immediate harm caused by violent behaviour and its deep-rooted social drivers.

Survivor experts and detainees will co-design interventions within prison settings across Kosovo, North Macedonia, the Netherlands, and Spain, fostering offender accountability, empathy, and long-term behavioural change. Key activities include mapping existing programmes and restorative practices, organizing cross-border knowledge exchange workshops, co-creating and piloting new initiatives in each country, and conducting evaluations to support broader EU learning. By embedding survivor participation at every stage, the project moves beyond victim-centred to victim-led prevention approaches, ensuring ethical integrity, greater impact, and long-term sustainability.