“Kama told us of one of the heartbreaking stories in their family. (during Kosovo/Serbian war of 1998-99) As she cuddled and calmed her baby son, Kama spoke of the dreadful separation from him the night he was born. Following his birth, members of her family wrapped the baby boy in warm blankets and placed him in the arms of Kama’s teenage son, who then fled over the mountains in search of a safe haven for the baby. Kama was physically unable at that time to hike across the hills with her sons. The Serbians assumed that if parents believed their babies were going to be killed, the entire family would leave Kosovo prior to the babies’ birth.”

“A major problem for Macedonian women is domestic violence. Although there are procedures for coping with criminal rape, there are few, if any procedures in place for dealing with marital rape and violence. Cultural mores prohibit women from reporting rape or domestic violence. Protection against domestic violence is not considered a civil rights for the woman since the husband maintains superiority over his wife. Domestic violence is not publicized in the media, nor are there shelters where women may go for protection. The government shows little interest in changing the cultural oppression of women in domestic abuse.”