PRISTINA -- Pranvera Selimi treads carefully atop the frost-kissed pavement as she sets out for a 5 a.m. run through the dark and wintry landscape of Pristina's Germia Park.
The routine, undertaken at least four times a week, started nine years ago when Selimi discovered the joy and health benefits of running.
"I noticed that after running, I felt very good, and later it became a part of my life," the 30-year-old economist told RFE/RL's Balkan Service.
However, Selimi's transition from fitness centers to outdoor running has brought about a new set of concerns: a fear for her safety.
"I wake up super early, and you never know who might be out there," Selimi said before adding, "the possible attacks, whether verbal, physical, or sexual, are the dangers you always think about when you leave the house before sunrise."
'From Verbal To Physical Assault'
Even though Selimi rarely made eye contact and often looked down to avoid the gaze of others, the verbal harassment she received became 'normal.'
She still vividly recalls an event from a few years ago in Peja, where she was out for a run when a car full of young boys screeched to a stop next to her.
"They stopped the car, opened the door, and said something... I was so frightened that I ran as fast as I could with my heart pounding against my chest. It wasn't a good feeling."
Selimi now makes sure that her phone location is active and informs someone where she plans to run before leaving. For safety reasons, she has also joined a group of runners for her early morning run.
How Safe Are Kosovo's Public Spaces?
Besarta Breznica from the Kosovo Women's Network, an organization that deals with women's rights, acknowledges the widespread fear that women have to endure. This often results in their options being limited and their freedom of movement being reduced.
She noted that "women are always more inclined to use different types of transport in order to avoid walking and to avoid some public spaces because of what they can face."
"It can be very heavy," she says Breznica.
The safety of women in public spaces remains a complex issue, influenced by factors such as lighting, security cameras, and the presence of institutions.
According to a SpaceSyntaks analysis from 2022, nearly 25 percent of registered street lights in Pristina were found to be nonfunctional, resulting in dark and potentially "unsafe" locations. The research also noted the lack of lighting along the main road in Germia Park.
Almost ninety percent of the approximately 7,000 surveillance cameras that monitor Pristina's public areas are privately owned.
By law, public security cameras are controlled by the Kosovo Police; however, authorities refused to answer RFE/RL's queries on the number of cameras in use as well as the number of patrols they regularly undertake.
"I feel good when I notice that there are police on the street in the morning hours," says Selimi, who also feels that patrols should be as frequent as possible.
Eurisa Rukovci, an activist and leader of the feminist organization Grazeta, acknowledges that despite efforts to draw attention to public safety concerns, the reality for many women is that "it is still challenging."
According to Rukovci, women often must resort to "being accompanied by someone, or plan on going through more populated and illuminated streets" to ensure their safety.
"Insecurity can prevent women from participating in activities such as running, recreation, etc. in public spaces, especially during the late evening or early morning hours," she adds.
In recent years, several cases of harassment and sexual assaults against women and girls, including a sexual assault on an 11-year-old girl in one of Pristina's parks, have been made public.
Although sexual assault or rape has long been a criminal offense, sexual harassment only became classified as a crime in Kosovo after 2019.
Breznica claims that the reporting of these incidents is problematic since many women choose not to disclose the abuse and because the cases are hard to verify.
In a 2023 study conducted by the Kosovo Center for the Study of Security, more than half of respondents viewed sexual harassment as a significant threat to public security.
Despite its challenges, Selimi remains committed to her sport and hopes that more women will take up the joys of running.
"I don't think it has anything to do with what kind of person you are, or what you look like, or what age you are... It is a part of being a woman," she says.
