The pandemic has increased the economic dependence of girls and women as many of them have lost their jobs. In cases of domestic violence, it has also increased the difficulties or risks to physical and mental integrity.
But after overcoming these challenges brought by the pandemic, the new political spirit in the United States spread a wave of conservatism, which is making the work of civil society actors in the Balkans more difficult when it comes to feminist and queer causes.
Pandemic, increased challenges for women and girls
Ines Leskaj from the Women's Empowerment Network points out that the closure of schools and nurseries increased the burden of caregiving. Women were forced to hold down low-paid or unpaid jobs and lost opportunities for professional development.
"Here, the great role of the organizations that continued their work despite the difficulties of the pandemic should be emphasized." Leskaj recalls for Citizens as he highlights that during this period, protective services became less accessible.
According to Leksaj, the main topic that dominated the public agenda during the pandemic was gender-based violence, because during the isolation, cases, according to her, doubled or tripled. The same trend is also presented by feminist activist from Kosovo, Liridona Sijarina.
"In recent years, we have seen an increase in reports from girls and women of gender-based violence such as beatings, sexual violence, blackmail, intimidation and various forms of coercion by acquaintances, mainly men," explains Sijarina.
She adds that another form of violence is virtual violence, which has increased dramatically after the pandemic and is becoming a dangerous source of violence for women, especially young girls. A similar phenomenon has developed in Albania, where a complete legal protection system is lacking.
"It is worth noting that (unauthorized distribution of intimate materials) "It's also being used as a method of attack, because it's where there are the most followers and people who can be reached," Leskaj analyzes.
Unlike before the pandemic, where women in politics were most exposed to attacks and hate speech, according to Leskaj, now women journalists, activists, and professionals are also facing them.
Angel Dimitrievski from North Macedonia remembers how anti-gender groups began to emerge during the pandemic. Initially, it was a loose group of individuals protesting against vaccinations and 5G technology.
“Today, we are witnessing a more organized movement, represented through registered civil society organizations such as the Coalition for the Protection of Children, a network of over 30 organizations, businesses and even political parties,” Angel analyzes for Citizens.
According to him, this movement enjoys support from the church and the government, which promote reproduction as a national value.
Growing conservatism
In March 2025, the Trump administration announced the closure of 83% of programs supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in about 100 countries around the world. The decision also affected the Balkan region, as it also included programs on media, democracy, health, the fight against corruption, etc.
Ines Leskaj says that conservatism is no longer public rhetoric, but reality, not only towards programs, but also towards civil society activists. But, for her, this is also a moment for the mobilization of progressive actors.
"This is the moment to reinforce their commitment to social justice and rights in general," she adds.
According to Liridona Sijarina, conservative agendas are spread through individuals and independent media.
She explains, based on cases encountered in Kosovo, that this spirit has spread among groups that seemingly do not give the idea of political affiliation, which makes the political moment more complicated.
Sijarina points out that in the recent elections in Kosovo, one party openly opposed feminist and queer causes. She adds that even the media, or individuals who occupy media and virtual spaces, or unidentifiable groups, spread conservative discourses.
"It has now become more of a problem to identify conservative groups and resist these agendas, as they are largely coming from formations that transcend parties." she concluded.
Angel Dimitrievski adds that many young people, especially boys, follow figures known for their extreme and sexist stances like Andrew Tate and his copycat versions on local podcasts. According to Dimitrievski, they have a widespread influence as they mobilize large online audiences.
“The queer movement also faces tensions, especially around issues like support for Palestine. While much of our movement openly supports the Palestinian cause, as demonstrated during the Skopje Pride Parade this year, this approach remains divisive and is often labeled as radical by others,” he shows.
Angel tells of an LGBT+ summer school that was moved during the call phase by the non-profit organization Ekvalis due to threats. The event was open to young people in the community, who would use informal education to create safer and more inclusive spaces.
“The situation became so dangerous that we were forced to secretly relocate the entire summer school and, for the first time in the history of our organization, implement permanent security,” he continues.
Angel emphasizes that our countries are not willing to protect marginalized communities, even when they face extreme risks. For this, he highlights the need to create cross-sectoral and cross-regional alliances from trade union, environmental, feminist and queer movements.
“I don’t believe our movements can flourish in isolation, because the struggles are deeply interconnected,” Angel concludes.
He completed his master's studies in the department of Journalism and Communication Sciences at the University of Tirana. She has been reporting for more than four years in Citizens.al on issues of culture, urban development, feminism, etc. She is also a contributor to other local and foreign online media, and has worked in the editing of various materials. She is the author of the podcast "Pezull" on Citizens.al and is engaged as a coordinator of projects related to the empowerment of young journalists and migration issues.
