23/03/2026
Authors: Dr Adelina Hasani and Jon Limaj
Across Europe, the phrase “gender ideology” has become a rallying cry for far-right movements. It is used not merely as a critique of gender equality policies but as a powerful political narrative that frames feminism, reproductive rights, and LGBTIQ+ equality as existential threats to the nation. While Kosovo has historically focused its counter-extremism efforts on religious radicalization, the growing spread of anti-gender narratives on online platforms reveals an emerging challenge that deserves far greater attention.
This movement undermines democracy, promotes hatred toward foreigners, and targets women, LGBTIQ+ individuals, and minority groups. In Kosovo, efforts to address extremism have primarily focused on religious extremism, leaving far-right extremism relatively underexplored. However, as new trends emerge, it is increasingly important to examine this phenomenon within Kosovo’s unique social and historical context. Gender equality has become central to far-right ideological discourse. Gender equality activists, women, and scholars working in this field are frequently targeted and portrayed as threats to the nation. As Butler explains, gender is framed not only as a threat to children, national security, heterosexual marriage, and the normative family, but also as part of an alleged plot by elites to impose their cultural values on “ordinary people.”
Digital spaces have become central to the circulation and normalization of these narratives. Social media platforms, messaging applications, and online forums allow anti-gender actors to spread disinformation, mobilize supporters, and target individuals who advocate for gender equality. The internet does not simply host these ideas; it amplifies them. Through algorithm-driven visibility and loosely connected networks of users, narratives about the “threat to the family” or the supposed dangers of gender equality travel rapidly, often crossing national borders and becoming embedded in local political debates.
In recent years, concerns have grown about the potential for violent right-wing extremism in the Western Balkans, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.[1] The region has historically been perceived as politically volatile, with a legacy of violence rooted in right-wing political ideologies and actions. Nevertheless, gender ideologies have emerged as a particularly salient factor in the rise of far-right extremism, both as an ideological framework and as a narrative tool. These movements portray “gender ideology” as an existential threat to traditional values, national identity, and social stability, leveraging this perception to advance agendas that curtail human rights and undermine democratic norms.
This dynamic is particularly visible in the Western Balkans, where anti-gender narratives are increasingly intertwined with broader far-right and nationalist discourses. Across the region, movements opposing reproductive rights, comprehensive sexual education, and LGBTIQ+ equality often frame their campaigns as efforts to defend “traditional family values.” Yet the family they seek to protect is narrowly defined: a heterosexual, heteronormative unit composed of a married mother and father raising children. By presenting this model as the only legitimate social structure, these narratives stigmatize anyone who falls outside it.
Kosovo has not developed a formal anti-gender movement comparable to those in parts of Central and Eastern Europe. However, the narratives associated with such movements are increasingly visible in the country’s online ecosystem. Rather than operating through structured organizations, anti-gender discourse in Kosovo often emerges through decentralized digital networks and individual actors who circulate misogynistic and exclusionary messages on social media.
These narratives frequently manifest through technology-facilitated violence against women and girls. Online harassment, cyberstalking, doxing, and the non-consensual distribution of images are not isolated acts of digital abuse; they are mechanisms through which anti-gender ideologies are operationalized in everyday online interactions. Women who speak publicly, particularly journalists, activists, and politicians, are often targeted with coordinated harassment aimed at silencing them or discrediting their work.
The case of the “AlbKings” Telegram group illustrates how these dynamics unfold in practice. The group, which at one point counted more than 112,000 members, distributed intimate images, deepfake content, and personal information of women without their consent. Victims experienced severe harassment, psychological distress, and in some cases withdrew from public life altogether. When journalists exposed the network, they themselves became targets of harassment and intimidation.[2]
This episode demonstrates how digital platforms can transform misogynistic attitudes into large-scale campaigns of humiliation and control. By sharing private data and manipulated images, perpetrators sought not only to harm individual women but also to reinforce patriarchal norms that discourage women from participating in public life.
At the same time, anti-gender narratives have increasingly entered Kosovo’s political discourse. Debates surrounding the Draft Civil Code, which proposed registered civil unions for same-sex couples, and the Draft Law on Reproductive Rights triggered intense public opposition framed around protecting “family values.” Religious leaders and political actors mobilized supporters by presenting these legal reforms as threats to national identity and moral order.
During the 2024 national elections, these narratives gained further traction when a conservative political coalition explicitly campaigned on defending the traditional family and opposing same-sex marriage. Such rhetoric illustrates how online discourse and political mobilization can reinforce one another: narratives circulated in digital spaces gradually shape political agendas, while political actors legitimize and amplify them.
Yet Kosovo’s institutions remain poorly equipped to address this phenomenon. Although existing laws criminalize threats, harassment, and blackmail, they do not adequately capture the complex forms of harm associated with technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Practices such as deepfake pornography, coordinated online harassment, or the non-consensual sharing of intimate images often fall into legal gray areas.
Equally concerning is the lack of systematic monitoring of anti-gender narratives online. Without clear mechanisms for tracking digital harassment and misogynistic campaigns, authorities struggle to identify patterns or respond effectively. As a result, victims frequently face significant barriers when seeking justice.
Addressing this challenge requires a more comprehensive approach. First, policymakers must recognize technology-facilitated gender-based violence as a serious threat to democratic participation and human rights. Introducing explicit legal provisions that criminalize forms of online gender-based abuse, such as cyberstalking, doxing, and deepfake pornography, would represent an important step forward.
Second, institutions must strengthen their capacity to investigate digital harassment and cooperate with social media platforms. Online abuse rarely stops at national borders, and effective responses require both technical expertise and international collaboration.
Finally, public debate must move beyond the simplistic framing of “gender ideology.” The language itself is designed to obscure complex social issues and mobilize fear. In reality, the struggle over gender equality is fundamentally a struggle over democratic values: the right of individuals to live free from violence, discrimination, and intimidation.
This publication was funded by the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or BIRN.
[1]Mirza Buljubasic, Violent Right-Wing Extremism in the Western Balkans: An overview of county specific challenges for P/CVE, European Commission, 2022. https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-08/ran_vrwe_in_western_balkans_overview_072022_en.pdf
[2] Leonora Aliu, Out of Control: Kosovo Struggles to Curb Online Sexual Harassment, Balkan Insight, 2024, https://balkaninsight.com/2024/05/28/out-of-control-kosovo-struggles-to-curb-online-sexual-harassment/
