The internationally recognized public art installation “Thinking of You” by conceptual artist Alketa Xhafa Mripa was presented in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, the public entrance to the United Nations, during the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

The event, held on International Women’s Day, brought together activists, community leaders, members of the Albanian-American community, and numerous organizations from across New York. The gathering became a powerful moment of reflection and solidarity with survivors of sexual violence around the world.

Emotional testimonies from survivors of war, violence, and abuse reminded attendees of the urgent need to continue demanding justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators.

Artist Alketa Xhafa Mripa emphasized the symbolic significance of presenting the installation near the United Nations, where public voices meet global decision-making.

Placing “Thinking of You” in this space, she said, brings the stories of survivors directly into the sphere of international leadership and policy.

While International Women’s Day celebrates women’s achievements, she noted, it also serves as a reminder that the fight for equality, safety, and justice continues.

“For many women around the world, this day remains a day of protest, resistance, and a demand to be heard” she said.

According to the artist, a simple gesture—donating a dress and hanging it on clotheslines—was transformed into a public act of remembrance, resistance, and care.

“Each of these dresses represents a human being with a story—one of pain endured, dignity defended, and justice that too often has been delayed” she added.

Among the speakers was Ambassador Blerim Reka, who highlighted the atrocities committed during the war in Kosova.

“More than 20,000 Albanian women and men in Kosova were raped by Serbian military and police forces, and no one has been held accountable” he said.

“‘Thinking of You’ is a reminder of these victims of sexual violence during the war in Kosova. International justice remains silent while survivors continue to seek accountability. Justice delayed is justice denied” Ambassador Reka emphasized.

The event also featured powerful speeches from international representatives and survivors, including Vasfie Krasniqi Goodman, a survivor of wartime sexual violence and the Special Envoy of the President of Kosova, as well as survivor Ramadan Nishori. Other speakers included representatives from diplomatic missions to the UN and activists advocating for survivors’ rights worldwide.

The “Thinking of You” installation was first created in Prishtina in 2013, when a football stadium was filled with thousands of dresses and skirts donated in solidarity with approximately 20,000 Kosovar women and girls who were raped during the 1998–1999 war.

The garments have been donated by survivors as well as public figures and supporters, including fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege, reinforcing a global message of solidarity and shared responsibility for justice.

According to organizers, presenting the installation in New York serves as another step in keeping the memory of survivors alive and continuing the call for justice.