Title: Support Implementation of the National Strategy for Gender Equality and

Domestic Violence (NSGE-DV) – Advancing Democratic Governance in Albania

Duration: 3 years (June 2008 – June 2010)

Budget: estimated $3.5 million (pending resource mobilization)

Short description: In Albania, there is increased understanding among decision-

makers about the linkages between the advancement of gender equality and the
realization of democratic governance and sustainable development. In the National
MDG Report to the 2005 World Summit, the GOA stated that while progress had
been made in achieving the MDGs, there has been limited progress in the area of
gender equality.

Gender equality advocates in government and civil society would list the eradication
of violence against women and increasing women in decision making as top two
national priorities for the advancement of gender equality and women’s human
rights in Albania. While not quite systematic, different studies have shown that
domestic violence is present in Albanian society. Domestic violence crosses all lines
of age, gender, ethnic group, religion, economic status, disability or geography.
However, most of its reported victims include women. One third of Albanian women
are estimated to have experienced some form of domestic violence. This includes
physical abuse, mental abuse and in some cases, abduction and trafficking by their
own family members for purposes of exploitation. While empirical analysis is still
limited on this issue, surveys by civil society conducted over the past ten years
show that over one quarter of women report to have been victims of emotional and
sexual violence In a recent report, the International Parliamentary Union ranked
Albania 115th of 142 countries monitored for women’s representation in elected
positions at the national level – giving Albania one of the lowest ranking in Europe.
In the local election in Albania in 2007, only 33 of the 1,073 candidates nominated
for mayoral posts were women, and of these, only 9 were elected. At the national
level, 7% of MPs are women, and as of 2007, there is only one sitting female
Cabinet Minister.

However, since 2005 the GoA has made significant steps to address the above
challenges and to move toward a more pro-active implementation of its
international gender equality commitments taken under the ratification of the
CEDAW, adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, and with a view to aligning with
EU Standards and norms. In 2004, the country’s first Gender Equality Legislation
(GEL) was adopted. With a view to aligning legislation more closely with EU
Standards, a review of the existing GEL is now underway and through the support of
UNDP and OSCE, amendments have been prepared and are now under
consideration by Parliament (June 2008). In 2006, the GOA adopted the country’s
first legislation on Domestic Violence and is now preparing related sub-legislation to
ensure the Law’s full implementation at the national and local level. In addition, in a
joint UN initiative in 2006/07 and also with support of OSCE, the GOA, adopted the
National Strategy for Gender Equality and Domestic Violence (NSGE-DV) (2001-
2010), the first of its kind in the country.

Despite advances, the current lack of institutionalized processes and capacities in

place in government to adequately monitor and implement the NSGE in a manner
which ensures integration and linkages to the relevant sectoral policies contained
within the NSDI remains a concern of the Government of Albania. Further, given the
scope of the NSGE-DV, it is important that the core actions within the strategy which
are essential to support integration of gender equality into broader policies and the
improved alignment with EU Standards are first prioritized.

In light of the above, considerable and broad-based technical support is needed to

ensure the effective implementation of the newly adopted NSGE-DV and the recent
advances in the country’s legal framework. Further, the inclusion of the NSGE-DV
into the Government of Albania’s National Strategy for Development and Integration
(NSDI) provides an important opportunity for the UN to support a cross-sectoral
approach to advancing gender equality and increasing women’s participation in
public life.

UN support to gender equality: One UN Programme aligns with the Government of

Albania’s goal of European Integration and with the priorities contained in the
National Strategy for Development and Integration (NSDI). One UN is being
implemented through a series of thematically-specific inter-agency joint
programmes. Advancing gender equality is a core principle of the One UN in Albania
and is viewed as a key cross-cutting issue throughout all of the UN programmes.
Since 2006, UNIFEM is the lead Agency within the UN Country Team responsible for
coordination and facilitation of the UN work on gender equality. In this context, the
UNCT, in continuous consultation with the Government of Albania and civil society,
developed a Joint Programme on Gender Equality for Albania from 2008 to 2010.
The overall goal of the Joint Programme is to support effective implementation of
the NSGE-DV and in so doing, the Joint Programme will target the implementation of
the following four objectives of the NSGE-DV: i) Strengthening of legal and
institutional frameworks on gender equality; ii) Increasing women’s participation in
decision-making; iii) Improved situation of women at risk through increasing access
to quality social services; and iv) Eradication of domestic violence.

Programme Goal:

The coordinated implementation of the National Strategy for Gender Equality and
Domestic Violence (2007-2010).

Expected outcomes of the Joint Programme:

Outcome 1: National Government has capacity to more effectively monitor and

implement the, NSGE-DV;

Outcome 2: Improved public sector response to women’s needs and priorities at the
local level;

Outcome 3: Women participating in the accountability processes which impact the

advancement of gender equality; and

Outcome 4: Improved coordination of external support to government and civil

society in advancing gender equality.

Names of implementing organizations:

(Participating Agencies: UNIFEM, UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF); Implementing Partners:

the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, line ministries,
INSTAT, the Parliamentary Sub-Committee on Equal Opportunities and Juvenile
Issues, municipalities and local authorities, national/local level civil society
organizations, media, and international organizations working on gender in Albania.

For more information, please contact: Christine