Albania celebrates 20th anniversary of ‘Women Peace and Security’ Resolution
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Albania commemorated today the 20th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on “Women, Peace and Security” by taking stock of the progress and challenges in implementing the first country’s National Action Plan (NAP). The initial findings of the monitoring report show that 82% of actions in the Plan have been implemented, while challenges still remain.
Albania became one of the 86 states to adopt a National Action Plan (NAP) on Resolution 1325 in September 2018, after two years of intensive work by the government, civil society, and international partners. Its main objectives are to increase women representation in decision-making in security and peacekeeping, as well as reduce gender stereotypes and promote a more inclusive engagement and participation of women in the area of security.
Merita Xhafaj, Director of Social Policies in the Ministry of Health and Social Protection highlighted: “The number of women participations in the police forces, security or in peace missions has increased which shows that the right policies and awareness measures have been undertaken”.
Despite progress, only 14,3 per cent women are employed in the Albanian State Police and 823 women in the armed forces making up only 14,8 per cent of the whole army personnel. Representation of women in leadership roles has also not changed during these two years and Albania still has only one woman in the rank of general. For the first time in 2019, two women were part of the UN peace operation in South Sudan, the first country to have full women participation.
Michele Ribotta, UN Women Representative in Albania stressed that in the future Albania should focus its work on women peace and security in the areas of women participation in security forces across all ranks and positions, making sure that women in uniform are free from violence and harassment at work, and of women leadership and contribution to community level dialogue.
UN Women started promoting UNSCR 1325 and women’s participation in the peace and security sector in Albania since 2011. This led to an increase in the number of women in leadership positions in the Albanian State Police and the Ministry of Defense. The association for Women’s Security and Peace (AWSP) in Albania was instrumental in setting up a coalition, “Women, Peace and Security in Albania”, composed of 20 local organizations. Together with UN Women, they contributed to the successful adoption of a National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 through the UN Women Fund for Gender Equality.
Government representatives, international organizations, civil society, parliamentarians, experts/academia and youth, joined the discussion on progress and future priorities for the Women, Peace and Security national agenda in Albania.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, UNWOMEN, OSCE, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana and the Association “Gender, Peace, Security”.