For International Women's Day, UN Women Albania, in partnership with the Albanian Football Federation, UN agencies, and journalists, hosted a mini football tournament as part of the #ForAllWomenAndGirls campaign. Around 40 women and girls participated in an event, turning the football field into a symbol of progress and change.

As Albania celebrates three decades since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, the country continues to make strides in gender equality. An inspiring intergenerational dialogue at a recent event brought together key stakeholders from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, United Nations Albania, the EU Delegation, and other partners, alongside passionate feminist activists from all generations.

Interview with Flutura Xhabija on attending the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 and how the Beijing Platform for Action remains relevant today.

People's Advocate along with the support of UN Women released a report on the killings of women and girls, as well as femicide, revealing that 32 women were killed between 2021-2023.

The UN Women campaign was launched as part of the United Nations regional initiative “Youth for Inclusion, Equality & Trust” financed by the UN Secretary-General's Peacebuilding Fund. Inspired by John Lennon’s song “Imagine” the campaign reached more than 4.2 million people through social media in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo[1], North Macedonia and Serbia.

David Cuka, a 31-year-old trailblazer from Tirana, Albania, joined the UN Women's "Imagine" campaign aiming to raise awareness and challenge cultural stereotypes and gender-based discrimination in Albania and the Western Balkans.

Young peacebuilders from the Western Balkans participated in a two-day training to strengthen their capacities on the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agendas.

Ema Meçaj is a 19-year-old activist from Albania, currently pursuing a degree in medicine at the University of Medicine in Tirana. A dedicated advocate for human rights, gender equality, and climate action, she recently co-moderated the regional youth consultation from December 13 to 14, 2023, in preparation for the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68). In this Interview, Ema Meçaj reflects on the youth consultations, outlines the key issues for this year’s CSW, and emphasizes the vital role of youth in advancing the gender equality agenda.

The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and UN Women Albania co-organized an online training on the Gender Equality Marker (GEM) and the Human Rights Marker (HRM). The overall aim of the training was to ensure that the GEM and HR Marker scoring will be accurate for the upcoming Joint Work Planning cycle, which will cover the 2024-2025 period. The training was also an important step for ensuring the accuracy of markers is instrumental for adequately score UNCT SWAP Indicator 6.1, which verifies whether adequate resources for gender mainstreaming are allocated and tracked.

A two-day workshop on gender participatory budgeting and community outreach practices brought together civil society organizations, local government representatives, activists, and gender-responsive budgeting experts from Albania and North Macedonia.

Toxic masculinities, rigid gender stereotypes, hate speech and media representation of traditional gender roles increase the risk of violence, particularly against women, which is considered to be the most widespread form of violence throughout the region – according to a new research supported by UN Women.

Fake news, misinformation, and hate speech are causing significant harm to mental health, exacerbating social divisions, and eroding trust in public institutions throughout the Western Balkans. Marginalized groups, particularly women and girls, are frequently targeted by hate speech. Of particular concern is the role of social media, which has become a fertile breeding ground for disinformation.

Thirty experts including government officials from ministries of finances, national gender mechanisms, local government representatives and supreme audit institutions, together with UN Women officials from across the Western Balkans met in Tirana, Albania on 3-4 May to monitor the progress in the implementation of the project “Transformative Financing for Gender Equality towards more Transparent, Inclusive and Accountable Governance in the Western Balkans” In 2022.

130 youth participated in UN Women consultations organized in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Serbia, and North Macedonia.

Verie Tahiraj is a strong and determined woman, who has been supporting her family through economic hardship for years. When the opportunity to secure a source of income by becoming a part of the artisan value chain presented itself, she seized it without hesitation.

A week-long events tackle gender discrimination in Albania with participants asking for equal representation in every space.

Women artisans engaged in the handicraft value chain and market now better equipped to earn higher incomes.

Aferdita Kote’s* old Nokia phone had only one contact: that of her husband of 10 years. He called her constantly to know her whereabouts. But she did not tell him when she got a new smartphone equipped with a mobile application (Bright Sky) to report violence.

Fabiola Laço Egro is the founder and leader of the “Today for the Future” Community Center as well as a member of National Council of Civil Society in Albania and the Monitoring Network against Gender-Based Violence. One of the most prominent civil society activists in Albania, Ms. Laço Egro shares her perspectives and lessons learned on building networks and alliances to advance the gender equality agenda.

The UN Women office in Albania teamed up with the government, civil society organizations, international partners, and other UN agencies operating in the country to mark this year's 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence with a variety of public events, university lectures, trainings, social media campaigns and much more.