This innovative methodology, introduced by ESD Albania with the support of UN Women and funding from the Swedish Government, aims to prevent violence and reduce bullying in schools. This is the story of a dedicated teacher and her students at “Karl Gega” High School in an Albanian village, and how ESD has transformed their lives.

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.

Gjeline Doda, from Lezha, northwest Albania, is one of the first educators in Albania certified as an Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) instructor in 2021. Apart from teaching high school math, which she has been doing for almost 15 years, she is now working to empower and teach personal safety to a new generation by boosting students’ self-esteem and communications skills to prevent and mitigate the risk of violence.

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.

More than fifty young people from the region engaged virtually in a constructive dialogue addressing the root causes of gender inequalities and its implication for social cohesion. This was the first regional consultation organized by UN Women as part of UN’s ‘Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality & Trust’ project supported by the UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, contributing to promoting gender equality as a driver for social cohesion and reconciliation in the Region.

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.

On 24 February 2023, the Government of Albania and UN Women hosted a sub-regional consultation for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, in preparation for the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67). The consultation provided an opportunity to discuss the gender gap in digital access, women's underrepresentation in certain professions, women’s entrepreneurship, decision-making in the digital transformation, as well as online discrimination and violence in the region.

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.

The Ministry of Health and Social Protection and UN Agencies in Albania launched the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” campaign supported by UN Women. The event brought together government and international partners, feminists, women’s rights activists, as well as many others who work every day to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.

The plans were adopted following broad-based and inclusive consultations with public and nonpublic institutions, the civil society, academia, youth, and private sector representatives. The entire process was technically supported by UN Women, as part of the Joint Programme “European Union for Gender Equality in Albania,” financed by the European Union through the Albania SDG Acceleration Fund.

As a result of continuous lobbying efforts, Empowerment through Self Defense has now become part of the first National Strategy for Youth and its Action Plan 2022-2029 which was approved in October of the current year. This innovative approach addresses gender equality by helping build healthy interpersonal relations and empowers girls and boys.

Over 1200 students around Albania were trained boosting their the self-esteem and strengthening their safety.

Jutta Benzenberg is a well-known German photographer that has been living in and photographing Albania for more than 30 years. She collaborated with UN Women in Albania during 2021 for the photographic project “I have a dream…”, bringing to attention the dreams of young women in urban and rural areas of the country, including those impacted by the earthquake of 2019.

From photo exhibitions and festivals to student discussions and private sector commitments, UN Women, in collaboration with local government and development partners, organized a series of topical events by to commemorate International Women’s Day, in the week of 3-11 March.

Organized by UN Women in partnership with the Center for Openness and Dialogue and with the financial support of the Government of Sweden, the exhibition was opened with a ceremony on International Women’s Day.

Klodiana Mere* has more than 30 stitches on her head, the same number as the number of years she lived in terror of her life and the lives of her two children. She survived a deadly attack by her ex-husband four years ago but the agony did not end there.

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.

UN Women and UNICEF in Albania call on institutions to fully investigate such crimes, establishing a culture of zero tolerance for sexual harassment and abuse.