Empowering Roma Women through Participatory Budgeting

Nadire Hyseni, 46 years old and a mother of three, sits proudly at her livestock stable near Berat, a stone town in southern Albania. She was born into extreme poverty and grew up in a modest hut by the river, in a large Roma family.

“A person should not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their heart. Without color, there would not be beauty,” Nadire Hyseni says, as she describes the challenges Roma women face and the transformative impact of community support and participatory governance.

Her early years were marked by the rigid traditional customs that limited opportunities for Roma girls. She married when she was only 13 years old, then emigrated to Greece with her husband and worked in agriculture. After experiencing domestic violence and with her marriage ending in divorce, she returned to Albania as a single mother in 2010, determined to rebuild her life in Berat. Here, too, however, the challenges caused by discrimination and limited opportunities persisted.

Initially working as a cleaner, Nadire Hyseni faced prejudice because of her ethnicity. Rather than resigning to her circumstances, she became an advocate for Roma rights, channeling her personal struggles into community activism. The turning point for her came when she came into contact with “The Youth of Ura Vajgurore” a local organization part of the Prizma Network – a platform of communication and exchange between local NGOs, donors, media and local authorities. They aim to prioritize participatory budgeting – a process where community members directly contribute to decisions about how public funds are spent.

“As members of Prizma, we have been trained and empowered to work with communities in need, especially Roma women, encouraging them to participate in local participatory budget hearings,” Vilson Shehu, Director of the NGO said.

The Prizma Network is an initiative of the “Today for the Future” Community Development Center, supported by UN Women. It is part of the UN Joint Programme “Leave No One Behind” funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, which seeks to enhance the participation of women, girls, and marginalized groups in decision-making processes.

Inspired by other women’s success stories, Nadire joined participatory budget hearings, advocating for better infrastructure and opportunities for Roma women. Her efforts, alongside others, brought critical issues to the attention of local authorities.

“Thanks to Nadire and other women facing similar challenges, we have been able to better allocate our budgets and shape local policies to empower women and marginalized groups,” explains Piro Xheblati, Director for Social Services in the Berat municipality. “As a result of these efforts, Nadire and dozens of other women from the Roma and Egyptian communities received financial assistance and grants to start their own businesses, along with legal support to combat workplace discrimination.”

These efforts led to investments in road infrastructure in the area, transforming it into a more suitable environment for both residential life and business development.

Nadire Hyseni used her grant to establish a livestock stable. By combining the financial support with her previous experience in animal husbandry, she was able to create a sustainable source of income for herself and her son through selling her products in the local market.

“If I had been given this opportunity earlier, perhaps both my daughters wouldn’t have married young and emigrated abroad,” she reflects. “Fortunately, my new business has brought me closer to my 16-year-old son, who now helps with daily tasks and is learning about livestock farming. Instead of feeling compelled to emigrate, he can build a decent life here in his own country.”

Since 2018, the “Participate, Express, Decide” initiative, supported by UN Women, has engaged over 3,000 women and girls in participatory budgeting across 35 municipalities in Albania. These efforts ensure that marginalized voices are heard, fostering inclusive governance and sustainable development.

The UN Joint Programme “Leave No One Behind” has enabled women and girls to be active in participatory budgeting processes in 15 municipalities of the country. Since 2018, this initiative has engaged over 3,000 women and girls, allowing them to articulate their needs and work together with local authorities to influence community development and improve their lives.