Newly Certified Trainers Ready to Empower Albania’s Next Generation of Women Political Candidates

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Participants of the Training of Trainers on women's political participation in Albania. Photo UN Women
Participants of the Training of Trainers on women's political participation in Albania. Photo UN Women

UN Women in Albania organized in September a five-day Training of Trainers focused on women’s active participation in politics. 14 accomplished trainers were certified on political leadership and candidate training. These women and men, coming from diverse fields such as academia, communication, law, and civil society, saw the training as a unique opportunity to enhance their skills. Equipped with the necessary knowledge, they are now prepared to mentor and guide women aspiring to run in future elections, empowering the next generation of female leaders in politics.

With a distinguished political career in the past, Klajda Gjosha reflects on what she found most valuable in the training:

“UN Women’s ToT on Political Leadership & Candidate Training was unique in giving the powerful set of techniques on how to train women who aspire to run for a campaign. I loved sharing my experience but also learning from others’ perspectives and professionalism. A great training for empowering women candidates and raising confidence in their political engagement.”

Agustela Nini-Pavli, a human rights activist and gender consultant, is also part of this first network of qualified trainers on political leadership and candidate training. She described the training as very impactful and praised the trainer's effective methodology.

“This training exceeded my expectations. Participants were very motivated and came already with a wealth of knowledge on different aspects of women political participation. The lead trainer was very professional and had extensive international experience on women in elections. In addition, UN Women Manual designed for these types of trainings and translated in Albanian is a very useful and practical resource. I believe that thanks to the methods used, all the future trainers are now equipped with the necessary tools and capacities to transmit this knowledge to potential women candidates in Albania.”

The training was conducted by Ajla van Heel Merdanovic, an international expert on elections and gender issues. She emphasized the importance of equipping aspiring women candidates in Albania with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in future elections.

“This training is unique in its aim to demystify politics, equip and aspire and future women candidates with practical skills such as strategic communication, strengthen their knowledge of voter outreach or campaign finance, as well as build their confidence to run and succeed in elected office. UN Women’s investment into training aspiring and future women candidates in Albania is an investment into women’s human rights and empowerment, but also an investment into representative democracy and inclusive decision-making, for the benefit of all.”

The journey ahead is still long, but the 14 certified trainers are now prepared to play a crucial role in transforming Albania’s political landscape by empowering the next generation of women leaders.