Budgeting for change: How gender-sensitive investments are transforming women’s lives in Albania

In Albania, Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) has not only changed how public funds are planned and allocated, it has also changed lives. GRB ensures that budgets work for everyone. By taking into account the unique needs of women, men, girls, and boys, it strives for a fairer distribution of resources.

UN Women has supported the integration of GRB in Albania since 2015, as part of the regional programme “Transformative Financing for Gender Equality in the Western Balkans,” which helps governments across the region plan, budget, and deliver on their gender equality commitments.

As a result, the number of gender equality programs in Albania’s central government budgets increased from 9 to 77 by 2025. Moreover, GRB is now embedded across critical sectors - social protection, education, health, agriculture, and justice - making public policies more inclusive and effective through gender-sensitive planning. Public investment for gender equality in Albania has increased from USD 90 million (2017–2019) to over USD 803 million (2025–2027).

Behind these numbers are real lives that have changed thanks to these reforms. This story follows the journeys of three women whose experiences reflect the impact of gender-sensitive investments: a young woman pursuing a military career, a 17-year-old girl studying in a male-dominated field, and an artist advocating for more women in the art scene.

Klarisa Vagollari, the woman serving her country in uniform

“The most inspiring moment for me was the first time I wore the uniform. I saw myself not simply as a girl with a dream, but as someone living that dream with strength, dignity, and determination,” says 22-year-old Klarisa Vagollari, who will soon officially join the Albanian Armed Forces.

With a degree in Finance and Accounting and currently completing a 10-month Officer Preparation Course, she’s pursuing a long-held ambition to serve her country. “Joining the army was always a calling for me,” Vagollari explains. “I believe military service is one of the most honorable ways to contribute to Albania’s security.”

Her journey has been made possible through targeted public investment in gender equality. Through GRB, increased support for women in education and employment has opened new paths in sectors like defence, where women were once underrepresented. In the last four years, there has been a 4% increase in the number of girls participating in military education. Recruitment policies have changed, and with gender equality now a national budget priority, cadets receive benefits such as monthly stipends, health coverage, and free accommodation, regardless of gender.

Klarisa Vagollari is one of 12 women among 38 cadets in her course. In the last five years, the number of female students in the Military Academy has increased by 5%, signaling a shift toward a more inclusive defence force.

However, one of her biggest challenges was confronting stereotypes in a traditionally male-dominated environment. “You’re often seen as a woman first, and a soldier second. Some male cadets think girls are privileged, so we constantly have to prove them wrong. But at the end of the day, we all climb the same mountain. I’ve learned that commitment, discipline, and capability don’t have a gender.”

She points to the 10 weeks of intense physical training as her toughest moment. “That’s where I learned the value of mental strength, self-discipline, and support from peers.”

Vagollari credits inclusive policies and targeted investments as key enablers of her journey. “When I see more women joining the military, it reminds me that this isn’t just my dream – it’s becoming a shared reality.”

Besiana Doçi, the young woman breaking stereotypes through education

In a classroom of 80 boys, Besiana Doçi is the only girl. At 17, she’s studying electrotechnics at the vocational high school in Kamza, just outside the capital Tirana. She’s confident in her decision.

“I feel great,” she says. “I don’t regret choosing this field, and I have no plans to change it.”

Doçi comes from the remote village of Arrez in Kukës, northern Albania. She moved to Kamza with her seven sisters, three of whom also attended the same school in different fields. When it came time to choose her path, Besiana Doçi knew she wanted something different.

“One of my sisters was studying nursing, and another was studying ICT, but I wanted something else,” she explains. “At first, my mom wasn’t so sure. She said, ‘You’re not going to be messing with wires.’ But both my parents have always let us make our own choices.”

The school has about 1,500 students, many from migrant families from northern Albania. Girls make up around 20% of the total, but in electrotechnics, Doçi is the only one. That hasn’t discouraged her, thanks in part to family support and public investment in girls’ education through GRB. Since 2021, there has been more than a 2% increase in the number of girl students receiving scholarships. Girls who choose non-traditional vocational subjects like Doçi’s receive a 100% scholarship. Others receive 50%.

The measure is designed to encourage girls to pursue careers in science, technology, and engineering. As a result, female enrollment in ICT programs in Albania grew by over 10% between 2020 and 2023.

Her male classmates have been supportive, she says, but some of her female peers didn’t react well to her choice.

“A few girl friends were very surprised and didn’t understand why I chose this path. To this day, we just don’t hang out anymore,” she says. Despite that, Doçi stayed focused. “What I enjoy the most is the practical work. I’m really looking forward to the third year when we get to work in the field.”

She’s already putting her skills to use at home. “When something breaks - a plug, a socket - I fix it. In our new house, the electrician didn’t finish the wiring, so I did it myself. It’s still working just fine.”

Doçi has found encouragement from her classmates, teachers, and family. She’s determined to become an engineer. “In class, it doesn’t matter that I’m the only girl. We’re all students.”

Outside of school, she plays football, a passion she brought from her village. “We used to play girls versus boys, and we didn’t let them win,” she smiles. “I still play with my sisters.”

Her advice to other girls is clear: “If you like something – even if people say it’s a ‘boy’s job’ – go for it. Don’t let others decide for you.”

Adela Demetja, the woman advocating for more women in the art scene

For decades, Albania’s post-communist art scene sidelined women artists, leaving them under-documented and nearly invisible. Curator Adela Demetja*, founder of “Tirana Art Lab - Center for Contemporary Art,” experienced this firsthand. After studying cultural management and curating abroad, she returned home in 2021 with a clear mission: to place women artists at the center of Albania’s contemporary art narrative.

But limited public investment made progress slow, until GRB was introduced into the country’s public finance system.

GRB led the Ministry of Culture to revise its funding schemes. One major shift in early 2025 was the introduction of annual funding for nonprofit cultural organizations, moving beyond one-off project grants.

“For the first time, we could think long-term,” says Adela Demetja. “We could plan ambitious exhibitions and invest in rediscovering women’s artistic legacies.”

With this support, “Tirana Art Lab” launched a landmark exhibition dedicated to textile artist Diana Miziri, a pioneering but nearly forgotten figure, presented alongside her husband’s sculptures. More than just an exhibition, it was a reclamation of a silenced chapter in Albanian art history.

“The 1990s remain largely undocumented in Albanian art, especially the contributions of women during and after the fall of communism,” Demetja explains. “Since Diana is no longer alive, I chose to exhibit her work with her husband’s to highlight their artistic dialogue and shed light on an overlooked era.”
Adela Demetja had envisioned this exhibition for over a year, but funding had always been a barrier, until now.

“Of course, the Ministry has its own criteria, but it’s more open to diverse programming than some regional schemes. That flexibility gave us the space to realize this project.”

This shift in cultural funding policy is a clear example of how public budgets, when designed with gender equality in mind, can support social transformation, visibility, and justice.

Yet structural challenges persist. Many nonprofit cultural organizations, most of them led by women, still struggle to cover basic operational costs like salaries, rent, and administration. These are rarely included in project-based funding.

To address this, independent art organizations joined forces and created the Albanian Visual Art Network in 2024. This network now advocates for sustainable public funding, operational support, and co-financing mechanisms needed to access European grants – since these typically cover only 60–70% of the total project costs. The rest must be raised by the organizations themselves, often through independent fundraising, sponsorships, or other alternative income sources.

“You can’t build long-term cultural infrastructure without stable support,” Adela Demetja emphasizes.

* At the time of the interview, Adela Demetja was serving as the Director of Tirana Art Lab. She has since been appointed as the Director of the Albanian Gallery of Arts.

These gender-sensitive investments are driving progress in the country by expanding social and health services for women, empowering women in rural areas, improving education access for girls, increasing economic opportunities, and promoting justice and safety for survivors of violence.