32 women were killed in Albania in the last three years - according to the femicide report

For the first time since its establishment earlier this year, the Albanian Femicide Observatory within the People’s Advocate has released a comprehensive report on the killings of women and girls, as well as femicide, revealing that 32 women were killed in the country between 2021 and 2023. Nearly 90 per cent of killings (27), were committed by their partners or family members.

The report, developed by the People’s Advocate with the support of UN Women and the Government of Sweden, reveals that 24 of these cases have been identified as femicides, defined as the intentional killing of women or girls due to gender-related motivations. About 60% of femicides occurred in the victim’s own home. These findings are among the key insights from a comprehensive analysis of murders of women and girls in Albania.

During the presentation of the report, People’s Advocate, Erinda Ballanca, highlighted.

“Femicide is the culmination of a long history of violence and discrimination that women endure every day. In Albania, this phenomenon is a social issue that demands a strong and unwavering response from every institution and individual. We must recognize that femicide is not just a problem for the victims—it is a problem that affects us all. Every woman who dies because of violence represents a failure of society, of our institutions, and of our education on equality and mutual respect. This is an issue that requires immediate and coordinated action from all of us“

The report, carried out under the Femicides Observatory, established in March 2024, serves as a vital monitoring mechanism to prevent femicide. Its objectives include identifying gaps in the protection mechanisms for victims of violence and offer concrete recommendations to responsible institutions. Among its key recommendations, the report calls for recognizing femicide as a distinct criminal offense in the Albanian Criminal Code, strengthening early response, and improving coordination between law enforcement, social services, and the judicial system to better protect women at risk.

The report reveals that 90% of femicide victims experienced violence from their perpetrators before, emphasizing that early warning signs often appear in patterns of abuse and violence. This underscores the critical need for proactive measures and robust responses to safeguard women and girls.

Michele Ribotta, UN Women Representative in Albania, highlights the devastating impact of femicide as the most extreme manifestation of violence against women:

“Femicide is driven by gender discrimination, unequal power relations, and harmful social norms. It is the most extreme and brutal manifestation of violence against women, which occurs on a continuum of multiple and related forms of violence. But violence against women and girls is not inevitable - it is preventable! And the Femicide Observatory constitutes a critical addition to the arsenal of weapons that we must deploy to eliminate gender-based violence from our homes, schools, work, and cyber spaces.”

In 2023, Albania's femicide rate was 0.84 per 100,000 women, higher than in 2022. While this rate is below neighboring countries like Montenegro and Greece, it surpasses those of North Macedonia and Türkiye. The report underscores the importance of consistent and transparent data collection, achieved using the UN's statistical framework for measuring femicide.

Femicide (or feminicide, as it is referred to in some contexts) is defined as an intentional killing with a gender-related motivation. It is different from homicide, where the motivation may not be gender related. Femicide is a global crisis that affects women and girls in every country and territory. According to the latest global femicide report issued by UN Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), in 2023 around 51,100 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members (including fathers, mothers, uncles and brothers). This means that, on average, 140 women or girls are killed every day by someone in their own family.

To read the Albanian version, click here.