2023 - Gender Responsive Governance

Outcome 4

Gender Responsive Governance

By 2026, gender responsive governance strengthens equality and non-discrimination, promotes women’s empowerment and human rights, and reduces violence against women and children.

A story of building back better

Against the gentle hum of a sewing room, amid the rhythmic whir of machines, Rina finds more than just stitches and fabric. She is a survivor, a testament to resilience, who is attending a sewing course. Economic empowerment is pulsating, a lifeline extended to women and girls navigating the aftermath of domestic and gender-based violence. For Rina, it has been a journey of transformation, from registering with the employment office to securing a full-time position in the same business where she honed her skills in an apprenticeship.

Rina, a woman survivor of violence attending a sewing course

End violence against women and children

In 2023, the UN advanced efforts to address and eliminate violence against women, girls and children (EVAWGC), offering support, protection and empowerment to those affected. Efforts led to a stronger institutional response to implement laws and policies addressing such violence and their better alignment with international standards and recommendations including the most recent (2023) CEDAW Concluding Observations. Fourteen partner CSOs actively contributed to development of shadow reports on implementation of the Istanbul Convention and CEDAW. UN supported MoHSP in the CEDAW review process and the GREVIO thematic state report, and MoJ on provisions related to sexual violence and violence against women and children. MoJ and MoHSP were further supported in preparing for bilateral meetings on chapters 23 and 19 of the EU acquis and development of respective roadmaps. Efforts were initiated to establish a femicide watch in Albania, providing technical support to the Ombudsperson.

Young activists in Fushe-Arrëz took a stand against gender-based & domestic violence during the #16Days march through their town, in the context of the joint UN programme “Ending Violence Against Women’’, funded by the government of Sweden.

An improved institutional response to EVAWGC was put in place. Coordinated Referral Mechanisms (CRMs) in all municipalities were strengthened, ensuring a more cohesive and effective approach. Thorough analysis of CRMs in 42 municipalities is being finalized, evaluating the effectiveness, challenges and recommendations. In 2023, 317 service providers (of which at least 264 women) in 24 municipalities[1] increased their capacities to handle and refer cases of violence, including health service, teachers, police officers and local domestic violence coordinators. As a result, 426 people (10 men and 416 women survivors of violence), including at least 27 Roma and Egyptian women, 16 women with disabilities, and 123 women from rural areas received direct support. Amongst these beneficiaries, 226 received legal aid and 76 received psychological support. Preliminary data for 2023 provided by MoHSP show that 5,064 cases of violence were reported, 2,730 Protection Orders or Immediate Protection Orders were released and 1,911 cases were referred to the prosecutor. 621 cases of violence were addressed through the online registration and tracking system of GBV cases (REVALB). Through the MoUs signed between Faith-based Organisations (FBOs) and Pogradec and Vlore municipalities, the organisations are now participants in the municipal CRMs.

More on our work to end violence against women and children

In 2023, the UN partnered with national and local actors to further strengthen local institutional response mechanisms. Resilience Centres were established in three municipalities for promotion and protection of the rights and safety, and the inclusion of marginalised women, girls, boys and men, in particular women and girls, affected by conflict, discrimination or abuse, including GBV. In pursuit of the creation of a model for integrated social care support to the most vulnerable at the municipal level the centres’ profiles and typology of services were defined, informed by needs assessments per municipality. 42 partnerships with three municipalities, regional service provision offices and CSOs were key in co-designing and implementing the Resilience Centre model, focusing on increasing multisectoral coordination, empowering vulnerable individuals and providing integrated social care support services. As a result, within six months, 411 vulnerable individuals (40.9% girls, 29.2% boys and 26% women, 3.9% men), including 23 women victims of violence, 65 children with disabilities, 46 children and 136 youth, were supported through integrated social care services. Some 1,347 women, men, boys and girls were engaged in empowerment and advocacy interventions.

Efforts to establish a nationwide reintegration model for survivors of violence continued in 2023 at central and local levels. A total of 51 women and 114 children were supported with comprehensive services, including health, food, housing and employment assistance. Significant improvements in child protection case management prioritised the well-being of vulnerable individuals. Two regional One-Stop Centres (Barnahus model) for child survivors or witnesses of sexual abuse and other severe forms of violence were established, supporting 37 children and 16 non-abusive parents. Some 84 front-line professionals from health, social protection and law enforcement agencies were capacitated in effective trauma treatment practices, in addition to a costing exercise to ensure sustainability of the service. A national survey on attitudes towards violence against children (VAC) was completed to inform programmes for behaviour change. Analysis of the Health Behaviour in School Children Survey, focused on findings related to child abuse and adolescent maltreatment, was completed and discussed with 381 participants from various institutions nationwide. Child protection emergency response services benefited 43 children identified as at high risk of abuse, of which four were foreign unaccompanied children. In 2023, 563 cases of children (155 girls) in contact with the law referred by the police received specialised child protection support and immediate counselling, 212 children identified at medium-to-high risk of abuse were referred to the Child Protection Units, while 67 children were supported with dedicated case management. In parallel, 47 child protection workers were capacitated in case management referral pathways. The UN also supported the State Agency for Child Rights and Protection (SACRP) to develop a set of quality criteria for service provision by the statutory child protection workforce and the monitoring methodology, approved by MoHSP and piloted in ten municipalities, enhancing central government’s ability to monitor child protection services nationwide.

[1] Capacity building efforts were conducted in the municipalities of Vlora, Tirana, Kamez, Vau I Dejes, Puke, Malesi e Madhe, Fushe-Arrez, Has, Fier, Lushnje, Elbasan, Gramsh, Belsh, Cerrik, Librazhd, Peqin, Prrenjas, Durres, Kruja, Berat, Kukove, Polican, Dimal, Skrapar.

Addressing gender stereotypes and harmful norms and practices

The UN contribution throughout 2023 aimed at increasing the knowledge of rights-holders of gender stereotypes and harmful norms and practices through partnering with central and local governments, media and youth. A UN Albania position paper was issued, advocating for revision of the GE law and the development of a policy document addressing child, early or forced marriage and providing recommendations for legal framework changes. Efforts to combat child marriage and promote GE had impact across various sectors, including through the following:

A new regulatory document was issued—the Code of Ethics in Broadcasting—by the Audio-Visual Media Authority, specifically addressing child marriage.
Community engagement played a crucial role, with 7 communities participating in dialogue and consensus building on alternatives to child marriage, adolescent girl rights and GE.
33 teachers (8 males) and 60 students (18 males) were reached with information on GE, positive gender norms and the risks associated with harmful practices. They were further supported to reach and engage an additional 635 schoolmates, parents and community members through creative activities. 12 exhibitions with designs by teenagers were organised in 7 municipalities and attended by 272 students (71 males), and 1,400 community members were informed on the risks and prevention of child marriage and early union.

Participants at the launching of “Voices of YOUth: Gender Equality and Social Cohesion in the Western Balkans” research

More on our work to addressing gender stereotypes and harmful norms and practices

The regional youth-led research Voices of YOUth: Gender Equality and Social Cohesion in the Western Balkans was finalised, shedding light on the relevant experiences, challenges and opportunities. The research analysed data collected through an online survey reaching 1,232 youth in the region, national consultations and interviews. The UN support extended to the labour sector, where an MoU was signed between the State Labour and Social Services Inspectorate and the CPD to mainstream ILO C190 standards on eliminating violence and harassment in the workplace, aimed at joint institutional training and the development of an AP, a manual for handling C190-related cases in the workplace and upgraded inspection checklists.

Specific programmes engaged man and boys in addressing harmful practices. Eleven Be a Man clubs were supported to raise awareness, including one new club formed in 2023 in the Institute for Juveniles in Kavaje. Furthermore, over 1,100 men and boys were engaged, recognising them as important actors to address and transform deeply rooted beliefs about social norms. Through the Empowerment through Self-Defence approach, 1,068 students (606 girls) across 40 schools nationwide were reached to address root causes of gender inequalities and develop healthy boundaries between girls and boys at school.

During the 16 Days Campaign to End Gender-based Violence, key messages on prevention and response to GBV reached more than 220,000 people on social media and more than 2,400 people through various activities featuring around 180 events. The UN-supported media reports on VAW increased to at least 11, including a dedicated media forum that increased awareness of 14 media professionals (12 women) about VAW, services provided to survivors, the media’s role in reporting VAW cases, and the latest CEDAW Concluding Observations. In addition, preparation of a sports-focused gender mainstreaming guide is under way that will highlight gender disparities, barriers and opportunities within sports organisations with actionable recommendations. A survey on male perceptions on GE involved 204 respondents, with findings shared at the 4th Annual Forum of Men and Boys, recognising efforts of male activists from various sectors. The UN’s year-long campaign on Gender Biased Sex Selection opened in public spaces of four municipalities, attracting attention of street viewers and media coverage. Additionally, a workshop on Good Parenting Skills involved 30 participants (26 women) from Tirane Municipality and MoJ.

Gender-responsive planning and budgeting

In 2023, significant progress was made to improve gender-responsive governance in Albania at central and local levels and to ensure that the UN system delivers for women and girls. There was a significant increase in the total budget allocated to GE, amounting to 9.6 percent in the 2023–2025 Medium-Term Budget Programme (MTPB), compared to nine percent in the previous year. Out of 128 budgetary programmes 53 are engendered, placing Albania amongst the few countries globally with a system to track budget allocations dedicated to GE. All budget instructions include GRB in their criteria, and a gender budget statement was attached to the project budget. The Gender-sensitive Citizens’ Budget ensured the transparency of the budget for all citizens. MoHSP’s active role in advocating for gender key performance indicators in MTBP is a direct outcome of the partnership between the UN, MoFE and MoHSP that has enhanced the capacities of 280 public officials (11 ministries, 20 GE employees) on gender mainstreaming, integration of GRB in MTBP 2023–2025, and gender statistics.

Project Advisory Board Meeting of the regional project ‘Transformative Financing for Gender Equality in the Western Balkans’ with members from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia, May 3-4, 2023, in Tirana, Albania.

More on Gender-Responsive Planning and Budgeting

In 2023, the Albanian Supreme Audit Institution conducted a gender audit focused on rural women’s access to labour market and linkages with unpaid care work. Furthermore, the UN’s strengthened partnership with Members of Parliament through the Parliamentary Institute resulted in GRB annexes and gender budget statements disseminated to parliamentary committees. This strategic dissemination laid a solid foundation for discussion of budgets from a gender perspective during commissions. The UN sustained capacity building efforts with media throughout 2023, resulted in 30 gender-sensitive media reports covering various topics, including GRB, EVAW and women’s political participation. More than 40 journalists acquired essential skills and knowledge through media fora, enhancing their ability to report on the gender dimensions of budgets and their impact on society. At the local level, ten municipalities actively implemented GRB for the first time in 2023, by incorporating ten gender-sensitive initiatives into their annual budgets, and systematically included 30 new gender-responsive indicators. A total of 249 municipal staff, municipal councils and local gender machinery underwent capacity building on the application of GRB principles.

Furthermore, in 2023, in support of children’s rights and SDGs, the UN, in consultation with MoFE, conducted a thorough analysis of Albania’s spending on children, utilising Child-focused Public Expenditure Measurement methodology. This innovative approach informed policy recommendations to better align government budget with children’s rights presented through a joint meeting with the SDG Parliamentary Sub-committee and a national event co-led with MoFE. Additionally, the potential impacts, costs and cost-effectiveness of the introduction of a child benefit in Albania were explored through a study that has enabled the opening of an evidence-based dialogue on introducing universal child benefit with plans in place to continue advocacy efforts during 2024.

Gender equality mechanisms

The UN efforts in 2023 contributed to increased gender mainstreaming in strategic planning, policy guidance, local governance, rural economic empowerment and youth engagement. Specific inputs were provided for integrating GE aspects into key strategies, including the Cross-sectoral Strategy on Decentralisation and Local Self-governance 2023–2030, the National Employment and Skills Strategy 2023–2030, and six draft IPA 2024 Action Documents. To ensure alignment with the EU legal and policy framework and guide future policies and planning, five gender mainstreaming guidance notes were finalised, covering areas including justice, anti-corruption, DRR, ICT, digitalization and health.

Ejona Zaimaj, owner and administrator of Amalthia Farm

Leadership and participation

In the realm of women’s political participation, the UN launched a needs assessment to evaluate the legislative, representative and oversight capacities of local-level women politicians. The insights gained will serve as a foundation for future programming and tailored support to address specific legislative, representative and oversight needs identified among such politicians. Efforts to empower women in agribusiness involved the organisation of diverse capacity-building activities that led to increased interest from 22 women in two municipalities to engage in agribusiness incubators, taking on various managerial and administrative roles. The improved skills and knowledge gained through these activities positively contributed to enhanced self-esteem, confidence and decision-making capacities, preparing them for skills-based roles and responsibilities in agribusiness incubators.

Over 40 media professionals explored topics like gender responsive budgeting, violence against women and the media’s vital role in portraying women in politics and elections.

Furthermore, 20 journalists and media professionals, predominantly women, actively participated in the 1st Media Forum focused on addressing issues of sexism, gender stereotypes and VAW in elections and politics within the media landscape. It particularly contextualised these concerns in light of the 2023 local elections and beyond. Building on this, an additional 40 journalists and media representatives in three municipalities were equipped with skills and knowledge to effectively tackle these issues in media coverage. Finally, 14 women politicians improved their dialogue with media professionals, addressing the nexus between disinformation, gender-based discrimination and VAW in Politics and during Elections.

Highlights of Results on Gender Responsive Governance

21

Institutions

strengthened capacities to improve the provision of essential services, goods and resources for women

6

Legal Acts and Policy Documents

developed addressing child marriage as a harmful practice

9.5%

of Total National Budget

allocated to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

13

Institutions

have increased capacities to design and implement institutional reforms, strategies, policies that promote GEWE