Albania

In March 2024, the Ombudsperson of Albania established the Observatory on Femicide, marking a significant advancement in monitoring gender-based killings of women and girls. Femicide, defined as the gender-related killing of women and girls, is a severe violation of human rights and a form of gender-based violence. Despite its severity, femicide is not legally recognized in Albania's Criminal Code. By enhancing accountability and protection mechanisms, the Observatory on Femicide delivers regular, independent evidence on the impact of government policies addressing gender-based violence. This initiative contributes to a safer environment for women and girls, reducing the risk of violence. It serves as a model for comprehensive data collection and analysis on gender-based violence, fostering coordinated action and knowledge sharing to amplify its impact. As the first initiative of its kind in the Western Balkans and one of the few in Europe, the Observatory on Femicide systematically tracks and analyzes femicide cases using a global methodology developed by UNDOC and UN Women. The observatory, provides crucial insights into judicial procedures, highlights systemic strengths and weaknesses, and offers recommendations to improve the prevention and response to femicide. This initiative is undertaken in cooperation with UN Women, as part of the UN Joint Programme nding violence against women in Albania, financed by the Government of Sweden. The establishment of the Observatory on Femicide is the result of several years of collaboration between UN Women and the Ombudsperson, a partnership instrumental in achieving this milestone. The Observatory contributes to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, target 5.2 on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls, and SDG 16, including target 16.1, which aims to reduce all forms of violence. The first Report on the Killing of Women and Femicide in Albania (2021-2023) emphasizes the urgency of recognizing femicide as a distinct criminal offense and presents both quantitative and qualitative findings. It offers actionable recommendations to enhance institutional coordination, strengthen investigative and punitive measures, and improve survivor support services. Key recommendations include legislative reform to include femicide in the Criminal Code and a more cohesive response from responsible institutions to prevent and address gender-based violence. Implementing these measures will help prevent gender-based violence and reduce its occurrence, providing stronger protection for women and girls while ensuring a more impactful and sustainable response. National-level data reveal that from 2021 to 2023, Albania recorded 24 femicides. 90% of femicide cases involved victims who had previously experienced violence from perpetrators, underscoring the importance of early intervention. The report highlights critical gaps in institutional responses, before crimes were committed and during criminal proceedings.

With the adoption of the second National Action Plan (NAP) on UNSCR 1325, Albania reaffirmed its strong commitment to promote the inclusion of women and girls in peace and security processes. Since 2017, the year prior to the approval of the first NAP, Albania has jumped 15 spots in the Women, Peace and Security global ranking. In the two years of implementation of the first NAP, 82% of planned activities were fully delivered. The number of women in police and military forces increased from 4% to 5.13%. There was a sharp increase in the number of women with decision-making roles in the security sector, moving from 0 to 11 executives between 2018 and 2020. The NAP contributes to SDGs 5.1, 5.5 and 5.c and 16.7, and the realization of UNSDCF Outcome 4 and Outcome 3. It effectively addresses the structural barriers women may face as participants in the security sector or recipients of public security services, including continuously limited participation, and emerging challenges such as cybercrime, sexual harassment (in synergy with the recently adopted ILO Convention 190), and natural disasters. The adoption of the plan was the culmination of several years of collaboration between UN Women and all partners involved in monitoring the implementation of the first NAP and developing and advocating for the second one. While UN Women CO does not have a dedicated WPS project, it leveraged limited core resources to ensure that the plan is aligned with international standards, it is costed, and that CSOs were engaged in the development process of the plan, in particular the CSO coalition on Women, Peace and Security, composed of over 30 organizations which contributed to the first NAP by monitoring its implementation. UN Women collaborated with donors and other international partners and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection led the process and accepted all inputs from UN Women and CSO partners.The second NAP was developed based on the lessons learned from the first NAP, such as the importance to ensure and promote active collaboration of civil society in the implementation of the plan, including its monitoring. The adoption of the second NAP was acknowledged by the Minister of Health and Social Protection as a positive step for Albania�s EU integration process and a testimony to the country�s commitment to global peace and security (see picture here). Albania served as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2022-2023, with the government pledging to champion the WPS Agenda across the full breadth of the Security Council�s work. It is also an active member of the Feminist Foreign Policy group and a signatory of the shared commitment on WPS. UN Women will continue to play an active role in the implementation of the plan and supporting CSOs in developing shadow monitoring reports, including within the framework of Albania�s renewed membership into the Human Rights Council.