Turning Data into Action: Albania against Femicide
Albanian institutions are now systematically monitoring gender-based killings, enhancing accountability and protection mechanisms, and implementing policy and legislative recommendations to address gender-based violence. This progress also enables partners, including civil society organizations and media, to take more informed and effective actions. These achievements have been made possible in cooperation with UN Women, as part of the UN Joint Programme ending violence against women in Albania, financed by the Government of Sweden.
In March 2024, the Ombudsperson of Albania established the Observatory on Femicide. 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. 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. 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.
National-level data reveal that from 2021 to 2023, Albania recorded 24 femicides. Ninety per cent involved victims who had previously experienced violence from perpetrators, underscoring the importance of early intervention.