Planned Budget (Total)
Other resources (non-core)
Country Indexes
outcome XM-DAC-41146-ALB_D_1.2
By 2026, all persons benefit from, and contribute to, innovative and integrated policy solutions that accelerate sustainable, productive and inclusive development, enhanced climate change adaptation and mitigation and transition to a green and blue economy (UNSDCF Outcome B).
Significant progress was made in creating a more enabling environment for women entrepreneurs, businesswomen, and artisan women, contributing to sustainable, productive, and inclusive development in Albania. UN Women played a key role in this progress by fostering stronger engagement with the private sector, building capacity, and collaborating closely with both central and local stakeholders. These efforts have helped to advance women’s economic empowerment across various sectors. A highlight of the year was the Satellite EXPO on Women Entrepreneurship, a spin-off event from Regional EXPO organized by the Country Office (CO), which served as a platform for women entrepreneurs to access important networks and business growth opportunities. The event, co-organized with the Ministry of State for Entrepreneurship, attracted 40 entrepreneurs and 20 WEPs (Women Empowerment Principles) signatories. Over 100 visitors attended, purchasing women’s products, and participating in capacity-building sessions on topics such as access to finance, process optimization, digital transformation, and AI-powered marketing. The event also saw an increase in the number of WEPs signatories, which grew to 74 companies, with 7 new signatories joining during EXPO. These outcomes were made possible through UN Women’s strong partnerships with public institutions, private sector companies, and international organizations like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Chamber of Commerce. Efforts to support rural women made significant progress, particularly in Gramsh, where women improved their skills in food safety and marketing medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs). Entrepreneurship capacity was strengthened also through four networking and B2B events in Elbasan, Leskovik, and Gramsh. A marketing guide for the “Duarartat e Leskovikut” group generated over 150,000 Leke in sales, demonstrating the impact of these initiatives. Five training sessions in Leskovik and Kuqan equipped 16 participants (15 women and 1 man) with skills in product safety, labeling, composting, and organic standards, boosting product quality and market access. In Gramsh, women received specialized training on hazard identification and product quality to enhance business sustainability. Additional training events in Elbasan/Shirgjan and Leskovik, along with workshops in Kuqan, focused on leadership, collaboration, and business planning. UN Women also provided technical assistance to the Gramsh women's group, including training and equipment for MAP processing, boosting product value and local market access. The equipment delivery was formalized through a signed agreement with the National Agency for Rural Development. In the tourism sector, the Country Assessment of Women in Tourism was initiated, gathering insights from 49 stakeholders. Gender-sensitive inputs were provided for the draft National Tourism Strategy, with the first draft of the assessment completed and ready for stakeholder review. Preparatory work for supporting women-led tourism businesses is set to continue in 2025, with plans for gender-responsive training for private tourism stakeholders and the creation of safety guidelines for women traveling in Albania. Several women-led tourism businesses also joined the WEPs signatory companies and participated in the EXPO 2024 Satellite event in Tirana, showcasing their commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs. Furthermore, an action plan was developed to support three women-owned tour operators in creating specialized tours, with initial consultations held in Tirana, Shkodra, and Vlora. Activities planned for 2025 will focus on tour design, marketing, and operational support for feminist tourism development. The Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) approach was introduced through four training sessions, engaging 74 participants from tourism schools in Tirana on personal safety, assertive communication, and conflict resolution. A draft ESD training module was also developed for future implementation. UN Women’s initiatives, in close partnership with various stakeholders, have significantly contributed to creating a more enabling environment for women entrepreneurs, strengthening their capacity, and promoting their inclusion in Albania’s economic development. These efforts are expected to continue fostering sustainable growth and women’s empowerment in years to come.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-ALB_D_1.3
By 2026, all persons contribute to, gender-responsive governance that strengthens equality and non-discrimination, promotes women’s empowerment and human rights, and reduces violence against women and children (UNSDCF C2).
Overall, significant progress was made to improve gender responsive governance in Albania at central and local level and to ensure that the UN system delivers for women and girls. UN Women Albania closely supported the Ministry of Social Protection in taking steps towards actioning various CEDAW Concluding Observations, several of which were priority for the country, including initiating the amendment of the Gender Equality Law in Society in line with international standards and EU requirements. The Law is being revised following a consultative process involving CSOs, media, private sector and led through a dedicated interministerial working group. The amended law is currently being costed with UN Women support and will be approved in the first quarter of 2025. Two strategies included gender equality perspective following UN Women’s inputs and support, namely the National Strategy on Justice and the Anti-Corruption Strategy, which now include gender responsive measures, actions, and indicators. The number of cases of violence reported in REVALB by the Coordinated Referral Mechanism increased to 775, compared to 621 in 2023. UN Women has continued to provide training and capacity building to strengthen the Coordination Referral Mechanism during the year, with almost 284 professionals (of which 46 men) with enhanced skills to handle violence against women cases. A dedicated observatory, the Femicide Watch, is now established to better monitor, measure, and track cases of femicide in Albania, the first of its kind in the Western Balkan region following the global methodology developed by UN Women and UNODC to count femicides. A legal review was initiated, under the leadership of the Parliament, to include and address digital violence in the legal framework. Two municipalities (Elbasan and Lushnja) have increased their budget to provide services to victims of violence, based on the financial gap analysis developed by UN Women. The 16 days campaign reached over 1.7 million people, including through innovative awareness activities including the bike relay, which reached 16 municipalities and over 400 people directly. The regional IMAGINE campaign reached over 4 million people in the Western Balkans, sharing messages on the importance of gender equality, youth participation and social cohesion for lasting peace. Increased efforts were made to produce and collect gender data, with the establishment of an interministerial group on gender statistics with INSTAT and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and with UN Women support, providing a dedicated platform for stakeholders to harmonize gender data systems, align with EU requirements, and strengthen evidence-based policymaking. The UNCT SWAP Comprehensive report indicates a sustained positive performance of UN Albania when it comes to promoting gender equality in accountability mechanisms, programming, joint advocacy, and capacities. 11 out of 15 indicators of the SWAP Scorecard resulted as 'exceeding minimum standards', compared to 8 indicators in the prior comprehensive assessment conducted in 2019, and only 1 indicator was 'missing requirements'. Albania’s integration of Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) into public financial management remains a foundational element of its strategy to advance gender equality. The European Commission’s report highlighted this as a key area of progress. 48 out of 75 budget programs across 11 ministries were evaluated as gender-responsive, showcasing significant strides in aligning national budgets with gender equality goals. At the local level, GRB practices gained momentum, with 10 new initiatives incorporated into municipal budgets. Nevertheless, the report underscored the importance of expanding GRB coverage and deepening its integration into public financial management reforms to ensure sustainable progress. Albania continues to be recognized globally for its leadership in GRB, meeting the requirements of SDG Indicator 5.c.1.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-ALB_O_1
Assuring an accountable organization through principled performance
Achieved. The Albania Country Office (CO) has prioritized the practical implementation of value-for-money principles to achieve results efficiently and effectively. This commitment is evident in its ongoing efforts to enhance and foster an accountable and trustworthy organization. The CO has ensured accountability of resources through the successful implementation of all contributions, providing a framework for ethical business practices and safeguarding the organization's reputation. The CO's delivery and utilization rates are 95.1% and 92% for non-core resources, and 100% for core resources. During 2024, the CO further demonstrated its commitment to effective results-based management by investing in human resources to enhance results-based management practices. This investment, fully financed through the flexible Strategic Note Direct Funding, led to the creation of a new position dedicated to providing strategic planning, results-based management related guidance, and technical support across key corporate planning, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting processes. The CO achieved 100% compliance in ERM - Fraud Risk Assessment and Risk Validation within corporate deadlines. This was accomplished through comprehensive discussions within assessment teams and with all staff, who carefully assessed existing controls, the likelihood and impact of risks, and mitigation actions for potential future occurrences. These efforts have strengthened the CO's capacity to foster a robust risk awareness culture. Additionally, the CO maintained 100% compliance with safety and security requirements. The Security and Safety Compliance Survey was reviewed and updated, resulting in a total score of 99.6%.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-ALB_O_2
Advancing partnerships and resources resourcing; Effectively influencing for impact & scale
Achieved. In 2024, the Albania Country Office made significant strides in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment by engaging diverse partners. The office continued to build alliances and leveraged UN Women’s communications and advocacy platforms. Strategic collaboration with various media outlets and journalists, through our regular media forums , resulted in the production of 70 journalistic pieces on gender equality, an increase from 55in 2023, despite the challenging media landscape in Albania. The EXPO in Tirana successfully engaged 40 women entrepreneurs and 20 Women Economic Principles (WEPs) signatories, featuring capacity-building sessions on topics such as access to finance, process optimization, digital transformation, and AI-powered marketing. Over 100 visitors attended the event, purchasing products from women entrepreneurs, and the number of WEPs signatories grew to 74 companies, with 7 new signatories joining during the EXPO. UN Women Albania engaged with the sports sector through initiatives like the publication of the first-ever on gender and sports in Albania, highlighting stereotypes and persisting social norms that hinder the full participation of women in sports such as scarcity of funds for gender sensitive facilities, lack of women coaches and role models in the sports world, persisting gender stereotypes about sports through the media, and gender based violence in sports. UN Women actively engaged in the breast cancer awareness month to raise awareness about this issue with a football match organized by the Albanian Football Association, and collaboration with cycling non-profit organization WeBike Albania during the 16 days campaign which reached 16 municipalities and over 400 people directly though in-person activities, and approximately 1.7 million people through social media. The Country Office excelled in resource mobilization, signing five contribution agreements totalling approximately USD 7.25 million for the 2024-2027 period. These contributions included SN Direct funding and were granted by established partners like the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, new collaborators such as the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and maintained positive relationships with donors like the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the European Union Delegation in Albania. The donor community in Albania was regularly involved in discussion and analysis of progress on various aspects of the gender equality agenda. The Partners Coordination Group Gender, cochaired by SIDA and UN Women, held two meetings during 2024, one in May and one in November. This last meeting focused on recent normative commitments and progress made by the Government of Albania on addressing violence against women and on implementing the CEDAW Concluding Observations (2023). The meeting was attended by 23 people (4 men, 19 women) representing 14 international organizations and partners.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-ALB_O_3
Advancing business transformation
On track. The Albania Country Office (CO) in 2024 has maximized opportunities for UN inter-agency collaboration. UN Women has taken a leading role in gender mainstreaming and gender equality within the UN Country Team. UN women continued to co-chair the Outcome 4 of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, on Gender-Responsive Governance with UNFPA. In addition, UN Women chaired the Gender Thematic Results Group and actively participated in the UN Operations Managers Team, the Joint Communication Group, and various other thematic task forces, such as those focused on partnerships and resource mobilization, youth, disability, and the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. As a vital member of the UN Country Team, the CO delivered a substantial portion of its programmatic work through the Joint Program modality, promoted joint partnerships and funding approaches central to UN reform, and leveraged global UN human rights mechanisms for joint advocacy and normative support at the country level. 2024 also marked a success in the use of available regular resources as catalytic investments to drive the growth of the organization. Minimal core funds (about USD 17,000.00) and IB for key personnel were used to expand the CO's fundraising efforts, including preparing and submitting project proposals, and supporting the follow up and negotiation with partners until the signature of the agreements. Five contribution agreements were finalized and signed this year for a total approximate amount of USD 7.25 million for the period 2024-2027. The return on investment is calculated at over 10,000%. During 2024, the CO has also continued to formalize the lessons learned from new work practices, leveraging the hybrid work model introduced during COVID-19 and transitioning gradually into a more modern, environmentally conscious, and flexible organization that adopts future-oriented work methods. Employees who request to work from home may do so upon request and flexible working hours arrangements are in place.Showing 1 - 5 of 7