Presentation of the Project: “Increasing Women’s Representation in Politics and Decision-Making”

Tirana, February 10, 2015 - The "Gender Alliance for Development" Center (GADC) presents the project "Increasing Women’s Representation in Politics and Decision-Making". The project will be implemented during 2015 with the support of the Swedish organization "Olof Palme International Center" and funding from the Government of Sweden.

This project will be implemented in 20 municipalities of Albania and will include about 100 women and girls from these municipalities. The project will be implemented in several phases including the period before, during and after the local elections of June 21, 2015.

On March 8, 2015, the project will open the online portal www.AjoGaron.com (She Competes) that will be managed by GADC. This portal will give opportunities to all citizens who wish to suggest and introduce women or girls as possible future candidates to lead Albania at the local or central level.

Currently, the representation of women in politics and decision-making in Albania is at low levels, thus leaving half of the population not properly represented. 111 men against 29 women in the Parliament, 231 women against 1017 men in the municipal councils, constitute a representation of 32% less women in politics and decision-making.

GADC is a non-partisan, non-governmental, non-profit organization which was founded in 1994, and since then it has not stopped working to protect the rights of Albanian women and girls and to promote gender equality. For all those who are not familiar with the work that GADC has done over the years for the promotion of women and girls in politics, below are some of the projects successfully managed throughout the years. For 4 years (2007-2011) in partnership with the Austrian organization "Horizon 3000" and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, supported by the Austrian Foreign Ministry, GADC successfully implemented the "Equality in Governance" project. During 2004 - 2006, the Gender Alliance Center in cooperation with the Austrian Development Agency successfully developed the project: "Increasing the representation of women and young people in political forums", bringing new names of women and girls who are today part of high-level politics in Albania.

In 2011, with the support of the OSCE in Tirana, GADC trained, with a wonderful team of trainers and contemporary modules, 330 women and girls candidates for municipal council members.

In the 2013 elections, GADC, part of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, monitored 350 polling stations in Tirana based on statistical principles and the principles of gender equality and respect for minorities and people with disabilities.