DELINA FICO

Delina Fico was the first and only employee of the Women’s Center (now the Gender Alliance for Development Center) when it was established in August 1994. She served as the Women’s Center Coordinator until January 1997.

Key accomplishments of the Women’s Center during those years include:

  • Established and coordinated a network of 12-15 women’s NGOs, the first successful effort to bring to the same table people of different political leanings. The network members met regularly to exchange information and plan for joint actions.
  • Established and coordinated the Women’s Legal Group, with lawyers representing various members of the network. Among other initiatives, the group provided expertise to the network in reviewing and advocating for a pro-choice reproductive law in Albania.
  • Organized two national conferences on women and the media to highlight concerns about women’s image in the media and women journalists place in the media. 
  • In cooperation with UNDP, recruited and assisted in establishing the first group of advanced women trainers on gender issues, organizational and strategic development, as well as management.
  • Raised the profile of women’s issues and women’s organizations in Albania vis-à-vis the donor community that was reflected also in the fact that the Women’s Center budget grew from $14,000 in 1994 to $100,000 in 1996, with funding coming from various donors.

 

Brief biography
Delina is an experienced civil society leader and manager, with expertise in advocacy, gender issues, institutional and individual capacity development, strategic development, public education, and fund raising. In the last fifteen years she has worked extensively with local, regional and international NGOs, companies, academic institutions, and intra-governmental agencies in the Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe, and the U.S., including Chemonics International, World Learning for International Development, East West Management Institute, UNIFEM, the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights, Open Society Institute, and the New School for Social Research.

Delina has served and serves as a Board member in a number of NGOs and NGO networks in Albania, Kosovo, and the U.S., including the Network of East West Women, Open Society Foundation for Albania, women’s association “Refleksione”, and the Kosova Women’s Network. She holds a MA in Political Science and a MS in Nonprofit Management both from the New School for Social Research in New York. Delina has taught at Tirana University in Albania and New York University in New York and has published in various magazines and publications on gender issues and civil society development.  She works currently as the Civic and Private Sector Engagement team leader for the Millennium Challenge Corporation Albania Threshold Agreement II.

GADC
Research and Papers

Follow the link to read research and paper publications through the years.

GADC
Reports and Articles

Follow the link to read reports and articles through the years.

Donors

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