Empowering Women in Albania to Provide Equal Opportunities

 

Duration: February 2017- October 2019

Donor: Forum for Equal development through the Slovenian Foreign Affairs Ministry 

Overall objective: Increase economic independence of women in Puka and to improve position of women in the Albanian society.

Achieved results:

The April – July 2018 period has been a busy one, full of activities in Puka and Tirana. The most notable ones are as follows:

  • All goats (20 in total) not only managed to pass the harsh winter of Puka, but each of them gave birth to a he/she-goat as well during the period March-April 2018. At the very end of the labor process 12 he-goats and 8 she-goats were added to the herd.
  • Anisa Gergjari, the project coordinator was enrolled as a farmer and was issued a case-related licence.
  • Gender Alliance for Development centre (GADC) and Anisa Gergjari, as a farmer, reapplied in the project RTM Albania, along with 3 women who have been working alongside since the very start of the project. Furthermore the project was granted the sum of 8700 Euros in order to carry out the construction of a stockyard and dairy-stall over 200 m2. The project is to be co-financed by GADC through the funds of “Krepitevvlogežensk v Albanijizazagotavljanjeenakihmožnosti / Empowerment of Women in Albania to Ensure Equal Opportunities” project, reaching 4400 Euros only for the construction.
  • GADC signed a contract with the Municipality of Puka over 200 m2 of land dedicated to farm-establishing and goat grazing tasks.
  • In collaboration with the Livestock Entrepreneurs Association of Albania (LEAA) 5 training sessions were held in Puka with the participation of an average of 20 women from Luf and Qelez.
  • On the 25th, 26th, 27the and 28th of June 2018, the 4 day training “Empower and Include” took place in Tirana with the participation of young people from Puka, Roskovec and Tirana and Mija Javornik and Ana Kalin take the credits for managing and leading the training sessions. 23 people in total (out of whom 13 girls and 10 boys) participated in the training session. This training marked a best practice regarding the methodology and forms of commitment of future activities with young people of GADC.
  • On the 29th of June there took place a study visit to a dairy-stall in “Velecik”, Malesi e Madhe. 18 women who have been being trained for more than a year now participated in this activity. On the 30th of June Ana Kalin and Darja Sekula were part of the visit organized in Puka where the focus was placed on meetings with women, youngsters participating in the “Empower and Include” training, shepherds and visits on-site at the goats and he-goats area.
  • On the 2nd and 3rd of July 2018, was organized in Tirana, at the GADC premises, the training of representatives from non-governmental organizations that promote and protect women’s rights, the training “Empowering women in Albania for Ensuring gender Equality”.

By and large, the project “Empowerment of Women in Albania to Ensure Equal Opportunities” is running quite well. The women team has stood on solid grounds and has participated in almost all activities carried out within this framework. The main issue lingers to be the finding of the right and adequate land that would serve for goat farm-establishing purposes and would entitle women from Luf Village to acquire the title “owner of this land” at a later stage. This would allow a generation of conditions for farm proliferation and fund-raising capacities for goats and dairy production facilities.

The participation in Albanian Government projects or other developmental projects as well constitutes a challenge which is worth fighting for in the future. GADC has already fostered good relations with the Municipality of Puka but the plans of the Albanian Government in the local level are hampering the task of establishing a stockyard location not far from the inhabitants, the road and the team of the women who have been training ever since. All sites provided by the municipality lacked electricity and water supply and presents security issues.

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

Full list