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:

1. Ensured conditions for the implementation of sustainable economic activity – goat farming, production of goat products.

2. 20 empowered and trained women ready for goat farming.

3. Empowered partner organization and local group of women for more efficient and strategic functioning

4. Girls and boys are aware of their rights, the principle of gender equality and acquire tools for changing the distribution of power between genders, in Tirana and in rural areas

Summary: On February 1, 2017, in cooperation with the Slovenian organization "Forum for Equal Development", the implementation of a very challenging project such as "Empowering Women in Albania to Provide Equal Opportunities" began. This project is being implemented in Luf-Qerret administrative unit, of Puka city. It aimed at empowering girls and women living in the village of Luf, through enabling them to work in the goat farm. In this framework 20 women were the direct beneficiaries’ of the project. These women were continuously assisted and trained regarding the goat breeding, milking process, hygiene and their wellbeing. Every day according to a schedule these women take care of the goats, clean the environment, provide them food, and engage with the milking process as well. The implementation of this project had a great impact in Puka as well as in all women part of the project. Through this project we aimed and enabled: capacity building; economic empowerment; collaboration among women.

The following steps were taken for the successful implementation of the project:

Identification of free municipal land for grazing in Puka.
Identification and rental of place for milk collection and processing, and setting up a goat stable.
Purchase of machinery, utilities and other materials needed for goat farming and processing in Puka
Training/mentoring of employees and women to obtain sufficient knowledge for setting up women’s goat cooperative.
Training/mentoring of employees and women on goat care - feeding, disease prevention and hygiene.
Training/mentoring of GADC employees and women on milk processing and  marketing of dairy products
Supporting women in their work.