Gender issues discussed at a conference

TIRANA, June 7 – Representatives of Albanian government, civil society, international organizations and media came together in Tirana last week to discuss and find ways to tackle gender stereotypes that impact Albanian women’s progress in the areas of decision-making, education, economic security, social protection, and health; and also how gender stereotypes perpetuate the phenomena of domestic violence.
Gender stereotypes – or the perceived roles that women and men play in society – are often at the root of all forms of discrimination against women and men.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affair and Equal Opportunities, with the support of the OSCE Presence in Albania and the United Nations (UNIFEM and UNFPA).
Prime Minister Sali Berisha said that “Gender equality is the main condition to have an emancipated society, for real social development and for making better use of the human potential. The struggle against the gender stereotypes and its consequences is a permanent one, extremely useful, maybe one of the most important ones with a direct impact in the development of Albanian society.”
Working within a comprehensive legal framework, coupled with the implementation of a national strategy on gender equality and the eradication of domestic violence, the Government of Albania and civil society have made inroads in raising awareness about gender inequality which exists in Albanian society. However, more attention is needed to tackle the traditional gender stereotypes.
The National Conference was one of the measures taken by the Government to respond to the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in this regards. The Committee has expressed concern about the persistence of entrenched gender stereotypes and the resurgence of discriminatory customary law and traditional codes of conduct in some parts of the country.
The Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Spiro Ksera, when addressing the conference highlighted: “Gender equality is an area which requires cooperation of all actors of society and I avail myself of this opportunity to invite all the local government bodies to cooperate more closely to ensure establishment of a community coordinated response towards domestic violence in all local government units and set up shelters for the victims of domestic violence”.
OSCE Ambassador in Albania Robert Bosch said “I believe very strongly that opportunities for women to be active participants in political and public life are a key parameter of democracy and thus an integral aspect of the democratization process in this country.”
Conference Participants discussed actions needed to ensure that future policies – in particular the future National Strategy on Gender Equality and Eradication of Domestic Violence – does more to combat traditional gender stereotypes which rest at the heart of gender-based discrimination in Albania.
the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Albania, Ms. Gulden Turkoz Cosslett, said “It is important to remember that contrary to traditional belief, the roles that men and women play is in a constant state of flux, evolving and responding to changing social and economic conditions. Either positive or negative, gender stereotypes in Albanian society shape the choices which women and men make in all aspects of their lives. The United Nations – in part through the UN Joint Programme on Gender Equality – is working with civil society and Government to better understand the connection between gender stereotypes and gender-based discrimination in the area of women and elections, women’s economic security, and in particular, on how gender stereotypes can perpetuate the phenomena of gender-based violence.”
The conference also marks the launch of the Government of Albania’s participatory evaluation and revision of the National Strategy on Gender Equality and Eradication of Domestic Violence, undertaken through the support of the United Nations Joint Programme on Gender Equality with funding from the One UN Coherence Fund.
The One UN Joint Programme on Gender Equality partners the UN agencies UNIFEM, UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA and supports the coordinated implementation of Albania’s National Strategy for Gender Equality and Domestic Violence (NSGE-DV) as part of the Government of Albania’s National Strategy for Development and Integration (NSDI).
“The OSCE Presence in Albania supports the Government and local NGOs in promoting gender equality and, in particular, the implementation of the National Gender Equality Strategy. In 2009, the Presence started a three-year-project to further stimulate gender quotas and to promote women’s participation in public life.”