TIRANA, Nov. 1 -Defense Minister Mimi Kodheli has announced she has nominated a woman to be one of the few generals in the country’s armed forces.
The announcement was made at a roundtable on the “rights of women in Albania” in the framework of the 16th anniversary of the approval of UN Resolution 1325.
The female colonel, whose name has not been disclosed, will move up and join five army male generals.
Minister Kodheli said the nomination process has not been completed.
“The nomination is definitely great news for Albania, which is now part of the greatest political and military alliance of all time,” Kodheli said.
Minister Kodheli, appointed in 2013, is the first woman to serve as defense minister.
“The Albanian government is a great example of how one third of the ruling cabinet consists of professional women who run some of the most important departments,” Kodheli said.
Under Kodheli’s administration, the number of women in uniform has increased to 14 percent of about 8,500 military personnel.
During this time, she has also proposed three women to be made colonels and appointed a woman as Albania’s counselor at the Afghan defense ministry.
