Albania

This factsheet is based on the gender assessments done by our Albanian partners Women in Development Shkoder. Download it here.

“Albania (pop.3 million), located in Southeastern Europe is an upper-middle income economy (DAC). Following the end of communism in 1990, the country went through a process of transition from a centralized economy to a market-based economy. It provides universal health care and free primary and secondary education but has  challenges in paying teacher salaries and providing health and sanitation infrastructure. As a candidate for membership in the European Union, the accession to EU is the overarching priority Albania has made significant progress in protecting human rights and fighting crime and corruption. It ratified most international human rights conventions and it has enacted laws and campaigns to protect the environment. On women’s political empowerment, progress was made during the election of 2017: women comprised 40.3% of the candidates, and 28% of elected parliamentarians. This rate of female representation is the country’s highest, and it increased by 10% from the 2013 elections. It is also the first time that the deputy prime minister is a woman.”