Students of “Marin Barleti” University in Albania discuss elimination of violence against women and girls
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Youth involvement is crucial to fight gender-based violence. To engage youth in the issue, UN Women took part in an open discussion at “Marin Barleti” University in Tirana. Agustela Nini-Pavli, UN Women Technical Project Analyst for ending violence against women, discussed current national legal frameworks and policy measures on violence against women in Albania and key obligations steaming from the international obligations under CEDAW and the Istanbul Convention with students of law and social sciences. Issues related to the implementation of the legislation and policies, including provision of services for women survivors of violence, received interest and generated lively discussions with the students.
The number of reported cases of violence against women has increased over the years in Albania. From January to September 2017, 3460 cases of domestic violence have been registered by the police, compared to 2725 cases registered in 2016. However, the reported cases still do not give the full picture of the situation, considering that according to the latest national prevalence survey in 2013, around 60% of women aged 18-55 in Albania have experienced phycological, physical and other forms of violence during their lifetime and almost 54% during the last 12 months.
Students fully acknowledged that educating children from a young age, in schools and families to promote positive gender roles is key in addressing gender-based violence. In Albania, civil society and women’s rights organizations have played an important role to improve the situation. However, much more needs to be done to challenge gender discrimination and harmful stereotypes and traditions as root causes of violence against women. In this context, the role of young people and students as future professionals is key in raising awareness against violence. The students of “Marin Barleti” University were very vocal in asserting that the time has come to mobilize young people in every city to spread the message and awareness.