EU for Gender Equality in Albania - Implementation of the EU Gender Equality acquis

Overall Objective

The overall goal of the project is to support the Government of Albania in transposing the EU Gender Equality acquis at central and municipal levels. It has two objectives:

1. to support the Government of Albania in the transposition of EU Directives and global norms on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, so they become consistently reflected in sector reforms, strategies, post-COVID-19 recovery programs, and plans;

2. to support selected Local Government Units in performing their functions related to gender- and socially responsive post-COVID-19 recovery, women’s and girls’ rights, women’s economic resilience, and empowerment and social inclusion of adolescent girls and boys.

Activities

Under Result 1

• Provision of gender mainstreaming expertise and gender input for the revision process of national strategies, post-COVID-19 recovery and development programs, and plans (NSDI, Strategies under NSDI and also others);
• Packaging UN and EU gender mainstreaming Guidance in government priority reform and EU accession sectors;
• Introducing and disseminating sector-specific UN and EU gender mainstreaming Guidance among relevant actors and strategically positioned stakeholders (ministerial Gender Equality Officers, Sector Working Groups, IPMGs/Thematic Working Groups, CSOs, external gender experts, parliamentarians, etc.);
• Communicating EU and Gender Equality to the larger public (such as infographics, spots, coordinated with GoA, EUD, UN agencies);
• Support for networking, knowledge transfer, and exchange of good practice on gender mainstreaming in the EU accession process, including among UN Women offices and EU Delegations in the region.

Under Result 2

• Technical support, coaching and guidance to LGU signatories of the European Charter for Equality of women and men in local life, for revising/updating their Local Gender Action Plan;
• Expertise, guidance and support for implementing tailored, gender-responsive women’s economic inclusion and empowerment initiatives in up to five LGUs;
• Support to exchange of experience, peer-to-peer learning, and networking and replication events among LGUs and local development actors; sharing of good practice with central government actors; and collaboration with CEMR and the Network of Associations of Local Authorities in South-East Europe (NALAS).

Under Result 3

• Dedicated series of positive youth development and life skills sessions for adolescent girls and boys in selected Administrative Units.
• Mobilizing local youth to conduct public consultation sessions on gender-responsive youth development and youth-centred outreach with youth platforms and initiatives, local government representatives, schools, professionals, civil society, and women’s rights groups.
• Technical support, coaching and guidance to up to five LGUs on gender-responsive youth development and youth-centered outreach in their area-based development plans.
• Preparation of a White/Policy/Advocacy Paper on the legal, policy and public finance changes required for supporting positive youth development in rural areas/Administrative Units.
• Sharing of experience and good practice on positive youth development and outreach to rural areas with key stakeholders, including with initiatives in Western Balkan countries.

Expected Results

Result 1: In line with EU directives and global norms and standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, sector reforms, strategies, post-COVID-19 recovery/ development programmes, and plans are designed with gender sensitivity consistently.

Result 2: Local government units engage in gender mainstreaming, and in selected municipalities, community resilience is strengthened by supporting women’s economic inclusion and empowerment in value chains.