Albania adopted its first National Action Plan (NAP) in 2018 for the period 2018-2020. The NAP was developed by a number of ministries, including the Ministries of Internal Affairs; Europe and Foreign Affairs; and Health and Social Protection, through a participatory approach that included consultations with the representatives of local authorities, Netherlands, Sweden, UN Women, OSCE, the European Union, and civil society organizations. The main objectives of the NAP are listed as improving policy documents and raising awareness on UNSCR 1325; increasing the participation of women in the field of security at home and abroad; establishing a regulatory framework and capacities that enable better protection and rehabilitation of women in the field of peace and security; and taking measures for better monitoring and reporting of Resolution 1325. Each objective has corresponding actions and indicators as well as including a detailed budget for implementation.
Albania became a parliamentary republic in 1992 after four decades of communist rule. The most recent armed conflict in Albania’s history was the 1997 civil unrest, which ensued from the collapse of informal market institutions, known as pyramid schemes, that promised high-interest returns on investments. The unrest resulted in over 2,000 casualties as well as the overthrow of the government. The country’s protracted economic instability has had direct repercussions for women. Despite the fact that the country’s law recognizes women’s equal right to property and land ownership on paper, in 2018, only 8% of women in Albania owned land due to women’s marginalization in economic matters and lack of implementation of laws.