“Women as Human Rights Defenders in Albania: Challenges, Contributions, and Calls to Action”

This report, “Women as Human Rights Defenders in Albania: Challenges, Contributions, and Calls to Action,” is a comprehensive examination of the realities faced by Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) in Albania today. WHRDs are at the forefront of promoting gender equality, advocating for marginalized communities, protecting victims of violence, and holding power structures accountable.

Yet, they often do so under conditions that are unsafe, unsupported, and unrecognized.
The purpose of this research is to shed light on the complex and often underreported experiences of WHRDs in Albania—particularly those working at the intersection of gender euality, gender-based violence, social justice, and marginalized identities, including LGBTIQ+ individuals —and to provide actionable recommendations for improving their protection, recognition, and sustainability. While global attention to shrinking civic space has grown, there is a pressing need to understand how this phenomenon uniquely affects Women Human Rights Defenders—whose experiences of exclusion, threats, and resilience are shaped by gendered power dynamics and the nature of their advocacy.

The initiative was driven by an awareness that WHRDs in Albania, though central to democratic progress and human rights advancement, operate with minimal structural support and are increasingly vulnerable to backlash. From supporting survivors of gender-based violence to promoting gender equality, to defending the rights of LGBTQI+ persons, WHRDs are often met with hostility, misinformation campaigns, and institutional neglect. The research aims to capture this reality, not only to highlight the challenges but also to affirm the leadership, strength, and impact of WHRDs across different regions and sectors.
The research employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative survey data with qualitative narratives obtained through in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions. The survey reached WHRDs from diverse backgrounds, including those working in urban and rural settings, with survivors of gender-based violence, marginalized communities, with youth, LGBTQI+ groups, etc.

The structured questionnaire explored multiple themes, including activism focus, years of experience, types of threats faced, support systems available, and advocacy achievements. The interviews and FGDs provided in-depth reflections on resilience, resistance, and the lived experience of being a WHRD in a polarized civic and political climate. Ethical safeguards, including informed consent, anonymity,
were central to the process.