From the football field to the national policy stage in Albania, this year’s International Women’s Day reminded me that progress is real — but the work is far from done.

⚽𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀
   
I joined the Women’s Mini Football Tournament organized by UN Women and the Albanian Football Association (FSHF - Federata Shqiptare e Futbollit). Teams from civil society, media, the diplomatic community, and the UN came together for friendly matches celebrating teamwork, solidarity, and leadership.  

Beyond the impressive ball skills, the tournament showed how sport creates spaces for women and girls to gain confidence, visibility, and community. A special thanks to the professional female footballers who inspired everyone on the field. 

⚖️ 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀

I also participated in the National Conference on Women’s Access to Justice, co-organized by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Albania, the Ministry of Justice of Albania, the Office of the Ombudsperson of Albania, the European Union, UN Women Albania, the Embassy of Sweden in Albania, and other partners. 
As United Nations Secretary General António Guterres reminds us, gender inequality remains one of the greatest human rights challenges of our time — and the most transformative solutions all have one thing in common: women.
  
Together with 🇪🇺 Ambassador Silvio Gonzato and Deputy Director for UN Women Regional Office ECA Elisa Fernandez, we reflected on Albania’s progress in strengthening justice institutions and aligning laws with international standards and the EU acquis. 

Yet evidence from the Albanian Femicide Observatory shows that many women still face barriers: lengthy court proceedings, limited legal aid, and gaps between legislation and implementation. Women in vulnerable situations — rural women, women with disabilities, and Roma and Egyptian women — face even greater obstacles.

I am grateful to all institutions, CSOs, UN colleagues, and partners working tirelessly toward this goal — and especially the frontline responders, community workers, and volunteers supporting women and girls every day.

The message of #IWD2026 is clear: progress requires persistence. Together, we must ensure every woman and girl can claim her rights, access justice, and live free from violence and discrimination. 

 

A while ago, UNDP asked people across Albania a simple question: What does Social Justice Day mean to you? What is social justice, really? The answers were as diverse as the people who shared them. Some spoke about fairness in schools and streets. Others talked about ending poverty, or making sure everyone has access to education. A few described it as the right to be seen, heard, and valued, regardless of where you come from. Different words, different perspectives—but one shared truth emerged: social justice is about dignity, equal opportunity, and protection from vulnerability, so that no one is left to struggle alone in the shadows.That truth comes alive most clearly in the stories of women like Vjollca and Fabiola. On this International Day of Social Justice, their journeys remind us that social justice is not an abstract idea debated in conference rooms or reduced to numbers in a report. It is built slowly and deliberately—through skills, protection, emotional support, and the quiet determination to turn survival into security. Vjollca knows the kind that wears you down year after year. For a long time, she worked informally in Vora, cleaning homes and taking whatever work, she could find. There was no contract, no social insurance, no safety net. Like so many women in similar situations, her choices were limited. As a mother raising a young son, while also managing her own health challenges, economic insecurity was a constant presence in her life.Her turning point came in late 2025. Between October and November, Vjollca attended every session of a housekeeping training course offered by UNDP through the UN Joint Programme Lifelong Empowerment and Protection in Albania (LEAP), funded by the Joint SDG Fund. She often arrived hand in hand with her little boy, determined not to miss a single day.The training gave her professional skills as a cleaning specialist—but it offered much more than that. Through sessions on work ethics, labour rights, and emotional empowerment facilitated closely by the National Agency of Employment and Skills and a local NGO called “HAP” Network, Vjollca began to understand her own value as a worker and the importance of social insurance. She gained not only knowledge, but confidence. Today, she is formally employed and has social insurance She feels safer, more protected, and far more aware of her rights. Those who worked with her describe her as a woman of strong character, with eyes full of light—the kind that comes from someone who has endured hardship and still chooses to stand tall. A different, yet equally powerful journey unfolds in the story of Fabiola, a 35-year-old mother. After moving from a remote area of Tropoja to Shkodra, Fabiola found herself alone, divorced, and without family support. With little work experience and no stable income, she faced deep socio-economic hardship. In 2022, after experiencing domestic violence, she turned to the organization Gruaja tek Gruaja, where she received emergency shelter alongside psycho-social and legal support.Through an individualized reintegration plan, Fabiola’s interest in professional training and economic independence became clear. She was selected as one of 15 women to take part in a four-month vocational training programme on long-term care for older persons and persons with disabilities, delivered in partnership with the Public Vocational Training Centre in Shkodra. There, she gained both theoretical and practical skills—from psycho-emotional support and first aid to hygiene standards, medication management, and the use of assistive devices.After completing the programme and earning her certification as a long-term care assistant, Fabiola moved into a practical placement in social care institutions, supported by the project and the Municipality of Shkodra. She is now transitioning toward formal employment and is in line for inclusion in the municipality’s local employment programme for home-based care services—part of an integrated care model the project is helping to build. At the same time, she openly shares her experience through project outreach activities, inspiring other women to believe that change is possible.“The stories of Vjollca and Fabiola show what social justice looks like when social protection, skills development, and decent employment are woven together. By addressing both economic and emotional barriers—and by moving beyond short-term support—the LEAP programme, funded by the Joint SDG Fund, is helping women in vulnerable situations step into formal work, social security, and a renewed sense of dignity”-says Randi Davis, UNDP Resident Representative.Their journeys are part of a wider transformation. Across Albania, LEAP has supported more than 1,000 vulnerable individuals—primarily women, young people, and families receiving economic aid. In 2025 alone, 864 households accessed integrated social and employment services, while 357 women and young people moved into employment, many for the first time. Through pilot initiatives in six municipalities, the programme has also helped grow the care economy, with 93 women securing paid roles in long-term care—turning unpaid or informal caregiving into dignified, protected work.On this International Day of Social Justice, the stories of Vjollca, Fabiola, and so many others offer quiet but powerful proof: when vulnerability meets opportunity, integrated support, and belief in second chances, lives change—and communities grow stronger.Social justice wears a human face. It looks like Vjollca arriving at training with her son by her side. Like Fabiola earning her certification as a caregiver. Like 93 women stepping into paid care roles with rights and security. 
It is not abstract—it is real, tangible, and transformative. Vulnerability becomes strength. Informal becomes formal. Survival becomes thriving. And when we keep investing in these bridges, we move closer to a world where dignity is not a privilege, but every woman’s birthright.###The UN Joint Programme Lifelong Empowerment and Protection in Albania (LEAP) is funded by the Joint SDG Fund and implemented by UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women and ILO.

Meet Lori, a young, unemployed mother of two little girls: one is 24 months old, and the other is just 9 months old. She and her family came from extreme poverty and profound social hardship. On top of her financial struggles, Lori was also being physically and mentally abused by her husband. Even worse, she had no family to turn to.The local healthcare team, led by nurse Esmeralda Matoshi, conducts home follow-up visits for children in the community and at the Child Protection Unit in the Municipality of Elbasan, where the family resides. The nurse invited the mother to the “Health Center” with her nine-month-old for a routine checkup.This visit was a turning point for Lori and her children. At the Health Center, she was warmly and respectfully welcomed. It was the first time she felt truly listened to and safe. In this friendly atmosphere, the health care team held an open discussion and urged her to report the violence she was experiencing. As a result, she found the strength to speak out against her husband and begin a life of safety and dignity.“Now someone is hearing me, and it feels like I am not alone. In this center, I found the strength to help myself and my daughters,” Lori said calmly.After the health center, she was referred to the Child Protection Unit and social services for professional evaluation and counseling, with the assistance of the Child Protection representative at the Elbasan Municipality and much-needed inter-institutional cooperation.The mother regained custody of her children by meeting their basic needs. Lori is now in the family support program and attends regular parenting classes. Ongoing support is also provided through the Community Center "Balashe" of the Elbasan Municipality, which is committed to helping her rebuild her life and care for her children. Her daughters are growing in the care and warmth of their mother, who is now in a much safer and loving place. She remains under the supervision of psychosocial services and the Health Center, where she continues to receive counseling, care, and psychosocial support.Because of the good care and early professional assistance, Lori’s story is one of strength, courage, and hope in the face of life’s hardest challenges. Due to the loving care of the nurse, the prompt actions of the medical personnel and child abuse investigators, and the strong, cooperative spirit of the institution, the mother was able to escape an era of misery and find hope, respect, and a new life for her and her daughters.Today, Lori, is a reminder that sometimes it takes only a moment in someone’s life to create a new destiny. ***This story is based on a project funded by UNICEF and implemented by the Partnership for Development Foundation under the UN Joint Programme “Lifelong Empowerment and Protection in Albania” (LEAP). The programme is funded by the Joint SDG Fund and implemented by UNDP, UNICEF, ILO, and UN Women, in partnership with the Government of Albania. LEAP supports integrated, digital, and inclusive systems for social protection and employment, ensuring that today’s income security becomes tomorrow’s economic independence. We sincerely appreciate the contributions from the European Union and the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland in accelerating progress towards the SDGs. ***Story was originally published by UNICEF Albania.  

Technology can strengthen justice systems by making them more secure, inclusive, and accessible. On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we spoke with Irena Dervishaj, ICT Business Analyst for the EU4DigitalJustice Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNOPS Albania. EU4DigitalJustice supports Albania’s EU accession by strengthening the rule of law and increasing public trust in the justice system through digital transformation, enabling better collection and sharing of judicial data. Within this framework Irena plays a key role in translating business workflows into technical designs. Also as an expert in data analysis and reporting, she works with complex datasets to generate insights that support informed management decision-making. With over 20 years of experience in the sector, Irena has built a strong career in fields where women are still underrepresented.“I have always been drawn to work that makes a social impact,” she says. “Technology is powerful, but only when it responds to real-world needs.”At the EU4DigitalJustice project, Irena supports the development of  a case management system for Albania’s prosecution office. “When drafting the system requirements together with the project team, I focused on security for gender-based violence cases, multilingual access, and features for users with different levels of digital literacy. These are not extras, they are essential to delivering justice for everyone,” she explains.In parallel, she contributes to a feasibility study focused on exploring how justice institutions could securely share and analyse information through a unified digital system. This work helps lay the foundation for more informed decision-making, improved coordination between institutions, and greater transparency across the justice sector. As a woman in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Irena sees her professional role as an opportunity to challenge inequalities embedded in technological systems. “Digital systems can either reinforce existing gaps or help close them, depending on how they are designed. Technology always reflects choices. We must ask: whose needs are we prioritizing?”- she notes.Through her work in technical roles, Irena has encountered stereotypes about who is seen as belonging in STEM. “Early in my career, I would present technical solutions and see surprise when people realized I truly understood the complexity” she recalls. “Looking at women in these domains, people often think that we are less technical, better suited for training or support roles rather than systems architecture”, explains Irena. To these biases she responds with confidence and skill. “Technical excellence speaks louder than stereotypes”. Yet she stresses that equality in these fields requires more than personal effort: “It needs visibility, opportunity, and structural change.”Mentorship has also shaped her path. Recalling a supervisor who encouraged her to lead complex projects in a male-dominated environment, Irena affirms: “Mentorship matters. I imagine a young girl seeing a woman in tech and thinking: "That could be me.”Indeed, when women are fully included in STEM, the benefits extend far beyond individual achievement. Diverse teams drive better outcomes, enhance creativity, and improve problem-solving.As the world continues to navigate rapid technological change, encouraging gender parity in STEM is not only a matter of fairness but a strategic imperative for sustainable development and inclusive innovation.