Albania strengthens protection for women and children facing violence

A newly adopted law now requires courts to automatically include children in protection orders, meaning no child can be left behind simply because they were not named in the original complaint.

“The hardest moment was seeing the fear in my children’s eyes”

For many women experiencing domestic violence, the harm comes in layers. Beyond the abuse they endure, they also have to witness show violence affects their children.

“The hardest moment was when I saw the fear in my children’s eyes and felt that I couldn’t protect them,” said Melisa Kuja*,35, a mother of three. She reported her husband’s violence only after realizing her children were no longer just witnesses, but at real risk. “I understood that by staying silent, I was harming them and putting them in danger. Fear for their lives and well-being gave me the strength to ask for help,” Kuja said.

For years, however, even when women like Kuja sought justice, the system did not consistently protect their children. Women’s organizations were often the only reliable support, advocating for legal changes while offering direct assistance to women survivors of violence and their children.

Moreover, the new 2026 Law on Domestic Violence now requires courts to automatically include children in protection orders when they are exposed to violence and mandates a stronger, child-focused risk assessment process.

This reform is the result of sustained advocacy by civil society organizations, supported by international partners, including UN Women, and it marks a promising shift towards equal justice for women and their children.

Children were not always seen as survivors of domestic violence

A 2025 monitoring report found that children who witnessed domestic violence were not consistently included in protection measures. Courts rarely acted on their own initiative when children were at risk and issued protection measures for minors in only 10 per cent of the 479 monitored domestic violence cases between 2023 and 2025, according to Nadia Guni, one of the report’s authors and a lawyer at the Center for Legal Civic Initiatives (CLCI).

“This data showed an urgent need for stronger institutional cooperation and better mechanisms to protect minors,” Guni said.

This gap brings effects in many aspects. “When children weren’t included in protection orders, families often struggled to access shelters, enforce protection measures, or receive economic support, leaving them vulnerable even after reporting violence,” concluded Guni.

Lawyer Lindita Cakoni of the Human Rights in Democracy Center noted that the risk assessments were often incomplete, relying mostly on the mother’s testimony “without considering essential factors such as previous violence, the presence of children, substance abuse, socio-economic conditions or the perpetrator’s behavior,” she argues.

One step closer to protecting women and children

To address these gaps, organizations like the Human Rights in Democracy Center continue to provide legal and psychological support to survivors. Kuja’s case is one example of how advocacy and direct assistance work together to improve institutional practices needed to ensure protection for children who experience violence.

Meanwhile, the Monitoring Network Against Gender-Based Violence, a coalition of 22 civil society organizations, supported by UN Women under the United Nations Joint Programme “Ending Violence Against Women,” funded by the Government of Sweden and implemented jointly by UN Women, UNDP and UNFPA, intensified its advocacy to ensure Albania follows GREVIO recommendations. These refer particularly to those related to strengthening risk assessment and inclusion of minors in protection orders as survivors of ‘assisted violence,’ “meaning children who live in and are exposed to violent environments,” emphasized Lindita Cakoni.

Since 2025, this ongoing advocacy and institutional dialogue has produced real progress. Risk assessment practices have improved, and institutions are prioritizing children’s safety. Moreover, police officers handling domestic violence cases are receiving specialized training on child protection.

“When police proactively analyze cases and collect information from different sources, protective measures can be adapted to each survivor’s needs,” explained Cakoni.

In Kuja’s case, after filing a police report, she sought support from the Human Rights in Democracy Center. “With their support, the Court included all three of my children in the protection order,” she recalls. “Initially, only the child who had been directly assaulted was included, not my two other children who had witnessed previous episodes of violence.”

The change was life-altering. “For the first time, I felt heard and trusted,” she said. “It made me feel truly protected and not alone.” Her family also received financial assistance.

What still needs to be done

Despite progress made, these changes must become standard practice. To ensure consistent protection for all women and children, Cakoni stresses that stronger laws matter only when fully and consistently implemented. “Recognizing children as survivors and strengthening risk assessment are not mere technical steps. They affect safety, stability, and trust in institutions,” she said.

“Before, my children were withdrawn and tense. Today, they are calmer and feel safer. They say our home is peaceful now,” Kuja said, now employed and slowly rebuilding her life.

*Name changed to protect the identity of the survivor.

Story originally published by UN Women Albania