It is needed Organized Responsible Response and Strong Laws to Fight Domestic Abuse
This is the fourth year that Gender Alliance for Development Centre, monitor the functioning of the referral mechanisms in 11 municipalities of Albania, in the framework of the project: “Building capacities of CSOs to monitor the implementation of activities related to reduction of gender-based violence and domestic violence of the National Strategy and Action Plan on Gender Equality 2016-2020 (NSGE 216-2020), supported by UN Women Albania, under the Regional Program “Ending Violence against Women: Implementing Norms, Changing Minds”. The main focus is to hold accountable the members of the referral mechanisms and monitor the gaps in technical and financial resources of these group of professionals responsible for coordinated response against domestic abuse in Albania. This project is implemented in collaboration with 11 local women’s rights CSOs, some of them part of Albanian Women’s Empowerment Network. We have prepared annual monitoring reports for each municipality and infographics which demonstrate the findings and recommendations. In addition, the findings and recommendations have been used for lobbying and advocacy activities with governmental and parliamentary structures, as well as for raising the awareness of girls and women to break the chains of violence and report. GADC is continuing the monitoring of referral mechanism response against domestic abuse during the outbreak of COVID-19, that trapped girls and women in their homes with their abusers, isolated from the people and the resources that could help them. In Albania the rate of women suffering from domestic abuse is relatively high with 1 out of 2 or 52.9% of women age 18-74 ‘ever’ experienced one or more of the five different types of violence during their lifetime.[1] In May 2020, GADC will produce a monitoring report of the coordinated response from the referral mechanisms about the domestic abuse situation during the mandatory lockdown of COVID-19.
Please find here https://www.facebook.com/GADCAlbania/posts/2964612460293065 the results of the three-year monitoring of referral mechanism in local level.
[1] INSTAT, UN Women and UNDP. 2018. Violence against women and girls in Albania. National population based survey. Available at file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/publication.pdf