Albanian women’s activists protest for quotas for women MPs in parliament in March 2013. Photo: EPA/ARMANDO BABANI.
Debate continued to rage on Friday after Albania’s parliament voted to adopt a new law on gender equality that has been welcomed by rights groups and the EU but slammed by conservatives and traditionalists.
The new legislation, adopted by MPs on Thursday, aims to improve older provisions on gender equality, offers new protections and guarantees for women and girls and prohibits any form of discrimination based on gender, gender identity or sexual characteristics.
Under the law, the burden of proof in gender-based violence cases will now fall on the offender, not the victim.
To boost equal representation in decision-making, the law introduces a gender quota for women’s representation ranging from 30 to 50 per cent in parliament, government, the public administration, the police, the diplomatic service, and boards and supervisory councils of official bodies.
It also recognises unpaid work, such as childcare and care for the elderly, as a genuine economic contribution for the first time, obliging the government to measure it and include it in budgetary policies.
The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, welcomed the change on Thursday, writing on X that “gender equality and non-discrimination are integral part of EU law”. Albania is seeking to move faster towards EU membership under the current government.
“Aligning with [EU legislation] is part of the EU accession process. This is not a private demand of the [EU] ambassador. Any attacks on him are unacceptable,” Kos asserted.
She was referring to claims that the EU ambassador to Tirana had lobbied for the change.
“A journalist told me that [EU] ambassador [Silvio] Gonzato asked for the law to be voted through. I ask the honourable ambassador to say which EU directive requires such a thing,” Sali Berisha, head of the opposition Democratic Party, had said in parliament.
The Democratic Party opposes the legislation, seeking to position itself as a defender of traditional values.
Meanwhile, “pro-family” groups, supported by the main opposition parties, protested at the parliament building on Thursday, claiming that the law promotes multiple gender definitions and harms the traditional family.
A public debate about the law has raged since the consulting phase started, with religious figures and “pro-family” groups claiming it promotes “new genders” .
Rights groups reject this interpretation and have welcomed the new legislation.
“Historic victory! Today, Albania chose equality! With the approval of the law … our country took a historic step towards a society that does not mention equality as a slogan, but implements it as a constitutional obligation,” Ines Xhelili, from the Albanian Women Empowerment Network, said on Thursday.
