The main goal was to strengthen women in the north of Albania by increasing their economic role through production and marketing of medicinal plants
This project aimed at economic empowerment of women by including them in the labor market, revitalizing local economies to alleviate poverty and foster the economic and social development of vulnerable areas. IP3 provided training to women in the northern area for the collection, packaging and marketing of the medicinal plants to achieve their economic empowerment and ensure equal opportunities with men. This type of scheme can serve as a model for other poor areas of Albania that have such natural resources.
This project was financed by SOROS Foundation in Tirana.
IP3 implemented the project for empowering women role through coordinated actions in the Municipality of Patos and Burrel.
Firstly IP3 implemented the project for empowering women role through coordinated actions in the Municipality of Patos. The main goal was to design an Action Plan for strengthening women and increasing their role in local policies, financed by SOROS Foundation in Tirana, from April 2012 up to October 2012.
Due to the success of this project, in the Municipality of Burrel from May 2013 up to February 2014. This was an attempt by the Institute of Public and Private Policies to assist Patos and Burrel municipalities in drafting local action plans to increase the role of women in local decision-making as well as their implementation. For the first time in each municipality were created two civic commissions of gender equality and were selected women and girls to represent different groups and to be the voice of problems and concerns of various local groups. Their selection was realized according to a transparent and inclusive process., Both municipalities managed to include funding in their budgets to minimize women's problems.
The specific and tangible goal is to increase the number of educated women and girls as a tool of changing their family, social and economic position
This goal was realized through several steps such as:
This project will help not only women who will be selected to be professionally trained but will create a culture of gender emancipation that will remodel the role of women in the family and society.
The Institute's goal goes far beyond the social and economic emancipation first, as we aim to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project's positive impacts. This project aims precisely to break the mental barriers to move forward towards the development of women in this area.
Training women councilors to to increase their capacities and youth to be active in local decision making and to contribute to the democratic development of society.
The Institute of Public and Private Policies (IP3), with the support of FES and the OSCE Presence in Albania, has organized a round of trainings with young people from all over Albania on their involvement in local politics as a necessity of local government. This is a very positive initiative to increase the role of youth and foster dialogue as a need and value added to the country's development. Training the youth network on local policies and their active involvement in their design and implementation contributes to the democratic development of society and promotes a sustainable development of the country. This training is supported by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung for five years, aiming to engage as many young people as possible. Young people are an important link to this development and should be made aware of becoming active and responsible citizens who raise their voice to address their problems and contribute to the democratic development of society.
Also, IP3 with the support of FES and the OSCE Presence in Albania, has organized a training tour with women councilors in the Qark of Korça, Kukës and Elbasan. These trainings were carried out in order to strengthen local capacities by providing new knowledge in the framework of increasing their performance in performing public functions. The trainings proved to be successful as the participation and interest of the councilors was quite high and their involvement training was very active.
The need to involve women in local decision-making is one of the most discussed issues, not only in different analysis within gender equality but also in its discourse through various legal acts. Gender equality in local decision-making is not just a matter of figures, but is an issue related to effective democratic participation. The emphasis of this training is to increase local capacity by promoting greater participation of women in decision-making. The initiative to promote women's active role in decision-making was also undertaken by the current central government. Women need to understand their role and the importance of their active involvement in local decision-making.