PUBLIC STATEMENT
Inequality between women and men in Albania remains one of the most serious problems and one of the worst human rights violations in the country. Despite that during 28 years of our fragile democracy, Albania has taken steps forward to protect and guarantee the rights of women and girls, the country still lags behind in achieving equality between men and women!
Sexual violence and sexual harassment, public insecurity and lack of respect for the integrity of every girl and woman, domestic violence, unemployment, school dropout, social prejudice, discrimination, lack of equality in political participation, are some of the worst issues facing girls and women in their lives!
Though Albania has many women and girls who have managed to overcome all these social challenges, our story tells us how difficult it is to be a girl, a woman, a mother, a judge, a prosecutor, a scientist or an activist! There is no more serious social burden than this at the expense of women and girls in Albania!
Women and girls every day of their lives are faced with inequality in labor relations, gender pay gap, promotion in leadership positions, entrepreneurship, lack of health and social services! All these obstacles continue to keep women and girls in lower positions against men.
This marked inequality between women and men has brought few consequences, where the most problematic is widespread violence. There is no day without a reported case of murder, violence or abuse of women!
TODAY IS THE DAY THAT WE SAY:
NO TO A LIFE WITHOUT DIGNITY AND EQUALITY!
NO GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE! NO DIFFERENCE ON PAY!
NO EXCLUSION FROM HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES!
NO SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND HARRASSMENT AT THE WORK PLACE, FAMILY RELATIONSHIP, MEDIA OR SOCIETY!
NO DISCRIMINATION ON THE GROUNDS OF GENDER, COLOUR, FAITH, SOCIAL BELONGING, DISABILITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY!
TODAY WE MARCH PUBLICLY FOR RESPECT, EQUALITY AND HUMAN DIGNITY!
Today we march to tell to the Albanian Government, ministers, mayors and those who do not respect the rights of women and girls, that we do not accept to be treated as victims! We are all heroines!
We are here today to declare that the Albanian society is where each of us lives in equality, in dignity, without violence and without discrimination!
Today we are marching women and men together! Boys and girls! We march together as a civil society, coalitions and networks of non-governmental organizations as free individuals of this city and country, to show that we will work together to fulfil our ultimate goal of real equality between men and women.
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FEW FACTS ON WOMEN AND GIRLS IN ALBANIA (year 2017):
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