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OSCE Presence in Albania brings together newly-elected women officials to learn new skills, share experiences

DURRËS, Albania 24 November 2015
Deputy Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania Robert Wilton (r) talks with Albanian local officials participating at OSCE-organized School for Municipal Women Councillors, Durrës, Albania, 24 November 2015. (OSCE/Elton Tahirllari) Photo details

DURRËS, Albania, 24 November 2015 – Newly-elected women members of municipal councils from across Albania learned new skills and networked with their more experienced peers at the OSCE-supported three-day School for Municipal Women Councillors, which ended today. It is the fourth time the OSCE Presence in Albania has organized this initiative since 2011.

The School programme included topics such as advocacy, networking and lobbying; planning and budgeting using a gender perspective; gender mainstreaming in local government and development; public speaking, as well as an overview of the newly-approved territorial-administrative reform.

“There are now over 550 women councillors, several hundred of whom were trained and coached by the nationwide women’s network established by the Presence,” said Robert Wilton, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania. “We are supporting the continued success of this initiative by working together with newly-elected women officials to ensure that they have the skills to succeed in their new positions.”

Mayor of Roskovec Majlinda Bufi – one of nine women mayors out of a total of 61 – considered the School a unique event and a good chance for women to improve their capacities as elected officials. “We definitely need more of such activities. Women are not only numbers; they are key players in decision-making.”

The School was organized in close co-operation with the National Platform for Women – an informal network established in 2010 with the OSCE Presence’s support bringing together more than 1,500 women from across the political spectrum and civil society. The Friedrich Ebert Foundation provided financial support.

The OSCE Presence in Albania strongly supported the introduction of a 50 per cent gender quota for municipal councillors in the June 2015 local elections. As a result, women now make up over 34 per cent of the municipal councils – a jump from 12 per cent in the previous elections.