Women members of municipal councils establish the National Alliance

Today marks the founding of the National Alliance of Municipal Councilors (AKKB), a platform for empowering women and girls and promoting social inclusion at the local level

Women councilors from across the political spectrum and from all the country’s municipalities unite in a platform that aims to increase women’s participation in political decision-making and advocate for the improvement of social services for women and girls.

“Politics should not be the goal but the means to become the voice of every woman and the arm that each of them can rely on to have access to every opportunity, so that she develops economically and professionally. Only in this way will society be fair and equal. Albania needs to support every girl and woman, regardless of their condition or affiliation. We must put an end to the culture of shaming women and treating them as fragile and ignorant creatures”, said Silda Anagnosti, co-chair of the Alliance.

While Alta Haluci, co-president of the Alliance, said: “The image of the Albanian woman with values in politics is a guarantee for good governance and integration with standards and values of Albania in the EU”.

“When women members of different, sometimes opposing political parties work together and align for a higher purpose, this sends a powerful message to the whole Albanian society and builds necessary bridges”, said Swiss Ambassador Ruth Huber.

In his welcoming speech the Ambassador of Sweden Niklas Ström, highlighted the importance of inter-party cooperation among women municipal councilors and further added: “Achievements in gender equality should not be taken for granted and we must all fight the regressive tendencies that promote the ‘traditional’ role of women and girls, that of staying at home or being submissive in various forms”.

AKKB is built on five key pillars: i) political empowerment of women and girls, ii) improved access to social services, iii) economic empowerment of women and girls, iv) legislative reform and v) fight against gender- based violence, which will guide our efforts to create a more equal Albania.

The alliance follows a ten-year legacy of municipal councillors’ cooperation. At its beginning a decade ago, 24% of municipal councils had no female representatives. Currently, the political representation of women has increased to 42.22%. The Alliance will continue to work to strengthen the position and voice of women in society and enable them to reach their full potential, impacting both local communities and nationally.

AKKB will also defend initiatives that promote women’s economic independence and their participation in the labor market; will work to ensure the efficient implementation of legislation in force that promotes gender equality and will advocate for further legal changes in line with European standards.

At the same time, AKKB is determined and will take a strong and uncompromising stance against any kind of gender-based violence and discrimination in private and public life, working to create a safe environment for all women, girls and groups in need.

The National Alliance of Municipal Councilors is ready to become a driving force for positive changes in Albania. Through collaboration and implementation of its fundamental principles, AKKB will empower women to lead, advocate and shape a more secure future for themselves, their communities and the country.

The National Alliance of Municipal Councilors is supported by “Strong Municipalities”, a project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC and the Government of Sweden, implemented by Helvetas.

/Argumentum.al