Women Center for Development and Culture

To better address gender-based violence and to increase awareness, more trainings and collaborations should be held between various actors, because we all share responsibility for the protection and the security of women. Only the consolidated efforts and strong partnerships can effectively help to address violence against women.

– WCDC Campaign Report

She Builds Peace launched in Albania with three events led by the Women Center for Development and Culture (WCDC). The first event, a conference held in Elbasan in March 2020, was organized to promote the role of women in peacebuilding in Albania. The event brought together over 200 participants—including central, local, regional and international representatives, diplomatic corps, civil society actors, media, and academics—to discuss UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in Albania. The conversation explored the need for protection for women peacebuilders in Albania and examined how to include women’s and civil society’s perspectives in the implementation of UNSCR 1325. The participants concluded that advancing the WPS agenda should be a collaborative effort between state institutions, civil society actors, and the media.

The second event was a youth peace talk in October 2020, which convened high schoolers for a workshop on the WPS and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agendas. The workshop aimed to raise awareness, activate, and involve young people in peace and security issues, specifically through the recognition of UNSCR 1325 and UNSCR 2250. The workshop combined theory and practice, where students were trained to recognize the pillars of Resolution 2250.

Finally, WCDC facilitated a round table discussion in November 2020 on the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in Albania. Centered around the 20th anniversary of UNSCR 1325, the event brought together members of Parliament, other national and local government representatives, and civil society actors. Participants discussed the 20-year history of UNSCR 1325 and the impact the resolution has had on improving the legal framework and increasing women’s participation in the defense and security field. They also emphasized the roles and importance of women and youth in future implementation of the resolution. The meeting opened discussions on women’s issues, among other topics, that continued after the round table concluded. It was covered in various local and national media.