Protecting women's rights is protecting society.

On this March 8, we celebrate the strength, resilience and achievements of Albanian women. The Ombudsman remains your main ally in every battle for justice and equality.

Against this background, we share today the findings of the Femicide Observatory at our institution on extreme violence against women and girls, as an alarm bell for institutional and social reflection:

In total, during the last four years, 37 women and girls have been killed in Albania, of which 73% were assessed as femicide.

During 2024, 18 cases of extreme violence against women and girls were analyzed, of which:

• In 72% of cases, the victims had experienced previous violence by the perpetrator.
• Of the 19 identified perpetrators, 17 were men/boys
• The main motives are related to the desire for control, jealousy and deep patriarchal norms
• 56% of the events occurred in rural areas.
• The victims of 2024 were mothers of 33 children, 9 of whom are minors.

The Ombudsman recommends strengthening institutional coordination, strengthening early risk assessment and case monitoring, and legal recognition of femicide as a separate criminal offense.

Here you will find information about femicide in Albania 2024