The Ombudsman has been closely following the public debate of recent days regarding the draft law “On Gender Equality”, a legal initiative undertaken by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

For years, the Ombudsman has been following the same recommendations as those of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the GREVIO expert group, emphasizing the need to improve the legal framework for gender equality, with the aim of further harmonizing Albanian legislation with international standards.

The Ombudsman would like to underline that gender equality is not an ideological or political cause, but a fundamental human right, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Albania, by the international conventions that the country has ratified, as well as by the obligations stemming from the European integration process, which requires full compliance with the acquis communautaire in the field of equality and non-discrimination.

In this context, the Ombudsman supports the legal initiative of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, appreciating the fact that the draft law was prepared through a comprehensive consultation process.

Meanwhile, the Ombudsman expresses concern about the way the debate and the final process of this law have been developed, which may lead to the weakening of guarantees for gender equality or deviation from the initial principles on which the initiative was built.

Any reformulation that limits the definitions, mechanisms or institutional obligations for guaranteeing equality constitutes a step backwards in relation to the international standards that Albania has pledged to respect.

Progress in the field of gender equality is one of the fundamental criteria for respecting human rights and a key indicator in the European integration process.

The Ombudsman remains committed to contributing with expertise and continuous observation to any process related to the improvement of the legal framework for gender equality and human rights in the country.