Maliq Municipality commits to implementing the European Charter for Equality

2025-07-01 15:05:00, Aktualitet CNA

The Municipality of Maliq took an important step today towards building a more equal society for all, by signing the European Charter for Equality between Women and Men in Local Life. With this act, the Municipality formalizes its commitment to promote and implement the fundamental principle of gender equality in all areas of public and institutional life.

The ceremony was held under the auspices of the Mayor, Mr. Gëzim Topçiu, and was supported by UN Women and the European Union, within the framework of the “European Union for Gender Equality” (EU4GE) project, funded by the European Union.

The signing ceremony was attended by Ms. Erisa Çela, Head of Programmes at UN Women in Albania, and Ms. Jenni Lundmark, Programme Officer for Private Sector Development and Gender Equality at the Delegation of the European Union to Albania. The event was also attended by members of the Municipal Council, representatives of local institutions, civil society organizations, universities, and employees of the local administration.

With this signature, the Municipality of Maliq joins a network of 2,044 municipalities signing the Charter in 36 European countries, of which 20 in Albania. The signing municipalities assume responsibility and undertake concrete actions in the field of gender equality and women's empowerment. This is a common step in the effort to address the many challenges that still prevent women and men, young women and young men, girls and boys from enjoying equal rights in social, political and economic life. Furthermore, this initiative will enable the Municipality of Maliq to benefit from European experience and best practices, as well as to expand international cooperation in the field of gender equality.

The European Charter for Equality, through its 39 articles, provides a guiding framework on how municipalities and regions can work effectively to improve gender equality in different areas of their competence. The next and essential step after this commitment is the preparation and adoption of a Local Action Plan for Gender Equality. The continuous implementation of this plan, with dedicated resources and high accountability, will be our path towards achieving full gender equality./ CNA