The first interfaith march in Albania dedicated to women and youth/ A historic initiative for equality and justice

2025-01-24 12:55:00, Aktualitet CNA

The first interfaith march in Albania dedicated to women and youth/ A historic

Today, at the “Elbasan Arena” square, the first interfaith march in Albania was organized, a historic event that brought together religious communities to support the empowerment of women and youth in the fight against violence and in promoting gender equality.

Organized by the Women's Center for Development and Culture (WCDCA), in collaboration with the Center for Interfaith Cooperation and the Elbasan Women's Forum, the march was accompanied by inspiring speeches and broad participation from citizens and local leaders.

Dr. Rudina Çollaku, President of WCDCA and leader of the march, emphasized the importance of this unprecedented collaboration:

“It is a special event that religious communities dedicated the march to supporting women and youth. In the last decade, 159 women have been murdered in Albania and hundreds of thousands more have experienced violence. This makes this march not only symbolic, but also a necessity to raise awareness in our society.”

The first interfaith march in Albania dedicated to women and youth/ A historic

On the other hand, Ms. Flutura Açka, a member of the Albanian Parliament, emphasized the importance of establishing the Elbasan model as an example for the entire country:

“Elbasan and Albania should be appropriate models for supporting women. Gender equality is a necessary element for the development of a just and sustainable society.”

Mr. Florenc Spaho, Member of Parliament, underlined the importance of investing in youth:

"Support should not only be for women, but also for young people. They are the seeds of our future and their model should not be 'the strongest', but education, knowledge and development. Only in this way can we be worthy of integration into the European Union."

Ms. Shpresa Banja, Chairwoman of the Women's Forum, thanked the organizers and emphasized the role of religion in this issue:

The first interfaith march in Albania dedicated to women and youth/ A historic

“The Center for Interfaith Cooperation is a unique model in supporting women in Albania. Religion, especially Abrahamic religions, should play an even greater role in empowering women, especially in times of modernity and global crises.”

The march ended in an atmosphere of optimism and a spirit of cooperation, underlining the need for concrete actions in the fight against violence and for a more just and equal society. The organizers expressed their commitment to making this activity an annual tradition in the efforts to build a just and inclusive Albania./ CNA