TIRANA, Jan 18 /ATA/ Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka, stated on Tuesday that “women, peace and security are high on Albania’s agenda for the next two years.”
In her remarks at the debate “Women, Peace and Security” organized by the UN Security Council, Minister Xhaçka said that “I have pushed this agenda to the fore for some time now as a politician, but also as a women’s rights activist. ”
“All these years the thought that has constantly crossed my mind is: How come that women still have to fight for something as fundamental as equality, and for the same rights as men although they account for the other half of the population? It is tricky, that even in the time we live in, equality of rights, representation, education and opportunities are not taken as a given if you are a woman. Moreover, the right to participate in the efforts to build and maintain peace and security is not taken as a given if you are a woman,” Xhaçka said.
Minister Xhaçka said that “it is a bitter truth of history, but it is also a bitter truth of our days and era that while men currently trigger most of the wars, women often bear their brunt. This is not a catch phrase. I say this as a lesson that we Albanians have learned from our history. We saw this in Kosovo. The women were left behind to take care of their families, the women were left behind to collect the remains. Women were raped, tortured and killed as targets of a criminal campaign of ethnic cleansing. And we see this in all the conflicts all over the world, from Afghanistan to Yemen, from Myanmar to Ethiopia, to Syria, or to the persecution of activists in Belarus.”
Women activists, Xhaçka continued, are faced with threats and dangers, including arbitrary detentions, kidnappings and disappearances by government authorities, and even killings by government authorities, not only because of the common dangers associated with such activities in conflict zones, but also for the fact that they are women.
“And yet, I know that women can show resilience by playing a role in peace building and conflict resolution. 30 years ago, when my country embarked on its long and arduous path to reconstruction after emerging from decades of isolation and ruin under an extremely radical communist regime, we made the same mistake. We denied women their role in reconstruction, in reconciliation, in the process of laying the foundations of our new Albania. We paid for that mistake. But we also learned from that. “I am proud that gender equality is a top priority for the Albanian Government, not only with words and policies, but also with concrete actions and achievements,” Xhaçka said.
Albania, Xhaçka added, ranks among the top 5 governments for a balanced gender equality, with 75% of ministerial posts held by women.
“A similar percentage of senior and middle-level executive positions, as well as some of the senior public positions – including independent institutions, agencies, departments in key areas of the state – are held by women. We have benefited. The whole country has benefited. That is why we decided to make Women, Peace and Security our top priority. “In this spirit, we joined Norway, the United Arab Emirates and Niger in the Declaration of Joint Commitments to make Women, Peace and Security a top priority during our SC Presidencies,” she said.
