Albania’s progress in recent years in respecting and promoting gender equality is highlighted in a series of international commitments as well as domestic legal and policy development and implementation. Since 2008 Albania passed the Gender Equality in Society Law, established the national gender machinery, improved the Law on Measures against Violence in Family Relations, opened the first national shelter for survivors of domestic violence, established the mechanism of coordination and referral of domestic violence cases in several municipalities, evaluated the National Strategy for Gender Equality and Domestic Violence (2007-2010), and approved the revised National Strategy on Gender Equality and against Gender-Based and Domestic Violence (2011-2015). The Law on Measures against Violence in Family Relations was adopted in 2006 and further amended in 2007 and 2010. Several bylaws were adopted, and regulations and orders issued, setting in place clear standards for implementation and inter-institutional cooperation. Establishment of a referral system is obligatory by law for all local government units. In early 2011, a Council of Ministers’ Decision (Decision no.334) was signed, reconfirming the mandatory character of the Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence (CCR) at local level. The Ministry of Health has issued several Orders regarding reporting, evidencing, and provision of care to persons who experienced violence in family relations.^[1]  The General Directorate of State Police has issued a manual on “Standard operation procedures for police officers for measures to prevent DV”, which includes tasks, duties and procedures a police officer must follow to ensure public order, prevent crime, investigate and interview, protect and care for survivors of violence in family relations, and implement protection orders.

In addition, Albania created a stronger data collection system through conducting Domestic Violence, Time Use and Demographic Health Surveys as well as through approval of a series of gender indicators that will mandate gender disaggregation of public statistics for a number of entities. Introduction of the 30% quota of representation in the Electoral Code and community initiatives in engaging women more intensively in electoral and decision-making processes have opened the door for a greater voice for women. In 2010 the CEDAW Committee reviewed Albania’s periodic report on implementation of the UN Convention. In December 2011 Albania signed the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. Although with most of the legal framework in place, there’s still a need for the government to provide financial and human resources to implement comprehensive measures, such as setting up shelters, establishing national helplines, providing counseling services, and monitoring state and non-state actors conduct.

 

Despite progress, the position of women in Albania is still far from full equality with men. Violence against women remains widespread in all social strata in Albania. According to the first ever conducted national survey, out of a nationwide sample of 2,590, no less than 56% of women between the age of 15 and 49 experienced at least one type of domestic violence. The report concluded that the prevalence was most likely an underestimate.[2] During the period of NSGE-DV implementation 2007-2010 the number of individuals that go to court denouncing violence has increased, as well as the number of protection orders issues by the courts.[3] However, the number of those who experience violence but do not dare to file reports is estimated to be much higher. According to figures provided by the General Directory of the Albanian State Police (see table below), in the majority of DV cases, namely 64%, the person on which violence is inflicted is the wife, followed by children, parents and other individuals present in the household (in the statistics, their relationship to the perpetrator is not further specified). From 2008 to 2010, the number of immediate protective measures/immediate protection orders issued by the Albanian State Police increased by 70%.

 

To support Albania’s international commitments to the implementation of international human rights standards, gender equality, environmental sustainability, and development of national capacities the Government of Albania and the United Nations signed in 2011 the new Programme of Cooperation (PoC) 2012-2016. While UN agencies will be required to mainstream gender in all their activities and projects, the Programme also envisages interventions focused entirely or considerably on gender equality issues, organized in the following five outputs:

UN Women in coordination with other UN agencies intends to implement activities and deliver assistance under the five outputs mentioned above, building on the results, lessons learned and challenges of the previous UN assistance to GoA. In 2012 UN Women will assist the government of Albania to identify the costs related to the community coordinated response (CCR) to domestic violence. Until the end of 2011, 17 municipalities were working based on the CCR philosophy and model, undertaking all required steps foreseen in the legislation. Durres, Vlora, Tirana, Kukes and Korca municipalities will be supported to identify cost related to their CCR systems. Also, following the GoA signature of the new Council of Europe (CoE) Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention, UN Women will support the GoA to develop a “road map” for progressive realization of the standards of the Convention, particularly with respect to provision of services in response to violence against women (VAW) including their respective costing. The Istanbul Convention, a landmark treaty that was open for signature and ratification on 11 May 2011, requires State parties to make the following services in response to VAW available and accessible to all those who need them: emergency hotlines available 24-hours (art 24); immediate police protection (art 50.1); health care for treatment of injuries (art 20.2); post-rape care (art 25); counseling (art 20.1); shelter and alternative safe housing (art 20.1 and 23); legal aid (art 20.1 and 57); as well as services facilitating longer term recovery from violence, such as financial assistance, education, training and assistance in finding employment (art 20.1).

 

 

Under the supervision of the UN Women Country Programme Manager and the UN Women Policy Specialist, GRB and Statistics, and in cooperation with UNDP Social Inclusion and Justice and Security Programme team, the international consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

 

The following deliverables are expected:

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• Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modeling UN values and ethical standards;
• Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;

Competencies:

Education:

The completion of this consultancy assignment will take up to 35 working days in the estimated period 1 July – 30 October, 2012.

 

Candidates will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal. Contract will be awarded to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation.

 

Criteria:

Technical Evaluation (70%) - Total points 70

Financial Evaluation (30%) - Total points 30

TOTAL - 100 points

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal. All other price proposals receive points in inverse proportion. A suggested formula is as follows:

p = 30 (μ/z)

Where:

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

μ = price of the lowest priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

 

Qualified and interested candidates are requested to submit their application online no later than 30 June, 2012.

 

The application should contain:

Please note that failure to submit P.11 form will result in automatic exclusion of the application from selection process. UN Women applies fair and transparent selection process that would take into account the competencies/skills of the applicants as well as their financial proposals.