The “Advancing Gender Equality through Oversight and Reporting in Albania (AGORA)” project aims to strengthen the implementation of gender equality and gender-based violence (GBV) legislation in Albania by empowering civil society organisations, enhancing institutional accountability, and increasing public awareness. It focuses on women and girls, particularly those from marginalised groups such as Roma women and LGBTQI+ persons, who often face barriers in accessing quality health and social services. Through research, capacity-building, advocacy, and awareness-raising activities, AGORA addresses gaps in the implementation of the legal framework on gender equality and GBV, with a particular focus on primary healthcare institutions.

The project supports women-led and grassroots organisations through sub-grants, trains health practitioners, and promotes evidence-based monitoring and reporting mechanisms to assess institutional performance. It also produces research, policy recommendations, awareness campaigns, and advocacy initiatives aimed at improving service delivery and public accountability. Ultimately, AGORA contributes to ensuring that women and girls, especially those most vulnerable, have improved access to quality health and social protection services and can live free from violence, discrimination, and exclusion.

• Improve the capacities of WCSOs, particularly women’s rights and grassroots groups (Roma and LGBTQI+), to hold relevant institutions accountable for implementing the GE&GBV legal framework and empowering women and girls to claim their rights.
• Enhance capacities of public social and health institutions to offer quality services to women and girls, including those from grassroots groups (Roma and LGBTQI+).
• Increase awareness of women and girls in target municipalities, especially survivors of violence, discriminated persons due to their sexual orientation and race on access to quality and coordinated health and social services.

• At least 15 local CSOs, particularly those serving Roma communities, LGBTQI+ persons, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups in six target municipalities, have strengthened capacities to monitor, document, and report on the performance of public institutions in implementing gender equality and gender-based violence legislation, while at least 10 CSOs receive sub-grants to undertake related community-based actions.
• At least 15 local CSOs have enhanced capacities to train and mentor public officials, and public officials have improved access to practical information, methodologies, and tools to support the effective implementation of the legal and policy framework on gender equality and gender-based violence.
• At least 80 public social and health practitioners have increased knowledge of the national legal framework and international standards on gender equality, gender-based violence, and quality service provision, resulting in improved institutional capacity to deliver responsive and survivor-centred services.
• Public social and health institutions in the target municipalities have strengthened their policies and practices by integrating CSO monitoring findings and recommendations into their action plans and service delivery mechanisms.
• Women and girls from marginalised groups in the target municipalities have increased awareness of their rights and improved knowledge of available health and social services, while media professionals and the wider public demonstrate greater awareness and understanding of gender equality, gender-based violence, and human rights issues.