Violence against women and girls knows no boundaries. Data presented by the Femicide Observatory under the People’s Advocate of Albania show that 37 victims have been recorded over the past four years, of which 27 cases have been classified as femicides.

Experts highlighted that during 2024 alone, 18 cases of extreme violence against women and girls were analyzed. In 13 of these cases, the victims had previously experienced violence from the perpetrator, confirming that fatal violence is often an escalation of previously known abuse.

Although five of the victims had sought help from the police before the crime, none of them were under active protection measures at the time of the incident.

According to the analysis carried out by experts, the main motives behind these fatal incidents are linked to the desire for control, jealousy, and deeply rooted patriarchal norms. More than half of the cases occurred in rural areas.

The situation becomes even more tragic considering that the victims in 2024 were mothers of 33 children, nine of whom are minors. Given this alarming situation, the Ombudsman has recommended measures to strengthen early risk assessment and monitoring of such cases, as well as the legal recognition of femicide as a separate criminal offense.

The Femicide Observatory in Albania was established by the People’s Advocate in cooperation with UN Women in March 2024, positioning the country as the first in the Balkans and among the few in Europe to establish a monitoring mechanism for gender-based killings of women and girls.