Consultative meetings with LGU women councillors

In the framework of the support for women in politics, DLDP conducted consultative meetings with LGU women councilors of Durrës, Peshkopi and Kukës Qarks, respectively on March 9th, 10th and 16th. 

The meetings focused firstly in extending the network of women in politics and secondly in discussing challenges women councilors face before 2015 local elections, as seen from the viewpoint of implementing the new territorial reform and increasing their representation in the next local councils.

Problems highlighted during the discussions are related especially to actual challenges women in politics face, their role in increasing the representation of women as well as the guarantee of offering social services in all territory covered by new local governmental units.

Women, as part of the structure of political parties are favored by a new approach of political leaderships, the 50-50 representation in future municipal councils. Meanwhile, on the other hand, they will face issues of women inside political parties and women as voters. 

It remains to be seen how realistically will be implemented the new approaches of political leaderships and will they have any impact whatsoever in the increase of women representation in the local decision-making process, while women membership in party structures is much lower in comparison with men’s.

Another challenge has to do with the fact that future local councils will have a smaller number of councilors per a greater administrative territory, hence a more fierce effort to become part of these councils.

Following these consultative meetings, DLDP and the network of women in politics will undertake another series of forums in all 5 Qarks, with a wider participation, including also women members of political parties as well as county level party leadership.