Gender Equality in the Albanian Criminal Code: Legal Framework, Gaps, and Reform Proposals

Abstract Book of the 8th International Conference on Future of Social Sciences and Humanities

Year: 2026

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Gender Equality in the Albanian Criminal Code: Legal Framework, Gaps, and Reform Proposals

Ermira Tafani

ABSTRACT:

Albania, as a newly established democratic state in the post-1990s era, has committed to integration into the European Union by aligning its national legislation with international standards. The adoption of the Albanian Criminal Code in 1995, modeled after the legal frameworks of Italy, France, and Germany, marked a significant step in this process. Over subsequent years, the Code has undergone multiple amendments aiming at harmonizing substantive criminal law with international conventions ratified by Albania, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Despite these reforms, evaluation reports from international bodies such as the European Commission and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women highlight persistent deficiencies on women’s rights protection, noting that the Albanian legal framework does not fully comply with the requirements of this Convention and related international instruments. Through descriptive and comparative analysis, this study identifies gaps within the Albanian Criminal Code and proposes concrete recommendations for legislative reform, with particular emphasis on respecting and protecting gender equality.

Keywords: Criminal Law Reform; Elimination Of Discrimination Against Women; European Integration – Albania; Legislative Harmonization; Women’s Rights Protection