The Parliament of Albania has approved the new Law “On the Prevention of and Protection from Violence against Women and Domestic Violence”, an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSP), developed with the contribution of UNDP and UN Women in Albania, marking an important step forward in strengthening the protection of human rights.

The new law provides protection against all forms of violence against women and domestic violence and represents a clear commitment to safeguarding the life, dignity, and safety of women, girls, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.

The new legal framework establishes a unified civil-administrative system that integrates prevention, protection, support, and rehabilitation of victims, as well as the treatment of perpetrators, through structured coordination among central and local institutions and civil society.

One of the key innovations of the law is the explicit expansion of the forms of violence it covers, including psychological, economic, and sexual violence, stalking, forced marriage, sexual harassment, violence against women in politics, and—for the first time in a comprehensive manner—technology-facilitated violence. The regulation of digital violence, including the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, online stalking and harassment, and hate speech, closes significant legal gaps and establishes clear grounds for swift civil and administrative intervention.

The law places the victim at the center by institutionalizing, for the first time, an individual assessment of risk and needs, carried out from the first point of contact with services, without territorial or administrative barriers. Protection is accompanied by free, coordinated, and tailored services, including emergency shelter, short-term economic assistance, psychosocial counseling, and support for socio-economic reintegration.

Through a new architecture of protection orders, the law guarantees immediate and effective intervention, including preliminary orders issued by the Police, emergency protection orders, and protection orders. The new system ensures protection without conditioning it on the initiation of criminal proceedings, while expanding protective measures to all forms of violence, including digital and political violence.

In the digital environment, the law provides for direct and enforceable mechanisms, such as administrative orders for the immediate removal of harmful content, short deadlines for content blocking, and progressive sanctions for non-compliance by online service providers, ensuring effectiveness even in cases where servers are located outside Albania’s jurisdiction.

Another significant innovation of the law is the explicit prohibition of mediation and reconciliation in cases of violence against women and domestic violence, strengthening the

victim-centered approach and guaranteeing dignity, safety, confidentiality, and non-discriminatory access to justice.

At the same time, the law institutionalizes prevention through education, awareness-raising, the engagement of men and boys, and mandatory training for professionals.

The law establishes a clear mechanism of institutional responsibilities, a consolidated data system, and monitoring mechanisms. Its implementation will be accompanied by secondary legislation within six months, along with a transitional period for more complex components, particularly in the digital sphere.

The adoption of this law conveys a clear state and societal message: violence against women and domestic violence are not tolerated, and the protection of victims is a direct responsibility of the state.