Parliamentary Group “Friends of Children”Mersila Ballo

Children’s Human Rights Centre of Albania – CRCA

Author(s) of the Program Main Program activities

Target Group

Resources Where Additional Information

about the Program is Available

Methods and Main Results of Program

Effectiveness Estimation

Aims of the Program

CRCA ALBANIA/UNICEF ALBANIA

ALBANIAN PARLIAMENT

-Albanian children

-Albanian population

-Policy makers

-Central and local level stakeholders

Facilitate the policy dialogue and interaction among CSO’s and

decision-makers

- reinforcing the capacities of civil society partners in independent

monitoring of child rights violations, in particular violence against children.

- reinforce partnerships between CSOs and state decision-makers with an

aim to strengthen the system of public services to identify, monitor and

address violence against children;

- influence policies at national or local level to address violence against

children;

- contribute to sharing lessons learned on child rights' monitoring

mechanisms;

- encourage civil society to create an environment of dialogue with

decision-makers and to work closely with them.

Theoretical Basis or Model

of the Prevention Program

BECAN Report, an EU funded research on violence against

children in Western Balkans, found that children in Albania report

a high degree physical and emotional violence. The study

interviewed 3328 children and 2443 parents. The study main

findings were:

Psychological violence: Prevalence 69% / Incidence 62%.

Physical violence among children: Prevalence 59% / Incidence

48%.

Sexual harassment: Prevalence 11% / Incidence 9%.

Sexual violence: Prevalence 4.9% / Incidence 4%.

Feeling of negligence: Prevalence 26% / Incidence 22%.

Girls reported a higher degree of violence compared to boys

(70% prevalence/63%)/ meanwhile boys report (67% of

prevalence and 60% of incidence).

Main Results of the Baseline Study

Authors’ Contact Details

mersila.ballo@crca.al

Tel: +355 67500 2025

www.crca.al

http://www.crca.al/news/parliamentary-group-%E2%80%9Cfriends-

children%E2%80%9D-consults-civil-society-organizations-its-

strategic-plan

BECAN STUDY:

http://www.crca.al/sites/default/files/publications/Albania%20case-

based%20surveillance%20study%20on%20violence%20against%2

0children.pdf

Parliaments plays an important role in enforcing and holding the

government accountable in any democratic state. Nonetheless

Albania doesn't have a long tradition of parliamentarism and there

is still a long way to go to achieve a parliament that fully exercises

its power towards public institutions and officials. As such it is

necessary to support new initiatives that strengthen the

democratic role of parliament towards bringing the child rights and

issues into the center of public life, debates and policies.

Activity 1. Support the functioning of the Parliamentary Group

“Friends of Children” (PGFC)

Activity 1.1. Assist Parliamentary Group “Friends of Children”

(PGFC) to prepare and implement a Strategic Plan.

Activity 1.2 Organise controlling mechanisms in the Albanian

Parliament under the guidance of PGFC.

Activity 1.3 Public Advocacy Actions. PGFC members will engage

in public and media events organized by the MP’s jointly with

CSO’s or human rights institutions such as the Ombudsman in

support of particular issues of interest of child rights in Albania be

that violence against children

Activity 1.2 Guidelines on “What MP’s can do to protect children

from violence” prepared by the PGFC.

Activity 1.3 Children meet Parliamentarians aims to bring child

participation to the heart of the Parliament and let the children

understand how the parliament works and how they can affect

policies at a national level.