Over 90 years have passed since the period when former Prime Minister Ahmet Zogu, a little over a year after he came in power, undertook a deep legislation reform, which would give way to a new era, that offered more rights for women in Albania. The falling influence that Kanun had among the population with the growth of the state’s influence, the removal of Islamic law and its replacement with the Civil Code based on the Swiss model, the removal of veils from women and many other steps which later followed, such as the right of voting for women, announced the start of an unprecedented social revolution and the start of the efforts to achieve gender equality, up until then, unknown in this part of the world. This also announced the start of a new phase for civil rights, which released energies that had been historically suppressed. Among them was the right of women to be educated, the right to be elected, to be employed and to participate in the social life of the country.
All of these steps seemed to be following a similar trend in the civilized world. The movements in Albania seemed to be in perfect harmony with the movements for the rights of women taking place in Europe and USA at the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, transforming this issue into an issue of freedom, an issue of dignity, emancipation, solidarity and equality. International Women’s Day was born as a moment of protest, during a period of unrest in a new world which was industrializing and which continues to industrialize up to this day. As years and decades went by, from a day of protest, this day had turned into a day of celebration.
In Albania, March 8 has almost never been associated with protests, because during the period of Zog in power, despite the initial efforts for emancipation and social integration, women were not yet organized in order to celebrate or protest. After World War Two, the communist regime turned 8 March, 1 May and every other holiday which was known as an international day of protest, into parades of celebration, serving to its ideology. Meanwhile, after 1990, the fall of communism changed many things, but not the way March 8 was commemorated. Despite the sporadic attempts to hold protests on this day, this concept is almost nonexistent today. I cannot say if it’s a good thing that there’s only celebrations on this day or if this day must be marked by protests. Life is a reality and reality is life. Therefore, let us take this day and commemorate and celebrate it like our wives, mothers and sisters want.
The same way that it was celebrated yesterday, where many of them received flowers, wishes, cards, phone and messages. Many others went out for lunch or dinner, with family or friends. And some others conversed in the tent that the DP has set up in Tirana to protest, offering their thoughts and messages for this day, from the opposition’s perspective. Despite the progress that a state and society makes in terms of gender equality and rights of women, they must never cease their efforts to do more, because the issue of the rights of women is not just a matter of lecture for emancipation. It’s not even a matter of statistics or quotas of participation of women in Parliament, administration, local government, business, sport, art, culture, media or anywhere else. Gender equality and equal rights between men and women is more than an issue of quantity; it is an issue of quality. An issue where violence against women, gender related discrimination and inequality constitute the true measuring unit of the level of freedoms in Albania, the level of democracy and the rights of all the citizens. One thing is sure; the retail sector looks forward to public holidays, because this is the only way for them to sell more and make more money.
As far as I’m concerned, 8 March will not only be a day of celebration, but also a day of reflection, in order for all of us to do more as a society for our better half.
