The newsletter discusses issues facing older women in Albania, including neglect, abuse, and violence. It summarizes parts of a "Shadow Report" submitted to the UN on the health of older women in Albania. Key points include: - The elderly population in Albania is growing due to lower birth rates and emigration of youth. However, the country lacks acceptable medical and social services for seniors. - Older women tend to suffer from more disabilities than men and have greater health issues due to traditional gender roles. - There is a lack of organizations and infrastructure dedicated to addressing the needs of seniors, especially for healthcare. Existing groups like ASAG receive no financial support. - The newsletter calls for greater

1. ASAG Newsletter No. 4
Tirana, December 2016
Addressing neglect, abuse and violence of
older women
“Every woman has a voice” campaign themes, in occasion 16 Days of Activism Against
Gender-Based Violence Campaign, was organized by Volunteers of the Albanian Society for All
Ages (ASAG), Open Door and USEFUL TO ALBANIAN WOMAN.
 Activity Photo ‘Stop violence against Women of All Ages’
 Extract from the "Shadow Report" on older women.
 ASAG: solidarity to tenants evicted from their homes!
 Give Older Women a Voice
A poor and inadequate lifestyle at an older age is and will remain a factor of fear and
uncertainty for younger generations. There is no better than now to act together towards
encouraging participation and change in defining and supporting the older woman’s role in our
lives. Mira Pirdeni

2. “The Future We Want”
Never ignore older women abuse!
Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of
Women of All Ages is essential for effective action
on all aspects of sustainable development.

3. “SHADOW” REPORT
HEALTHCARE FIELD - CASE OF ALBANIA
Submitted to the United Nation’s Committee on the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
16. The health of older women
Actual situation and problems identified by NPOs
1. The third age ‘is growing’: The results of the census conducted by INSTAT in 2011 show that
the proportion of elderly in the population has increased significantly over the past 10 years
due to low birth rates and high overseas immigration of the young. In 1979, Albania had 76,500
people, 65 and older. In 2011, the number of people 65 and older has increased more than 4
times to 318,000. This is a high percentage of the population. Further growth in the number of
elderly is projected for the next five decades, reaching 667,000 in 2060. In 2011, among people
65 or older there were 91 males for every 100 females. For elderly 80 and older, there were 66
men for every 100 women. In 2014, women on average lived longer than men by 3.9 years153.
Below it is an
extract from the
"Shadow Report"
on disconnected
older women

4. 2. Inappropriate treatment of the elderly and insufficient residential homes: Studies show that
Albania does not offer acceptable medical and social treatment for the elderly. Specific
requirements for appropriate caregivers for the elderly are not taken into consideration. Wrong
treatments even abuses of the elderly in nursing homes are a recurring theme repeating
itself154. ASAG (Albanian Society for All Ages) finds that standards are at a bare minimum,
given that day care centres are limited in Albania. In addition, shelters are few in number and
do not meet the requests of an overwhelming number of elderly, who are often abandoned or
abused by relatives or other persons155.
3. The elderly suffer from more than one chronic disease. They say they cannot afford to buy
medicines and are often forced to take only a fraction of the medication, mainly reimbursed
medication. On the other hand, the public healthcare system is unprepared to cope with the
growing needs of the elderly156.
4. 27% of respondents interviewed stated “Healthcare for the elderly is not available when they
need it”. The main reasons for this, are difficulties to cover the medical treatment (20 percent),
to a lesser extent, the distance to health care services (4 percent) and particularly difficult
disease, which make it impossible for the elderly to go to the doctor (3 percent) 157. Here is
what an elderly Roma woman158 from the Kinostudio area of Tirana said: “I am old and sick
and suffer from many
------------------------------------------
151 Voko K (2013). Technical Report - Access to services and quality of health care for LGBT
people in Albania. Alliance against LGBT discrimination, December 2013.
152 Voko K (2013). Technical Report - Access to services and quality of health care for LGBT
people in Albania. Alliance against LGBT discrimination, December 2013.
153 INSTAT (2015): Aging population: The situation of the elderly in Albania.
154 Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (2014). Care for the elderly.
155 ASAG (2012). Aging, legislation assessment in Albania.
156 UNFPA, NCSS (2015). Social profile of elderly people in Albania. Qualitative assessment.
157 Ylli, A. (2010). Health and social conditions of elderly people in Albania: Baseline data from
a national survey. Public Health Reviews, Vol .32, No. 2, f. 549-560.
158 SOROS (2011). Access to health services by vulnerable groups.
diseases; I can hardly walk and I have no energy to go to the nearest clinic. I do not have
money to pay the doctor cash, therefore I go to the nearest pharmacy, the pharmacist gives me
the medication and I do not have to pay the 200 ALL to the doctor”.
5. Older women tent to suffer more of disabilities than older men. To some extent, this is the
consequence of the higher number of elderly women, however it may not be the full
explanation, because the rate of disability for women at a specific age is consistently higher.
Also, gender roles which make women responsible for most household chores can be a factor,
because disabilities would affect women more severely than men159.
6. There is lack of structures and NPOs to address the needs of the elderly and in particular the
needs for health services. The “Albanian Society for All Ages”, which supports the elderly,
has no financial support for activities, while there is no health infrastructure for older people.

5. “The interpretation of health parameters cannot be the same for the young and the elderly,
there is no gerontology160”
7. NPOs for the elderly report that not even the Agency for the Support of Civil Society (ASCS)
has a focus group for the elderly. There is a lack of projects and donations for the elderly. The
CSSA Annual Report for 2014 does not include any projects that address the needs of the
elderly.
ASAG: solidarity to tenants evicted from their homes!
Published in the daily newspaper "Telegraph" on February 4th
, 2013
"If I am useful to another human being, even for a day, it is a high issue. It is the highest of all the
mindsets acquired at university". I began this article with the statement of Prof. Muhammad Yunus
for the simple fact that, when this International personality came to Tirana invited by the Prime
Minister, Sali Berisha, I felt a particular emotion because he would reflect that kind of light, which
he radiated to the world when he won the Nobel Prize in the year 2006. He seized the opportunity
of this Prize to spread an important message: "Poverty in the world is an artificial creation".
Very shortly after this meeting, ASAG faced the bitter tears of five members of our association,
elderly women, lonely, war veterans, doctors, university professor, teacher, shift workers and
caregivers for their families. As tenants they were evicted from the homes where they had lived
for decades under difficult conditions (somewhere two families would share a bathroom), without
being given a choice rather than the open sky. While back in ‘46 with the advent of communism,
which changed the means of ownership from privates to collective ownership, the evicted owners
were given a choice albeit extreme poverty, in the modern times, our government excludes itself
from the obligation to aid these people. The lack of social justice, where certain people benefit
from the national wealth: shops, houses, better pensions by tricking the system using forged
paperwork or corrupted political support is marginalizing and morally damaging honest people by
this sudden change of status. Everybody is entitled to an institutional support. The right to
ownership must be balanced with the right to housing - two constitutional rights. Why should these
citizens be excluded from privatization as tenants of their dwellings on the basis of ownership
claims? They feel concerned and abandoned by the lack of solidarity and attention the international
bodies operating in Albania to assist for better governance are showing. We should build from the
very foundations the mechanisms of the community solidarity, especially when we feel the flames
of disruption. History can help us.
As an old woman, originating from Great Debar (Dibra e Madhe), I recall the painful history, not
only of my own family but the entire Debar community that fell prey of the great Serbian 1913
reprisals which caused the displacement of thousands of ethnic Albanians. After 100 years, in
2013, the hospitality of the Tirana people who welcomed the fleeing Debar families remains a
great understanding lecture of solidarity.
It must be stressed the fact that the solidarity throttles the despair of the weak, the lonely, the
persecuted, the sick, of those who are immersed in the long wait for justice, of nations, etc. There
are cases of solidarity between the owners, who had suffered eviction in the past and their tenants
who suffer eviction in the present. Just as there are cases of brutal behavior among them and the

6. enforcing authorities. It is imperative to emphasize and spread solidarity and positive feelings!
This dismaying event, should serve as a lesson to our society, for that it failed to embrace Solidarity
for all Ages and convey the message of unacceptable injustice against older people, who in their
part contributed voluntarily for decades to end up being denied their benefit from the national
wealth.
Solidarity is a symbol of freedom and commitment to human justice!
Mira Pirdeni / Albanian Society for All Ages (ASAG)
INVITATION

7. “Mother Teresa” Square
Mother Teresa Square is selected for our activity, as a great example of an
Albanian elderly woman whose contribution and wisdom is revered by all the
politicians of the world.
She inspired changes towards a new era of spiritual intuition promoting love
and solidarity, in which women are the pillars of our society.
People of All Ages and different
gender in our country speaking out
against violence and claim for their
rights.

11. Let us focus on justice, peace and
prosperity. Let our united voice
convey a message of hope and
compassion for the less fortunate. We
stand together to make the Albania a
better place for everyone.

12. Give Older Women a Voice
Unprecedented demographic ageing is a success for development but these changes in
population structures increase the urgency of addressing discrimination experienced by older
women.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is
a living Instrument to protect the human rights of older women as it is mandated to eliminate all
Forms of discrimination against women throughout their lifespan.
The skewed and limited presentation of older women lives in the decision-making, thus, our
agenda is being defined for us rather than by us.
Neglect, abuse and violence were identified as important issues influencing the well-being of older
persons during the Second World Assembly on Ageing in Madrid in 2002. They were reflected in the
Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA) and older women were singled out to “face
greater risk of physical and psychological abuse due to discriminatory societal attitudes and the non-
realization of the human rights of women”. Member States committed themselves to eliminate all
forms of neglect, abuse and violence as well as create support services to address elder abuse.
While Member States reported during the second review and appraisal of the MIPAA in 2012/2013
that abuse and violence have become a growing concern, limited information has been forthcoming
as to the actual scope of the phenomenon of elder abuse, as well as ways in which various factors
such as dependence, isolation and ageism factored into situations of abuse, and how abuse could be
prevented.
Albania, violence against Older Women is hidden, but exists in many different forms: physical,
psychological, economic and legal and in the context of widows and divorce.
“If we have no
peace, it is because
we forgotten that
we belong to each
other”
Mother Theresa

13. Commission on the Status of Women Sixtieth session,
14-24 March 2016
Recommendations
Attention to violence and abuse against women in their older age.
Prepared by: ASAG (Albanian Society for All Ages) volunteers - Tirana 05. 12. 2016
Social norms, which encourage
violence against women of all ages,
need to be confronted and changed.