Extension of PRIDE in Albania project for another two years

After two successful years of implementation of PRIDE in Albania project, with the help from the European Union and collaboration with IREX Europe on delivering services for the LGBTI+ community in Albania, and at the same time promoting their rights and inclusion in society, we are happy to announce that the PRIDE Project in Albania got officially extended for two more years.

The new project will continue as ‘PRIDE II’, with the same goal of “Promoting Rights, Inclusiveness, Dignity and Equality for LGBT people in Albania” .

Building on the achievements of PRIDE I,  PRIDE II aims to further strengthen the role of grassroots civil society organisations’ (CSOs) in promoting the acceptance, inclusion, and protection of the LGBTI+ minority in rural and urban Albania, with a particular focus on protecting at-risk marginalized youth LGBTIs, and promoting respect for the fundamental rights of the LGBT community.

Pride II will work to strengthening the capacities of local organizations and activists mainly from remote regions (Shkodra, Vlora, Pogradec and Durres), helping them foster a stronger and more vibrant civil society committed to promoting LGBT rights, as well as human rights in general, at the local level.

PRIDE II Objectives:

Objective 1: To strengthen the capacity of grassroots CSOs supporting the LGBT community and to advocate and implement actions improving the acceptance, inclusion and protection of the LGBT community in Albania’s regions and Tirana.

Objective 2: To increase access to protection and counselling support, as well as access to employment opportunities for the LGBT community, with a special focus on ensuring access to basic services for at-risk young LGBT individuals from the regions and Tirana;

Objective 3: To promote a more positive image of the LGBT community and improve their acceptance by the general population in the regions and Tirana.

The expected results of the project are:

Outcome 1: Grassroots CSOs have improved their financial sustainability, and have acquired new skills and knowledge to advocate and implement actions improving the acceptance, inclusion and protection of the LGBT community in Tirana and the regions.

Outcome 2: The LGBT community in Albania, especially at-risk LGBT youth and transgender people, are benefiting from increased and improved counselling, protection and access to employment support in the Regions and Tirana.

Outcome 3: The image of the LGBT community in Tirana and the regions has improved through awareness raising activities in the regions and Tirana.

This project is funded by the European Union in Albania.