16 Oct 2017

Goals / Question : To search background information (where is it? What is the geography of
Albania? What is the strong point of the country?) and history of Albania.

Notes:
Albania is one of the country in Europe. It is a small country in Balkan Peninsula and is bordered by
Montenegro in north, Serbia in north east, the Republic of Macedonia in east, and Greece in south east. It
is made up approximately 70% of hills and mountains in which located in north, east and south However,
Albania is a country rich in rivers which originate in high mountains. In addition, it also has many
beautiful coast in western where most population live here. Its cost is the sightseeing of the country. Tirana
is the capital city of Albania. People in the country speak Albania. Most of them are Muslim.

For history of Albania, it used to be part of Illyria and later of the Roman Empire. After that, it was ruled by
Byzantine Empire and then the Ottoman empire for more than four centuries. Islam was the official
religion of Ottoman Empire; therefore, Albanian became muslim. Albania gained independence in 1912.
However, it was conquered by Italy in 1939 and became communist under Enver Hoxha after the war.
Since this, Albania close the country from the rest of the world except only trade with China until its
transition to democracy after 1990. Many people in Albania left the country to search for work and money
in order to send to their family. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is going to apply for EU
membership. Albania is still one of the poorest in Europe.

Reference:
1. Nationsonline.org, K. K. (n.d.). ___ Albania. Retrieved from http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/
albania.htm
2. Albania country profile. (2017, July 24). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-
europe-17679574
3. Albania (n.d.). GEOGRAPHY. Retrieved from http://albania.al/article/19/geography/

Reflection:
First of all, I have no idea about Albania. I dont know where is it and what is it good at. Therefore, I have
been searching about its general information first. When I am looking for information, I also open the
proposal form which indicate that we need to fill history from 1900 to present. As a result, I also find the
information about history background about Albania too. In my opinion, I success my goal as I can
summary all of my questions. I think that I do well at reading many articles since I need to combine all of
the resources in order to judge that it is reliable or not.
Finally, I also have new questions that arise which is Who is Enver Hoxha and Why the country is so poor. I
have seen many article mention about Enver Hoxha, so that I know some brief information about him, but
I think that it will be better if I know more about him. Therefore, next time that I research the information, I
plan to add these two question to my goal too.
24 Oct 2017
Goals / Question : Searching about Albania social issue to complete the proposal. Answer the
question from previous note.

Notes:
Enver Hoxha
He is one of the most dangerous dictators in the world. In addition, he also was an Albanian communist
politician too. He became the president of Albania after WWII since he founded the Albanian Communist
Party on 8 November 1941. His first political union was with Yugoslavia, then Russia and in the end with
China. He is also known for eliminating all political enemies. He is the one who influence King Zog to flees
to Greece. He is important as the Albania turn into communist because of him.

According to MDG, it is stand for Millennium Development Goals. There are eight international goal
created by UN in 2000. 1. To eradicate poverty and hunger 2. To achieve universal primary education 3.
Promote gender equality 4. Reduce child mortality 5. Improve maternal health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS,
malaria and other disease 7. Ensure environment sustainability 8. Global Partnership for development

From the MDG, Albania is considered as the poorest country in Europe so they need to focus on MDG #1 to
solve the poverty problem and the gap between rich and poor. The poor women give birth to many
children which influence Albanias social to be more inequality since poor people will be overpopulate rich
people. The corruption is also the main cause of this poverty in Albania as the power in the country is only
in some politicians hand. 1/4 of the population lives below the poverty level of US$2 a day. The average
salary of a person employed in Albania is 330 Euros a month or 1.8 Euros per hour meanwhile other
countries get paid at rate 6 to 8 Euros per hour.

Why the country is poor?

- transition between communist to democracy has challenge the government since it need to deal with
high unemployment, corruption, organised crime networks and political opponents.
- some obstacles that make the countrys economic grows slowly such as transportation infrastructure,
large gap between rich and poor, and education.
- The cycle of poverty is very hard to break through once you enter that loop.

Reference: Read the article

1. Salaries in Albania, drastic gap between the minimum and maximum pay. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.balkaneu.com/salaries-albania-drastic-gap-minimum-maximum-pay/
2. The World Factbook: ALBANIA. (2017, November 16). Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/
publications/the-world-factbook/geos/al.html
3. Millennium Development Goals. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/
sdgoverview/mdg_goals.html
4. The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica. (2013, August 16). Enver Hoxha. Retrieved from https://
www.britannica.com/biography/Enver-Hoxha

Reflection: On this day, I continue to answer my two questions and also try to complete the
proposal. But first, I need to know what is MDG as it is mentioned in the proposal guideline many time so
that I will know what our project will be about. As I find out the eight goal of MDG, I realize that MDG#1 is
very related to Albania since the article usually refer to Albania, the most poverty country in Europe. As a
result, I then research about the cause of its poverty. In my opinion, its history has a lot of effect to Albanias
present problem; for example, Albania had been shut down their country from the rest of the world
meaning that they didnt trade with other country in terms of technology, education and ideas which may
lead to slowly development of the country. In addition, I also think that this issue is related to my own
country too since in some parts of Thailand still have poverty issue.

28 Oct 2017
Goals / Question : Searching about Albanias gender inequality. Find the cause of the problem
Gender inequality

Notes: Women comprise 51% of Albanian population. Its gender gap index is 0.6655 placing it in
91st place out of 135 countries. At least a third of all women in Albania are estimated to have experienced
physical violence in families. They are hit, beaten, raped and even killed. In addition, women earn two
thirds of what a man earns for the same job in which women do much more work than men do. Only 17 %
of companies have women in top management positions. Furthermore, for mothers who want to work, it is
hard to find the child care. Women in Albania also face with unequal inheritance rights, early marriage
and unequal land or property rights.

Cause of gender inequality in Albania

Families in Albania are still build on the traditional patriarchal organisation. Patriarchal organisation is a
social system in which males hold primary power and authority over women in all aspects.. This is due to
the Balkan traditions and even until 1990, this tradition still dominant. Poverty, unemployment, lower
educational levels and individual problem also lower women and young girls from gender equality.
Gender inequality in Albania is also due to womens low level of representation in policy and decision
making. There are only 7% seats in parliament, nine women in senior position of central government and
2% of leaders at local level. This creates an obstacle to write the policy toward the needs of women and
fewer opportunities to promote women in terms of economic, family structure or social status.

Additional, women are brought up that men are stronger and better than women. Most of women also
think that using violence in families is normal since they see their mothers are beaten or shouted.As a
result, women lack of awareness that they should report to the government . In the past, there is Kanun
Laws which is the law that gave men the right to beat and publicly humiliate wife when she disobey her
husband.
 Reference:
1. Women and Children in Albania double dividend of gender equality. (2007). Retrieved from https://
www.unicef.org/eca/Women_and_Children_in_Albania_english.pdf
2. Evie B. (2017, March 17). Gender norms in the Western Balkans. Retrieved from https://reliefweb.int/
sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/058%20Gender%20in%20the%20Balkans.pdf
3. Albania. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.wikigender.org/countries/europe-and-central-asia/gender-
equality-in-albania/
4. Albania gender equality fact sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/document/
223068597/Albania-gender-equality-fact-sheet

Reflection: Firstly, I want to say that our group plan to change the topic of MDG from poverty to
gender inequality since when we look through the article that was given by our teacher. We find that
MDG#3 (gender inequality) has more part to talk about so we think it can search for information easily with
many resources.

After I research gender inequality and the cause of it, I found that gender inequality, poverty and less
education seem to be very related. This means that it is hard to break through the problem. If people in the
country are poor, they cannot apply to higher education and only men will have a chance as they think that
men will become the head of the family in the future, after that; women continue to have less knowledge.
Therefore, women need to rely on the men and dont have power in the family causing gender inequality.
This is the loop continue to pass down to next generation as the children who saw the violence in family
will think that it is normal to do like this and then it will become tradition.

On this day, I think that I read many research article and find many sources to achieve my goal. Since some
article is very long, I have the strategy to read the contents page first which will tell the page that I want to
know so I will not waste my time on what I dont need to summarize.

2 Nov 2017
Goals / Question : Find the cause of property and low education which effect the gender inequality

Notes:
Poverty in Albania is mostly women and and young people.
Cause of poverty
First of all, due to the geography of Albania, there is a lot of mountain in the northern areas such
as districts of Kukes, Dibra and Shkodrea. People who live in that rural mountain area is usually a farmer
who do the agriculture. They are poor because they lack access to market outlets for them to sell the
product from their farm. Therefore, they cannot increase their incomes and standard of living. People in
that area also lack of the access of technology and education. So they dont have much resource to develop
the product from their farm; as a result, their productivity is quite low and not much that high quality in
which cause them to receive less income. This poverty loop is hard to break though since their will not have
much money to develop their farm in terms of technology, knowledge, equipment and organization. It is
difficult to thrive and create jobs. These low incomes and staggering unemployment keep this cycle of
poverty continuing.

Cause of low education

- In 1946, about 60% of people were illiterate. This is cause by Ottoman prohibit the use of
Albanian language in school (now, they use Albanian language) -> a few school available because they
close all schools that use Albanian language.
- After Albania became independence, there are still a few school. The wars such as WWII and their
civil war slower countrys education system development -> cannot apply higher education -> low income
due to low position of work -> poverty -> dont have money to apply high education -> loop
poverty -> government reduce public spending on education
Reference:
1. Rural poverty in Albania. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/web/rural-poverty-
portal/country/home/tags/albania
2. The chains of the poverty in Albania. (2016, December 19). Retrieved December 10, 2017, from
http://wvi.org/albania/article/chains-poverty-albania
3. Poverty in Albania. (2017, April 18). Retrieved from https://borgenproject.org/poverty-in-albania/
4. Why is Albania Poor? (2017, November 30). Retrieved December 10, 2017, from https://
borgenproject.org/why-is-albania-poor/
5. Education in Albania (2010). Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/eca/Albania_2010.pdf

Reflection: Today research made me realize of what I have learn in world history class about effect
of colonization and imperialism. I think that some of the poverty and low educations causes are from
being colonized by other country. When Ottoman Empire conquered Albania, they have many law that
suppress Albania from becoming independence including less access to education. So I think this is the
side-effect of what happen in Albanias history. However, Albania have tried to solve this problem since
they get the finance assistance from other country too. In addition, I think that the consequence of the war
is very large as it affect the country in many terms such as countrys economy, politics, education and
society. This situation in Albania is similar to Thailand because Thailand also need to solve poverty and low
education problem in rural area. The mountainous rural area is difficult to access to give assistance.

8 Nov 2017
Goals / Question : Search the effect of the Problem
Notes:
Effect in terms of economic growth
- gender equality makes market more competitive and increases investment in physical capital.
Physical capital = human-made product such as building, machine -> used to produce other goods and
services.
 - gender equality also has an impact on macroeconomic stability.
- This is opposite to gender inequality. Gender inequality reduces agricultural productivity.
- The research show that improvement of the role and status of women will step ahead to stronger
economic growth.

Effect on society
- poor women give birth to many children
Poor women have less access to family planning tools. More children will cause them to be
more poor and women cannot take decision by herself (need to rely on men).
- infant mortality is closely related to a mothers level of poverty and educational attainment
Women in poor family who dont earn high education will have less knowledge to take
care infant in terms of health care and nutrition. Women herself also cannot apply to have
good health which might effect the health of infants before they born causing infant to die.
- mothers educational attainment impacts child nutrition
Women get less money due to gender inequality and cannot buy much nutrition food. This
effect the children to eat what they have. Malnourished women is likely to raise
malnourished and underdeveloped children, and repeating the cycle mother experienced.
- educational attainment and economic well-being help foster child psycho-social development,
learning and school readiness
mother has a lot of influence to her child. Mother who have less education cannot afford
the activities related to early childhood development in terms of school readiness and
psycho-social development.
- violence in family has a high cost, paid for by children
Violence in family is more common in poor area of Albanian society and in group of poor
educational attainment. When husband is stressed from their work, they will use violence
on his wife or children. This increase number of children with developmental and metal
health problems and then it will repeat the loop since the children might grow up and do
like this.
- children raised in poverty are forced to work in jobs harmful to their health
Doing heavy jobs is harmful to childs physical development and health. Family cannot
afford money to children because mother usually get paid less, so they need to work
(especially the boy)
- poverty increase the risk of child trafficking, particularly of girls
Usually, they think that the girl is weaker and easily kidnap. The family is very poor that
they dont have enough money, so they need to traffic children. There are many
children were reported to have been trafficked to other country to do work or illegal
activities such as begging.
Reference:
1. Erinda I. (n.d.) Gender Equality And Its Contribution To Economic Growth And Development In
Albania. Retrieved from http://dspace.epoka.edu.al/bitstream/handle/1/938/
GENDER%20EQUALITY%20AND%20ITS%20CONTRIBUTION%20TO%20ECONOMIC%20GROWTH%20A
ND%20DEVELOPMENT%20IN%20ALBANIA.pdf?sequence=1
2. Women and Children in Albania double dividend of gender equality. (2007). Retrieved from https://
www.unicef.org/eca/Women_and_Children_in_Albania_english.pdf
3. Dilina B. & Edi P. (2013). Domestic Violence As A Human Right Issue: The Case Of Albanian Women
Retrieved from https://crossculturenvironment.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/ijccsec-volume-2-
issue-2-2013-dilina-beshiri-edi-puka-domestic-violence-as-a-human-rights-issue-the-case-of-albanian-
women.pdf

Reflection: Actually, I never have a thought that the effect of gender inequality will have that much
on children like this. People usually say Children are the future of their country, so I think that this
problem need to give more concern and try to solve the problem as fast as possible. Due to many
consequences on children, they will repeat the loop and the problem will continue to be like this as
experience in childhood might become peoples mindset and mindset is something that is hard to
change. In addition, from my point of view, I think that gender inequality need to solve simultaneously
with poverty problem because it is very linked together. Also, I suggest that they might need to promote
their tourist attraction in order for foreigners to visit. Once they visit, there will be more money to develop
the country and this needs to be carefully about corruption too.

11 Nov 2017
Goals / Question : Find the solution of the government. What Albania has done to solve the
problem?
Notes:
The Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities was made responsible for promoting gender
equality via amendments to the Gender Equality Act of 2004.
Albania had tried to use the strategies and plan for gender equality but some still is a draft law under
consideration in 2008.
Albania had signed to many organizations about the gender equality and domestic violence and create
many laws
Law on measures against violence in family relation : entered into force 1 June 2007 (designed to
prevent and reduce domestic, and guarantee victims protection.
Law on rape : in Criminal Procedure Code address that rapist will have a punishment of three to
ten years. If serious consequences affecting the health of victim occur = 5 - 15 years of
imprisonment.
Law NO. 8733 on trafficking in persons = prison sentence of 5 -15 years. If causes serious health
of victim = minimum sentence of 15 years.
 Law No. 8733 on trafficking of women for prostitution = punishment 7 -15 years for material
profit through prostitution.

National Gender Strategy enhance the gender perspective of public policies.

In 2016, Albanian companies sign womens empowerment principles to advance gender equality in
business
Principle 1: Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality
Principle 2: Treat all women and men fairly at work - respect and support human rights and non-
discrimination
Principle 3: Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers
Principle 4: Promote education, training and professional development for women
Principle 5: Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower
women
Principle 6: Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy
Principle 7: Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality

Reference:
1. Violence Against Women in Albania. (January 2009). Retrieve from http://www.stopvaw.org/albania
2. Albanian companies sign Womens Empowerment Principles to advance gender equality in business.
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://eca.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2016/12/albanian-companies-sign-
womens-empowerment-principles-to-advance-gender-equality-in-business

Reflection: I think that Albania put a lot of effort to solve the problem. However, at first time, it
didnt much success, but Albania still try to solve the problem by collaborating with private companies. I
think that the factor that influence Albania to solve the problem is they want to enter the EU membership
which mean that they need to improve in many areas of the country that EU has concerned with. I think
that after Albania has cooperate with other organization, the problem will be solved quickly than doing by
its own government only.
When I do the research, I luckily found this two sources which is very stead forward of what I looking for.
But I need to concentrate on the passage because it is about the law and some words I didnt understand
at first. Therefore, I need to look up for the meaning of word which use more time than the time I research
on different question.