A population on the move: migration and gender relations in Albania

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Under the harshest communist regime in Europe, emigration from Albania was impossible, and internal migration was tightly controlled. After 1990, everything changed. Twenty years later 1.4 million Albanians, equivalent to half of Albania's resident population, live abroad; internal migration has also taken place on a massive scale. This paper describes these large-scale migrations within the broader setting of 'post-Wall' European mobility, and relates them to the changing context of gender relations in Albania.

Domestic Violence against Albanian Immigrant Women in Greece: Facing Patriarchy

“…They had the same access to education and employment. However, this equality in the public sphere did not translate into the private sphere, and the patriarchal structure continued unchallenged [23,31]. The collapse of the communist regime did not bring about further liberalization for women.…”

“…As male immigrants settled in Greece and obtained legal status, they were able to bring their families over through the newly created family reunion policies. According to data from the Ministry of Interior, the number of residence permits for spouses of Albanian legal residents increased from 45 [23]. Vullnetari argues that it would be too simplistic to explain female Albanian migration solely through the lens of family reunion.…”

“…However, there is indication that immigrant women's income remained more stable than that of men. In fact, some women became the main breadwinner for their families, which is in contrast to traditional values [16,23], and were able to remain in Greece while their husband returned to Albania [30].…”

“…Males occupy the dominant position in Albanian society and women are taught to obey the key male figures in their lives-fathers, husbands and other male relatives. This traditional cultural orientation is particularly salient in the Northern part of the country where many people still adhere to kanun ("canon")-a compilation of unwritten rules and norms formulated in the 15th century, that regulates all aspects of life and has been linked to the discriminated position of women in Albanian society [23,33]. In regards to women, the kanun proclaims gender subordination and a "clear division of rights and duties between husband and wife in the family" [31].…”

“…Women's participation share in the labor market and in public life has declined. Thus, women's employment rate fell from 80% in 1989 to 51% in 2002 [23,34].…”