The Counseling Line for Women and Girls has launched a new 24-month project titled “Combatting Hate Speech and Protecting Rights in Albania”. The implementation of this project is supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund. 

The overall goal of this 24-month project is to assess the implementation of the Albanian anti-defamation package and to prevent the use of hate speech and sexism though legal practices and media monitoring, capacity-building of professionals and media literacy education of youth and general public.  

The project targets primarily media professionals and journalism students as it intends to increase their capacities to uphold journalistic standards of reporting. Other beneficiaries are the Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA) and other public institutions which would improve the legal framework based on the project’s contribution to sharing best practices and legal standards. The project has a nationwide component as the legal framework impacts all media outlets in the country, and a more focused geographic scope on the cities of Tirane, Shkoder and Elbasan. 

The intended outcomes are: (1) Improved understanding of the effects of the implementation of the “Albanian Anti-Defamation Package”, specifically the functioning of the Complaints Council, and its implications for the freedom of speech and portrayal of women in the media; (2) A more comprehensive account of the use of hate speech and sexism in Albanian media; (3) Enhanced media literacy among media professionals, students and the general public and their capacity improved to identify and challenge hate speech and sexism. The project will be implemented in partnership with the Albanian Audiovisual Authority (AMA) and the Department of Journalism at the University of Tirana.