Ensuring a sustainable balance between life and work is a multi-sectoral collective effort that requires long-term commitment from all stakeholders. The project implemented by UNFPA in Albania aims to expand the spectrum of choices for women, in order for them to fulfill their career aspirations and to create families, have children, but also to include men in family care, unpaid work at home and beyond, thus contributing to gender equality.

Following the signing of seven cooperation agreements with the champion companies Agna Group, Sallameri FIX, INCA Albania, LUFRA, Raiffeisen Bank, R&T Group and the Women's Chamber of Commerce, an annual meeting was organized to discuss, plan and agree on strategies and plans common and specific for 2022 and beyond. This annual meeting was a good opportunity to exchange challenges and successful approaches in addressing issues related to more family-friendly work environments.

The agreements confirm the commitment of these companies to implement more family-friendly policies. According to the agreements, this will be achieved through consultative sessions and training activities for the management and human resources departments, and the department of communication, exchange of knowledge and experience with successful implementers in the region, that will be facilitated and technically and financially supported by this project. All of these efforts will also be accompanied by a simultaneous collaboration with national legislators to develop a more complete gender-responsive family policy framework.

These interventions are part of the activities and objectives of the regional project "Expanding Choices: Gender Responsive Family Policies for the Private Sector in the Western Balkans and Moldova" implemented by UNFPA and financially supported by the Austrian Development Agency.