This article highlights Aleanca LGBTI’s project in Albania, funded through the second cycle of EL*C’s grant-making programme: Lesbians Against Violence (Combating Gender-Based Violence against Lesbians).
For many lesbians, violence is not always visible. It can appear behind closed doors as family rejection, within institutions as silence and exclusion, or in everyday life through discrimination, economic insecurity, and the denial of basic rights. In Albania, where patriarchal norms and anti-gender narratives continue to shape public attitudes, many lesbians still face barriers when seeking safety, justice and support.
To respond to these realities, EL*C supported Aleanca LGBTI through the second cycle of its EU-funded grant-making programme against gender-based violence. Aleanca’s project, “Rooted in Resilience: Advancing Direct Support and Systemic Change for Lesbian Survivors of GBV in Albania.” The project contributes to the goal of strengthening prevention, protection, and systemic responses to gender-based violence (GBV) affecting lesbians.
Rather than treating violence as only an individual experience, Aleanca’s work recognizes the structures behind it: legal invisibility, social exclusion, lack of appropriate services, and institutions that are often not prepared to respond to the realities of lesbian* survivors. The project therefore combines immediate, survivor-centred support with long-term efforts to transform systems.
At the heart of the initiative is direct support for lesbian affected by GBV. Building on years of community work, Aleanca has strengthened access to trauma-informed psychological counselling, legal assistance and socio-economic support. Survivors have been supported in navigating challenges linked to discrimination, family rejection, housing insecurity, workplace harassment, and access to institutions. The project also addresses the material consequences of violence by providing assistance related to essential needs such as housing, healthcare, medication, utilities and education – recognizing that safety and independence require more than emergency responses.
A key part of the project is creating spaces where healing and empowerment happen collectively. Aleanca has been developing group-based support and the Lesbian Feminist Academy – a grassroots learning space designed to strengthen lesbian leadership, knowledge and community mobilization. Through participatory workshops, peer exchange and feminist education, the Academy aims to equip lesbian activists and professionals working with survivors with tools to recognize GBV, understand protection mechanisms and challenge discrimination.
The project also goes beyond individual cases by asking a broader question: how can institutions become accountable to lesbian survivors?
To address this, Aleanca continues its strategic litigation and advocacy work around two important cases challenging systemic discrimination: one concerning the legal recognition of a lesbian couple’s relationship, and another addressing legal gender recognition for a transgender woman. These cases are not only about individual rights – they aim to expose gaps in existing systems and open pathways toward broader protection and equality.
Alongside this work, Aleanca is developing a lesbian-feminist legal analysis of court decisions and institutional responses related to violence and discrimination. The findings are intended to inform advocacy with policymakers, institutions and human rights bodies, pushing for GBV prevention and protection systems that truly include lesbian* communities.
Recognizing that sustainable change requires alliances, the project also strengthens cooperation with feminist organizations, health providers and civil society partners. By building stronger bridges between movements, Aleanca works toward a stronger collective response against both gender-based violence and the growing influence of anti-gender movements.
The impact of “Rooted in Resilience” cannot be measured by numbers alone. It is about lesbians finding support without having to hide who they are. It is about communities gaining tools to protect each other. And it is about transforming systems so that lesbians are no longer pushed to the margins of conversations about gender-based violence.
Through this work, Aleanca is helping build a future where protection, justice and care are not exceptions – but rights that every member of our communities can access without fear or discrimination.
NOTE: You can learn more about the results of the first cycle of the EL*C’s Grant-Making Programme by reading this article.
