Report on gender inclusion in the extractive sector and EITI reporting in Albania

This study assesses gender dynamics in Albania’s extractive industries, outlining both the persistent challenges and emerging opportunities for mainstreaming gender in line with the 2023 EITI Standard.

This study assesses gender dynamics in Albania’s extractive industries, outlining both the persistent challenges and emerging opportunities for mainstreaming gender in line with the 2023 EITI Standard. Drawing from a diverse set of sources including EITI Albania reports, INSTAT statistics, Albanian government legal frameworks, and the input of different state institutions, civil society NGOs working in the extractive industry field, the study provides a comprehensive analysis of gender impact in the extractive sector. 

This study is a sincere attempt to place gender at the center of transparency and good governance in Albania’s extractive industries. Albania is climbing the stairs for its accession to the European Union (EU) and continues implementing the EU acquis, The country is also engaged in an in-depth reform of its mining and energy sector which is led by the Albanian Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy (MIE). 

By the other part Albania strengthens its commitments under the 2023 EITI Standard, the time is right to not only focus on fiscal data and revenue flows, but also on how resource governance affects people, especially women and girls across the country. Albania’s extractive sector has been a driver of economic growth, regional investment, and fiscal stability. 

Yet behind these figures lie important human stories of communities reshaped by mining operations, of women struggling to access decent work in male-dominated industries, and of families hoping for fairer benefits from their country’s natural wealth. Overall, Albania has a comprehensive legal and institutional framework for promoting gender equality, ensuring gender mainstreaming, and protecting women's and girls’ rights. 

The study examines gender disparities in the sector and highlights both persistent barriers and new opportunities. According to INSTAT (2021, 2023) women accounted for 21.3% of the formal workforce in the extractive industries in 2020, decreasing to 16.8% by 2023. Their representation remains minimal in technical and supervisory roles, although they are comparatively more present in leadership positions. Social expectations, safety concerns, lack of training opportunities, and gender-insensitive institutional practices all play a role in keeping women at the margins of the sector. 

This assessment brings together multiple layers of evidence: a review of laws and policies, a research in the public field data from key regions (Fier, Bulqiza, Kukës, and Burrel), interviews with institutional government representatives operating in the extractive industry, civil society NGO, and the latest EITI reports. Through this approach, the study not only identifies gaps in gender inclusion, but also reveals the strengths already present—such as the gender-balanced composition of the EITI Secretariat MSG, and Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy and the leadership of women in key institutions. 

Importantly, this report acknowledges that women are not simply a “vulnerable group” to be protected—they are active agents of change. In several communities, women are organising, advocating, and leading on issues of environmental health, community reinvestment, and social accountability. 

Their voices must be amplified and structurally included in decision-making. In alignment with the 2023 EITI Standard, the study proposes a series of concrete tools to improve gender responsiveness, including:

• A gender-disaggregated reporting template tailored to EITI reporting cycles in Albania.
• Strategic recommendations to integrate gender into licensing, revenue tracking, and benefit-sharing mechanisms.
• A roadmap for building capacity across institutions, civil society, and companies to recognise and respond to gender dynamics.
• A proposal for the Albanian EITI Secretariat Gender Strategy in Extractives, focused on inclusive governance, transparent data, economic empowerment, and sustainable community participation

This is more than a policy study—it is a call to action. Achieving gender equity in the extractive sector is not only a matter of fairness; it is about ensuring that Albania’s natural resources serve all citizens. Transparency must be inclusive. Accountability must reflect diverse realities. And good governance must begin with the recognition that gender matters at every level of resource management. 

Through this study, EITI Albania hopes to open the door to deeper dialogue, targeted reforms, and meaningful progress—so that the future of extractive governance in Albania is not only more transparent, but also fairer, inclusive, and sustainable for everyone. It also delivers a standardised template for collecting gender-disaggregated data, as well as recommendations for building institutional capacity, enabling gender-aware policies, and improving public accountability. This work lays the groundwork for gender-responsive natural resource governance in Albania.