The Shadow Pandemic Contextualised: Albania's Response to Domestic Violence During COVID‐19
Venera Bekteshi,
Mary van Hook,
Eglantina Gjermeni and
Jenn L. Bellamy
International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 2025, vol. 40, issue 3, 716-729
Abstract:
Background Domestic violence (DV) encompasses a pattern of psychological, physical, sexual, financial, and/or emotional abuse, manifesting through assault, threats, and intimidation. Economic and social stressors in conjunction with the COVID‐19 pandemic escalated DV cases worldwide, including those in Albania. Socioeconomic vulnerabilities worsened the situation, with DV‐related complaints to non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) in Albania increasing by 60% between March and May 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. Despite government efforts through a comprehensive anti‐DV strategy, as the pandemic subsided, 2986 Albanian women still reported enduring DV. Methods Using the Contextual Influence in Acculturative Stress (CIAS) framework, this study identified key external and internal contextual factors contributing to DV in Albania. These factors were assessed to evaluate their integration into the national anti‐DV policy and their potential for improving the policy's impact. Results The Albanian government's response focused on four primary areas: legal protection, women's safety, economic well‐being, and community awareness. However, many vulnerable groups remained underserved. Furthermore, economic assistance provided was insufficient to address the increased financial strain faced by victims. Educational and awareness campaigns were implemented, but despite these efforts, DV rates persisted at high levels throughout the pandemic. Conclusion The findings underscore the need for more targeted, comprehensive, and context‐sensitive approaches to DV intervention. The Albanian government's anti‐DV strategy could be strengthened by addressing micro‐level needs, such as tailored counselling, culturally sensitive services, and more robust economic support measures. Incorporating these elements into future policies may better address the structural and cultural barriers that perpetuate DV, particularly among vulnerable populations.
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:
Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3884
Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
Export reference: BibTeX
RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan)
HTML/Text
Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:ijhplm:v:40:y:2025:i:3:p:716-729
Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=0749-6753
Access Statistics for this article
International Journal of Health Planning and Management is currently edited by Calum Paton
More articles in International Journal of Health Planning and Management from Wiley Blackwell
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().