The report highlights that the safety of women journalists remains a critical concern with direct implications for media freedom, gender equality, and the broader integrity of democratic governance in Albania. Women journalists regularly encounter persistent, albeit often subtle, forms of intimidation and pressure, particularly digital harassment, verbal abuse, smear campaigns, and precarious working conditions. Although explicit physical threats to life are relatively uncommon, the prevailing climate of intimidation significantly restricts their journalistic independence, professional advancement, and public participation.

Despite recent institutional improvements, notable gaps remain, particularly regarding law enforcement’s response to online threats, judicial capacities, the enforcement of labor rights, and effective support from media organizations and journalists’ associations. These structural vulnerabilities and persistent institutional gaps have serious implications for quality journalism, information integrity and democracy itself. Self-censorship, driven by threats and pressures, results in critical stories going unreported, severely undermining the media’s watchdog role. Furthermore, a prevailing culture of impunity, reinforced by entrenched gender stereotypes and often the normalization of harassment and intimidation towards women, jeopardizes women’s roles within media organizations, particularly affecting their decision-making capacities and participation in public space. The report provides evidence-based recommendations targeted at public authorities, media outlets, journalists’ associations and unions, and civil society organizations.