Strengthening the Decision-Making Power of Councilwomen in Albania

Introduction

Numerous groups in Albania are advocating for greater participation of women in local decision-making. The assumption is that a critical mass of women will affect change: women will collaborate with one another, form coalitions, and gradually transform decision making (Childs & Krook, 2006; Mansbridge, 1999). The higher the number of women in local politics, the greater their decision-making power. But what happens in practice? How do women perceive their decision-making power? What is the relationship between the number of councilwomen and their perceived decision-making power? Does greater representation in local decision-making translate into greater decision-making power?

Methodology

A quantitative study was conducted in 137 local councils in the 12 regions of the country. All local councils in Albania were stratified in three groups: local councils with low (lower than .10 but higher than 0), medium (between .10 and .30), and high proportion (higher than .30) of councilwomen. Then, half of local councils that fell under each of the three categories – low, medium, and high proportion – were randomly selected. A survey was conducted with 1 woman in councils with a low and medium proportion of councilwomen and 4 to 5 women in councils with a high proportion of councilwomen (n = 186). Questions focused on (a) how women perceived their decision-making power in the local council; (b) women’s characteristics (e.g., education, profession, and training experience); and (c) the areas of support that councilwomen consider critical for their political advancement. Bivariate analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between the proportion of councilwomen and perceived decision-making power. Regression analysis was conducted to predict the perceived decision-making power from the proportion of councilwomen and individual-level characteristics, such as age, education, number of mandates, and Party membership.

Results

Bivariate analysis revealed that the relationship between the proportion of councilwomen and perceived decision-making power was not statistically significant. Councilwomen were more likely to report “raising their voice” in councils with a high proportion of women. However, the relationship between the proportion of women and “having the voice heard” was not statistically significant.

Conclusions and implications

This study did not find any support for the hypothesis that the higher the proportion of councilwomen, the higher the perceived decision-making power. Results suggest that increasing the number of women alone will not initiate a chain reaction - strengthen the power of women in local decision-making. Councilwomen provided numerous suggestions on how to strengthen their power, such as developing informative sessions and mentoring programs for young councilwomen, and promoting collaboration with women in decision making and civil society organizations.