Marital violence among Albanian women in Berat : their voices, pain and experience

Abstract

Violence against women in Albania is a serious human rights issue, and yet it is not a topic discussed openly in society. This study aims to investigate the seriousness of the problem within Albanian society with the purpose of providing valuable data on grounds which could likely be used by social workers in the area. This thesis is based on case studies of women’s experiences in violent relationships in Berat, Albania. Participants include fifteen married Albanian women who were once or currently being abused in their homes during the time of their interviews. A qualitative methodology is utilized for analysis while data collection is undertaken from the case study approach. Specifically, the research focuses on the forms and factors that cause marital violence, as well as coping strategies employed by the victims. Interviews with the participants indicate that most of the typical forms of abuse are prevalent in their abusive relationships. While the factors that trigger marital violence in Albania vary from cultural, social, and economical to interpersonal, findings dismiss the myth that marital violence is a problem limited to the poor or the uneducated. Probing inquiries reveal that Muslim culture per se has no direct connection to the growing problem of marital violence in Albania. In fact, the cultural factor contributing to the less-than-ideal treatment of women comes from the traditional patriarchal Albania norms that existed prior to even the advent of Islam. Against this backdrop, research suggests that what pushes traditionally inclined men is not so much the patriarchal tendencies alone but, much like other social ills found in Albania today, the economic and social changes that are gripping the country.