Fabiola Laco Egro

Fabiola Laço - Egro (born 1963) is one of the prominent activists of civil society dating back to the beginning of the civil movement for women's rights in Albania in the 1990s. She is founder and leader of "Today for the Future" Network for community development in Albania.

Born to an intellectual family in Tirana, she had opportunities to embrace the feminist ideas, which extended throughout her career in civil society on women's rights and empowerment.

Since a master student of literature and journalism, and Romanian as a language, she started her activism acting as National Albanian Radio's spokeswoman of news in Romanian language, and then as editor of poetry, drama criticism in the National Publishing House "Naim Frasheri."

In the first years of Albanian democracy characterized by rapid changes in society and advancement of human rights activists, Fabiola Laço Egro as a spokeswoman of Independent Trade Unions of Albania emphasized and worked for women's rights, focusing on social issues and challenges, human rights, social and economic issues of women, mentality and contributed to give voice to expectations and hopes of an entire generation and social identity to women. Under her auspices started during the first years of democracy the international aid for women's movement and marginalized and poor society groups from church-based organizations such as Brot für die Welt Germany (previously EED), HEKS EPER Switzerland and ICCO Netherlands.

Following her vision, she co-founded and directed during the first four years the Association of Young Christian Women Albania (YWCA Albania)and represented it in the International Young Christian Women Network, by raising women's movement in Albania at the international level; co-founded and directed for 23 years the association Useful to Albanian Women; and already is the founder and executive director of the Community Development Network "Today for the Future"aiming gender equality, integrity and strengthening social, economic, cultural and political situation of vulnerable groups such as women, youth and children and migratory groups, in the frame of Albanian society integration to the great European family.

Professional life will be enriched during this period with master in human rights in Boldern Academy - Switzerland, studies in social policies, European integration, civil society fundraising, advocacy, lobbying, management, leadership, strategic direction in the Netherlands, Georgia, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, the UK and USA.

She is director of Albanian National Gender Equality Anthem "Bring the sun" with support of United Nations Agencies in Albania, produced by "Today for the Future" Network, which with the outstanding campaign for gender equality ranked Albania in the list of 20 global finalists for the third annual Avon Communications Awards: Speaking Out About Violence Against Women, which recognize outstanding communications campaigns that are helping change communities, policies, institutions and behaviors to end violence against women.

In the recent years, she is in the front line for new approaches in professional education and employment of women and youth in need, partnering Volkshilfe Solidarität, and in rural and vulnerable community social service provision, partnering Caritas Österreich.

Among the most notable moments of 30 years of work:

• Information for Albanian supporters in the world 1983–1987
• Advocacy for promoting the contemporary Albanian literature 1987–1992
• Advocacy for women's rights and economic and social empowerment through trade union 1993–1995
• Advocacy and contribution to migratory families and community groups during the civil crisis in 1997
• Advocacy, lobbying and contribution for the emergency aid to the Kosovo crisis in 1999
• Advocacy and lobbying for prohibition of blood revenge and helping the isolated families in northern Albania 2000–2003
• Co-founding of Useful to Albanian Women with a focus on right protection and social services for women, children, young people and vulnerable groups (migration, Roma and Egyptian) - 1993
• Presidency of YWCA Albania and its registration in the World YWCA 1997–2000
• Lobbying for economic empowerment of youth - Utica Rotary Club of the United States 2002
• Board Member of Women Department at the Open Society Foundation for Albania 2000–2004
• Founder and leader of Community Development Network "Today for the Future" 2013 (continuing) for community welfare services and economic, cultural integration and gender mainstreaming in Albania.
• Civil society activist in advocating for improvement, implementation and monitoring of laws on measures against gender violence, trafficking, social services for women, children, youth, Roma and Egyptian communities, the elderly, territorial reform and education.
• Member of the Coalition for the promotion of women and young people in politics,
• Member of Platform for Promoting Women's Participation in Governance.
• One of the Albanian representatives of NGO-s Forum and the Intergovernmental Group, Beijing +20, Geneva 2014
• One of 9 nominated women from civil society for Albanian Woman of year 2014

Unemployment Situation in Ex-Swamp Area of Durrës, Albania, Publication in Albanian, co-author

Monitoring and Assessing the public services on waste management in Ex-Swamp Area of Durrës, Albania, Publication in Albanian, co-author

SEED Best Practices in Albania, Publication in Albanian-English, co-author