In a conversation with Besnik Ligaçi, Head of Gender and Social Inclusion, as well as Lutjona Lula, Media, and Communication Officer, at RisiAlbania, a project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC, we had the opportunity to discuss the initiative that this project has undertaken to promote the inspiring stories of 10 girls and women, under the motto 'Your Story Inspires'. The selected stories are representative of the various collaborations that RisiAlbania carries out, to promote youth employment and the development of the private sector in Albania.
Risi Albania focuses on supporting women entrepreneurs. In line with this purpose you have recently made some videos, which serve simultaneously to promote them, but above all to inspire women and girls who want to start a business. How did you decide on this and in particular on the selected characters?
This initiative came as a result of the need to promote the results achieved so far by the Risi Albania project, through collaborations realized in various fields where we operate. The involvement of marginalized women and groups is an important part of our work and through this initiative, we wanted to focus on the partnerships created with these girls and women. We tried to select the characters, keeping in mind that the selection criteria were as comprehensive and representative as possible for the communities where these women exercise their activity and the potential audience that would watch these videos. Criteria I can mention are geographical location, industry where they operate and years in the market, impact, and inclusion in the community, employment opportunities they offer, age.
What is so special about the messages conveyed by the ladies? At the same time, what do they have in common?
The uniqueness of the messages consists of the different experiences that they have "over the shoulder" as a result of individual experiences and specific industries and challenges that arise from doing business in them. What they have in common is expressed through the positivity and perseverance they have to be successful and the vision they have for the future, for themselves and their families, regardless of where they live and operate their business, whether in cities or rural areas. The campaign was conceived at its core as the element of inspiring young girls with an entrepreneurial spirit, to take steps in this direction. We decided to bring the story of these women, some experienced and some young girls, based on their experiences, defeats, and successes, based on 5 keywords for each.
Have they been supported by you before?
These women have been supported before or are currently supported by Risi Albania, through various initiatives we have in the sectors of tourism, agribusiness, and information technology, but also in other sectors, such as career counseling, or providing training courses that prepare young people for the job market.
What is your experience during filming? How did the ladies access it and what about their selected messages?
To realize the videos, we contracted a creative company and collaborated with it all the time. All the ladies have been open for cooperation and we take this opportunity to thank them. The messages are sentimental and sincere and we have not imposed ourselves on the content in this regard. Together with the screenwriter, we worked to organize the story around the concept, but the content is the real story of the ladies, to be as close as possible to the audience. We wanted to produce videos different from the standard format, but something that fosters action and reflection towards gender and social inclusion.
Have you had a reaction from women or other organizations after the publication of the videos?
This "campaign" has had a positive echo in the various communication channels we use, especially in our social networks. We have had a positive response from relevant local communities, where these women have their businesses, but also from other members of the industries where they contribute. We have even had successful cases when, from the video, their businesses have been contacted to know more about the services they offer and for us, in this pandemic reality COVID-19, is very important. According to data from social networks, the video audience is young, mostly in the 24-34 age group, and we hope to have inspired someone to join the business world and increase the number of women and girls entrepreneurship in Albania.
How much did the pandemic affect the realization and distribution of the videos? More precisely, in conveying the message?
I would share this experience in two moments. The making of the videos and their distribution. Along with the shooting, we had quite a few surprises, as the videos were made during November, December 2020, and January 2021, which coincided with an increase in numbers of people infected with Covid-19, where a part of our staff was also affected. This situation slowed down the work processes a bit, but also the development of the initial idea, where the shooting team failed to have access to some places.
In terms of distribution, we can say that the pandemic had its "positive" effects as it has increased the worldview and importance that the online presence has for businesses and this has translated positively into our partners, as well as the distribution of these videos to the public. In these difficult times, it was very important for us, not only to convey a positive message but also through this message to promote business initiatives run by girls and women. If we refer to the statistics, women in Albania run almost 30% of businesses, a figure that should increase and reflect the real contribution of girls and women in society. Publishing these videos will also help inspire other girls and women to believe in their abilities and take new initiatives.
What are your plans for empowering women entrepreneurs in the future?
Risi Albania will continue to focus on the inclusion of girls and women, but also other members of marginalized communities, through the promotion of cooperation in various sectors, where we operate. The aim is to create economic opportunities and spaces to promote employment, new ventures, and innovative ideas in the market. The video's echo has reached beyond the borders of Albania thanks to the support of Helvetas Global Communications Unit, who on March 8, 2021, has been selected as a success story by all the countries where Helvetas operates. We are very happy that Albania, business in Albania, the labor market, as well as women's entrepreneurship had this international echo. We hope and are committed to being a partner for increasing the employment of young people in Albania, as is our motto "Making the Market Work for Young People".
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