The Child Rights Centre Albania (CRCA) has undergone a rebranding exercise – and will now also be recognized as ECPAT Albania, after becoming full members of the ECPAT International global network in 2015. CRCA began working with ECPAT International in 2001.
CRCA/ECPAT Albania will continue to work to protect children, young people, and women from all forms of violence and exploitation, including sexual violence. This includes continuing to promote safer Internet use for children and young people in Albania and the western Balkans. For many years, CRCA Albania has lobbied the Albanian Parliament and the Laws Commission to make changes to the Criminal Code to better protect children from violence and exploitation on the Internet. These urgent amendments are still pending approval.
As in many other countries, Albanian children also face an increased risk of trafficking and exploitation through prostitution, as well as online dangers such as grooming, sexual extortion and the proliferation of child sexual abuse images. In recent years, the travel and tourism sector has also imperilled children there, as the country opens up to visitors. CRCA/ECPAT Albania works to end child sexual exploitation in these and all other manifestations, advocating with governments and the international community, working to better understand the problem through research and prioritizing the needs of child victims and survivors.