A regional conference held today in Tirana brought together over 70 senior government officials, judicial and financial sector representatives, and international experts to address the underexplored link between gender and illicit financial flows (IFFs) in the Western Balkans.
Organised by the AIRE Centre with support from the UK Government, the event marked the launch of a comprehensive report examining how women are involved in or affected by financial crime across Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The report combines legal analysis with insights from law enforcement, civil society, media, and financial institutions.
Tedi Dobi, Deputy Minister of Justice of Albania, welcomed the report’s findings, noting that “Albania has taken steps to tackle money laundering and organised crime, but this research makes clear there is still more to be done—especially in recognising the role of women and ensuring victim protection.”
Luljeta Minxhozi, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Albania, said the report “underscores the importance of financial education as a tool to prevent women’s involvement in illegal financial activities by helping them make informed economic choices.”
While men are often the public face of organised crime, the report shows that women are also present—as victims, accomplices, and in some cases, key actors. Their roles are frequently overlooked due to limited data, legal blind spots, and gendered assumptions within institutions.
Biljana Braithwaite, the AIRE Centre’s Western Balkans Programme Director, emphasised that “the report highlights how gender is central to understanding illicit finance, yet legal and institutional systems too often overlook the coercion and vulnerability that shape women’s involvement.”
Dunja Mijatović, international human rights expert, said the study “shows that we cannot build resilient societies while leaving half the population behind. Inclusive, gender-informed policies are not optional—they are essential.”
Women in the Western Balkans are often instrumentalised by criminal networks in ways that exploit both gender stereotypes and legal loopholes. In many cases, they are registered as formal owners of shell companies used for money laundering, acting as a “protective buffer” for male leaders who control operations behind the scenes. Others serve as logistical facilitators—transferring funds, maintaining communication, or purchasing property—precisely because their involvement is less likely to arouse suspicion. Some women become entangled in illicit activities through coercion by intimate partners or family members, while a smaller number have held leadership roles in tax evasion and embezzlement schemes, particularly through positions in banking or accounting. These diverse roles often go undetected due to deeply rooted gender assumptions, limited institutional awareness, and lack of gender-sensitive data.
Ladislav Hamran, former President of EUROJUST, called the report “a much-needed call to action that confirms what we see in practice: organised crime exploits women, children and migrants—not just as tools, but as legal shields. Institutions must respond with concrete action.”
Helen Robinson, Programme Manager for Serious & Organised Crime (UK Government), said the research “fills a crucial gap, showing that gender is not just a statistic—it shapes pathways into organised crime. These insights must drive future programming and policy reform.”
The conference marks an important step toward aligning regional policy responses with the gendered realities of financial crime, ensuring that future interventions are more effective, inclusive, and evidence-based.
