Sevim Arbana

Sevim Arbana (born March 16, 1951) is an Albanian women's rights activist and founder of NGO “Useful to Albanian Women” (UAW) and "Women Bridge for Peace and Understanding”.

Biography Sevim Arbana was born in 1951. Her father was a member of the Liberation Army in Albania (LANÇ), and fought against the Germans in WWII. Following the war, he joined the anti-communist Legality Party, where he was branded an enemy of the state and imprisoned for 10 years during the rule of Enver Hoxha. Due to her father's beliefs, Arbana's family was persecuted by the Albanian government, resulting in difficulty in completing her education at School of Arts in Tirana.

In 1991, Arbana was arrested by the Serbian Militia at a forum in Kosovo, protesting the lack of funding her women's rights organizations were receiving. Furthermore, Sevim Arbana formerly worked with the now Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj during his time with the Mjaft movement. They have since quit working together following his election to power, with Arbana criticizing him for the lack of support to her women's rights. In 1997, she was elected president of the first umbrella NGO in Albania, the NGO Forum. In 2019, she was nominated for a Global Woman Award in the category of “Leadership”

Advocacy In 1993, following the fall of the Soviet Union and People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Arbana founded the non-governmental organization Useful to Albanian Women, the first women's club in Albania, and the Balkan peace organization Women Bridge for Peace and Understanding. The inception of these organizations was prompted by her exposure to The Alexandra Club, the first women's club in the world. Through these organizations, Arbana has founded rehabilitation centers, campaigned against human trafficking, and provided aid to victims of homelessness and domestic abuse.