The Association of Women with Social Problems was created in the Kosovo crisis in 1998, as an urgent need for support to the Kosovar population. During 1998-2004, the focus of the association's work was to alleviate social problems with vulnerable groups of women in the Durres region. Thanks to the work and successes achieved, in 2004 the association was assessed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs with a License to Provide Social Services to Vulnerable Groups.
Association of Women with Social Problems, today “Women, Peace and Security Association”is a non-profit organization operating throughout Albania. It aims to promote gender equality in society and to protect the rights of marginalized women across the country.
For two decades, the Association for Women, Peace and Security has advocated and lobbied for the improvement of the legal, institutional and political framework for women's rights in Albania, urging government authorities to ensure the protection and promotion of women's rights at country level. AWPS has contributed to providing community-level services to support and assist women with social problems, their families and the community where they live. It has also supported victims of domestic violence and those at risk with direct services, including: psychosocial and legal services as well as providing reintegration opportunities, employment opportunities, income generation opportunities, etc. For several years AWPS has been working with young people to guide them into the world of work through employment counseling and vocational courses offered in partnership with partners.
The focus of the association's work has been and is on issues of women, peace and security and putting these issues on the agenda of government authorities. For the past three years, the association has strongly lobbied for the drafting of the United Nations Security Council's National Action Plan on Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, which was approved in September 2018 by the Government of Albania, Decision No. 524, dt. 11/09/2018) entitled APPROVAL OF THE ACTION PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTING UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1325, "ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY", 2018-2020.
The "Women, Peace and Security in Albania" coalition, made up of 32 local organizations, was established by the Association for Women Peace and Security and is considered one of the greatest achievements of Albanian civil society cooperation on security issues.
