Kamila Celmeta

During the reign of Ahmet Zogu, 1928-1939, the ability for women to vote, was unconditionally unallowed in Albania. Zogu sought no purpose of women, and therefore dismissed their right to vote. Albania was under an absolute monarchy, therefore the king was the absolute power in the country. Even if men were to disagree with his opinion, they dared not to oppose or they'd have to pay with their lives.

In 1945, Enver Hoxha, a supreme communist was the head of Albania and brought new changes alongside him. As soon as power was in his hands, Hoxha rapidly and carefully changed Albania completely. He primarily started by giving women the right to vote, the construction of shelters for the community and the building of new roads. Following that, he accessed the people of society with the right of education and a job. It was not for any human being that resided in Albania to be homeless, unemployed, or uneducated. Hoxha wanted Albania to become civilized due to its misery and destruction from the previous wars.

Rewinding back on the right to vote, the age permitted was eighteen years or older. This opportunity resulted in women having more confidence, freedom, and rights in society. Amongst these women was Beglie Celmeta, my great-grandmother. Born in 1905, by the age of forty she was granted the right to vote. The election was held for a new government deputy and everyone was able to vote. If a man chose not to vote, that meant they were not happy with the rule of Enver. Thus, nobody dared to go against such a powerful dictator as himself. Therefore, the main reason why almost 100% of the Albanian population voted was due to fear of death awaiting them. Beglie, however, voted because she saw a new innovation and a rebirth of the country. Comparing how the country was just a couple of years before and how it was now, there was an enormous difference. Furthermore, due to her contribution to the military during war, as soon as she met the age of retirement, she was granted a minimal monthly salary by the government. This proved that her decision to vote was correct and she did not regret it until she took her last breath.

“I would not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum –” Frances Willard. Born on September 28, 1839 in Churchville, NY, the American activist Frances Willard’s right to vote was denied. Being the daughter of the educators Josiah F. and Mary T. Hill Willard, her pursuit for education was very much granted and desired. Graduating from college, Willard joined the Methodist Episcopal Church and for the next seven years in advance, she taught school. Due to some internal conflicts with Charles Fowler, Willard took the definite decision of resigning from her job and she focused on the Association for the Advancement of Women. Being caught up in the excitement of the women's crusade against alcohol, Willard alongside John H. Vincent, formed the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, an alliance where women stood side by side with one another and became united. It did not matter whether you were white or black or whether you were young or old. The only thing of importance was their support and achievement of their solemn purpose – to change women’s status.

Considering that Frances lived throughout the period of African slavery in America, the balance among men and women of color was hard to maintain. Women of color were not granted the same rights as white women. However,  in Frances’s organization, they were all able to join their forces and become one. The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union resulted in becoming the largest women’s and women’s rights institution in the country.

Upon becoming the president of the organization, Willard introduced her “Do Everything” policy in her first presidential address. It was a policy in which she urged the organization to make a general assault upon the ills of society. Asking the legislature for adoption, Willard devised a strategy to gain suffrage with her ‘home protection’ measure, a measure which would grant women the right to vote on matters that affected the home. Unfortunately, in February 17, 1898, Frances Willard lost her life due to the flu.

However, the alliance was still kept intact and with the guidance of its fourth president, Anna Gordon, the organization shifted focus to child welfare, social purity, and the ‘Americanization’ of immigrants. The Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was the culmination of a long movement to combat alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption by men led to the segregation of families and domestic violence towards women and the group fought the repeal of Prohibition. The battle ended in 1933 with the destruction and loss of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Even though the battle was lost, at least it was fought. It is not important if they lost or not, but if they tried and were able to raise awareness. From this organization, women became more inspired to fight for their rights and maintain a social status amongst society. It was the first organization that endeavored to take action and protect the rights of women. Following this, women pursued their intuition and were not to be toyed around with anymore. 

I am so glad that our social science teacher took some time from her lesson plan in order for us to participate in this project and understand the importance of women and their right to vote. As a female myself, I can profoundly understand what the other women have been through in order to gain a role that we today occupy. It was them who took the first step and in the process of it, they were yelled at and they were physically and emotionally harmed. Yet, these amazing women never gave up their right to vote and gain a role in society. Today we enjoy our rights without thinking about the sacrifices made in order for us to gain the privilege of having a job, the right to vote, and a right to express our beliefs.

Voting is a way for women to say what’s on their minds without being judged. It is a privilege that makes all of us, the people of society, feel like we are worth something and that our opinion is valuable. The thought of women in some other part of the world that are still being harmed and treated like garbage or even worse, excruciates me. There are still some women who are treated like servants and who are married off at the age of twelve. Their opinion was of no importance but the opinion of the man of the house was definitive. Women have always been pushed around and they only sought one purpose - staying at home and taking care of children. However, women are worth more than I could put into words and they should be appreciated and respected just like men because they are people too. Why shouldn’t they say what’s on their minds or even be heard? To conclude, today women are treated differently and they are viewed in a different perspective. It was not just out of nowhere however. It was because one hundred suffragettes and suffragists fought with their lives for this day to come and we are almost there.