Laura Albu
Innovator
Community Safety and Mediation Centre Foundation
Romania
Social
Rural Areas
Rural area close to city
The innovation journey
Laura Albu is a sociologist who has always worked in civil society organizations (CSOs)/NGOs. Her passion for women’s rights and community development led her to establish the Community Safety and Mediation Centre Foundation (CMSC) in 2000. CMSC operates in rural communities in various counties in NE Romania and is a member of the Romanian Rural Net (a network of organizations active in rural community development).
CMSC works primarily with and for women and children in rural communities, on three main topics: rural communities’ development, support for victims of domestic violence, and transnational cooperation. CMSC is also a member of the Romanian Women’s Lobby, the Network of NGOs against Violence on Women and FONSS (Federation of NGOs on Social Services).
The innovation impact
Through her CMSC work, Laura has prioritized rural areas due to the high incidence of safety and violence issues, especially affecting women. CMSC’s efforts have expanded to focus on women’s economic development and independence, while challenges remain in women’s leadership and engagement in decision-making, economic autonomy, and cooperative membership, prompting the involvement of CMSC in LAGs and the LEADER program. Through their transnational cooperation with the Republic of Moldova, they aim to expand this approach to Moldavian CSOs and LAGs.
Among the impacts of the many projects she coordinated, the support to rural women’s empowerment and enhancement of their self-esteem so that they perceive themselves as agents of change stands out. Currently, she is focused on supporting more women to run for Local Councils to reframe the priorities of local administration in a way which addresses the needs of rural women.
She and the Centre are deeply involved in influencing public policy and legal changes in Romania. The war in Ukraine prompted her to coordinate the update of Romania’s “National Plan for Women, Peace and Security”, linked to the UN Resolution 1325. The research and advocacy efforts of CMSC resulted in an updated Law No 217/2003 on Preventing and combating domestic violence, with many other legal initiatives advancing women’s rights being also submitted for review and voting.