Linda Rama (nee Basha; born December 30, 1964) is a senior Albanian economist (Doctor of Economic Science), researcher, university lecturer, and women's and children's rights advocate.[1][2]
Rama was born in Tirana on December 30, 1964. Her father was a musician and played the horn, whereas her mother worked at the administration department of the former auto-tractor plant. As a child, she attended Kosova Elementary School and the eight-year "20 Vjetori" School in Tirana. At the University of Tirana, she studied industrial chemistry, economics, and industrial economy.[3] In the 1987, Rama started teaching as a part-time lecturer at the university while beginning her professional career at the Textile Plant in Tirana.[4] In 1992, one year after the fall of communism in Albania, she left the country to study at Central European University in Prague, becoming the first economist with a master's degree to return to Albania in the 1990s.[3] In 1996, she obtained a Ph.D. in economic science, with a thesis on "The Economic Reform and Mass Privatisation in Albania." Upon completing her studies, Rama went back to work as a lecturer of International Finance, and she later taught Public Policy and Public Risk Management at the European University of Tirana.
General Profile
In 1993, Rama began a career in public administration (National Privatisation Agency under the Council of Ministers) and focused on privatizing large and strategic state-owned enterprises. In 1997, she became the director general of the agency, and maintained the position until 1998.
In March 1999, she co-founded the Human Development Promotion Centre (HDPC). She has since served as a consultant for numerous international institutions. She was a member of the supervisory board of the Share Registration Centre that preceded the establishment of Albania's stock exchange (1996–1999).
Rama has served in various positions in the course of her professional life as a member and chair of the board of the Open Society Foundation in Albania (2005–2010), member of the board of directors of the American Bank of Investment (2015–2018), lecturer of international finance at the University of Tirana, School of Economics, and lecturer of public policies and risk management at the European University of Tirana. Her research interests is driven by her concern for marginalized groups, like children, women, and people with disabilities.[5] In 2001, she co-founded the Albanian Children Alliance.[6] In 2002, she served as a contributor to the meetings of the Preparatory Committee for the Special UN General Assembly Session on Children. She is a researcher at the Human Development Promotion Centre (HDPC) and a consultant for various international entities with a focus on economics, public policy, and human development issues.
Since 2010, Rama is married to the 33rd Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, Edi Rama.[citation needed]
Career
Rama's first professional experience was at the Textile Plant in Tirana,[7] a typical socialist enterprise where she was employed after graduation. Upon completing her master's degree in Economy, Rama returned to Albania to be assigned to the National Privatisation Agency under the Council of Ministers as the officer responsible for conceiving and implementing the privatisation of large strategic enterprises. During her time at the Agency, Rama offered a significant contribution to the introduction of modern market concepts, including joint stock companies, mass privatisation, shares, investment funds, guarantee funds, stock exchange, etc.
One year after completing her Ph.D. thesis, between 1997 and 1998, Rama was appointed director general of the National Privatisation Agency.
Along with her primary economic studies, Rama specialised in the labor market and the financial restructuring of companies. During her Master's studies and onwards, Rama collaborated with scholars and professors from other countries, with whom she counts numerous collaborations in scientific research[8]
In 1999, she went on to co-found the Human Development Promotion Centre (HDPC), one of the first think tanks in the Republic of Albania [[Albania]].
Between 1996 and 1999, Rama served as a member of the supervisory board of the Share Registration Centre. Further, she was appointed as a member and Chair of the Management Committee of the Open Society Foundation in Albania (2005–2010), and later on as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Bank of Investment (2015–2018).
Scientific research
Rama is the main author, co-author, and contributor of dozens of studies, reports, articles, and publications focused on the economy, private sector development, governance, education, human development, and public administration that combine a strong academic interest with her own active interest on the issues of public concern and special sensitivity towards the most vulnerable groups of the society – women, children, categories in need, people with disabilities and minorities.[8] In the course of almost 30 years of scientific research, Rama counts over 50 articles[9] and reports on economic, social, and human development issues in Albania, published in the country and abroad.
As an author, co-author and contributor, she has published articles, evaluations or monitoring reports for major international organizations, such as the World Bank, International Labour Organisation (United Nations Organization), UNDP, UNWOMEN, University of Staffordshire, LSE, ETF, CASE Foundation, etc.
Civic engagement in the causes of gender balance, protection of children's rights, and ethnic minorities have been going on hand in hand with Rama's research work[4] She is an author, co-author, and contributor to many publications addressing the situation of society's most vulnerable groups. Publications such as the Improvement of Ethnic Relations in Southeast Europe,[11] Human Development Reports[12] Development Goals Reports[13][,Monitoring Report on the Implementation of the Roma Decade in Albania[14] Developing a Sustainable System for Addressing Violence against Women in Albania,[15] Assessment of Trafficking in Children for Exploitation Purposes in Albania,[16] Poverty Mitigation and Social Integration of People with Disabilities,[17] etc., have had a significant impact in steering public policies focused on children,[6] women,[18] and vulnerable groups.
In 2001, together with the representatives of six other civil society organizations, Rama co-founded the Albanian Children Alliance, an Albanian-based civil society movement aimed at protecting the rights of children, part of the larger Global Children's Movement, under the motto, “Say YES for Children”. Mrs. Rama was accredited by the UN to be a contributor in the Preparatory Committee Meetings for the Special UN General Assembly Special Session on Children held in 2002.
Rama has attended numerous important fora and summits on human rights, including the Global Women Summit[19] held in Tirana, Global Women Club Kosovo,[20] Forum of Women in Leadership in Dubai,[21] Young Muslim Women Summit,[22] UN ECOSOC Youth Forum, etc. She joined the appeal issued by Women's Entrepreneurship Day of the Cherie Blair Foundation in support of women entrepreneurs from low- and middle-income countries, with the likes of Cherie Blair, Hillary Clinton, and other international personalities and later a second appeal, “Pave the Way to Girls”. In March 2022, Mrs Rama sent a message of solidarity to Olena Zelenska and the people of Ukraine[23]
Rama married Thanas Xhillari in 1989 and they share a daughter, Rea Xhillari. Since 2010, she has been married to Edi Rama, the 33d Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania. They have a son, Zaho Rama, born in 2014.
The Ramas are an interfaith family. Rama was born into a Muslim household. Edi Rama has declared himself a Catholic, Rea and Gregori (Edi Rama's son from his previous marriage) belong to the Orthodox faith, whereas Zaho's faith will be his own choice
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