How an award-winning investigation exposed the hidden realities of Albania’s women-led garment workforce
The story uncovering the exploitation of women in Albania’s garment factories secured the Citizens’s team third prize at the EU Investigative Journalism Awards 2025. Their investigation brought long-overdue attention to the urgent and often-overlooked social and economic challenges faced by thousands of women across the country.
For years, journalist Erisa Kryeziu has been documenting the everyday struggles of Albania’s most vulnerable workers. Commitment to reporting on labour rights, especially within sectors dominated by women, culminated in an in-depth investigation that revealed the harsh, often invisible realities inside the country’s garment and footwear factories.
Kryeziu’s story did not emerge from a sudden discovery but from long-term, consistent reporting on workers’ rights. As she explains, reporting on this topic did not start from a sudden tip, but from ongoing work over several years as a journalist at Citizens.al. Over time, she documented conditions in numerous low-wage sectors, mines, call centers, cleaning services, yet the textile and footwear industry stood out. The contradiction between its economic weight and the reality inside factories ultimately pushed her and her colleague Esmeralda Keta toward deeper investigation.
“What motivated me was the clear contradiction between the economic importance of the textile and footwear sector and the reality of the women working inside it.”
The sector employs approximately 75,000 people, the vast majority women, and contributes significantly to Albania’s export economy. However, Kryeziu repeatedly encountered testimonies of low wages, undignified treatment, and a lack of basic labor protections. These stories, she says, were too consistent and too troubling to ignore.
Uncovering the Scale of the Problem
The severity of the situation became clear through on-the-ground interactions in small towns and factory communities. She often met women whose only employment option was the local garment factory, places where exploitation had become almost routine. As she recalls, workers were demanding fundamental rights such as paid official holidays, wage increases, and recognition of working hours. Yet without union representation or institutional support, their efforts rarely succeeded.
Many women earned only the minimum wage despite working full-time; others had no written contracts or were forced to work unpaid overtime.
Through interviews conducted discreetly, far from the factories, so that no one would see them meeting with an ‘outsider’, Kryeziu uncovered patterns of fear and pressure that kept workers silent.
“I encountered problems that went far beyond what was superficially reported in our mainstream media,” she added.
A lack of supply-chain transparency further complicated the investigation.
“Suppliers often avoid signing contracts with well-known brands to evade heavy penalties,” she notes, a practice that allows factories to escape scrutiny and enables international companies to distance themselves from labor violations.
Inside the Investigation: Methods and Obstacles
Kryeziu and her colleague Esmeralda Keta built their investigation methodically. They identified key factories, met dozens of workers in safe locations, and gathered testimonies about wages, health issues, contract conditions, and working hours.
One of the investigation’s central tools was a questionnaire completed by 81 women, revealing consistent complaints about low pay, unpaid overtime, poor ventilation, lack of leave, and harsh production targets.
They cross-checked workers’ claims against official documents, legal requirements, and previous inspection records. They also reached out to factory owners, labor inspectors, and state oversight institutions.
But obtaining official information proved difficult.
“Factories refused to answer questions, and labour inspectors were reluctant to provide details,” she explains.
At the same time, workers feared retaliation, making trust-building crucial. Ultimately, it was the workers’ courage and honesty that became the backbone of the investigation, enabling the story to come alive.
Disturbing Findings: A Normalised Exploitation
One of the most troubling discoveries was how normalised exploitation had become. Women accepted unpaid overtime and relentless production quotas as simply part of the job. Many had health issues due to long hours spent standing. Some were forced to continue working into late stages of pregnancy under threat of dismissal.
A significant number were single mothers or primary household earners, which made them even more vulnerable.
The investigation documented daily indignities that reveal the systemic nature of the problem. Physical exhaustion, psychological pressure, and undignified treatment formed a consistent pattern across testimonies.
Despite producing for international brands, workers remained trapped in low-wage, high-pressure environments. Kryeziu describes this as “the contrast between global profits and local conditions”, one of the most striking and disturbing aspects of the investigation.
Public Response: Silence from Institutions, Support from Readers
The investigation sparked significant public discussion, yet institutions remained silent. Kryeziu notes bluntly: “There was no reaction from the institutions, which shows how normalised these problems have become in our country.”
However, many readers responded with empathy and encouragement. Women working in garment factories sent messages saying they felt finally seen. This reaction, she says, reaffirmed the importance of continuing to report on such issues.
Unfortunately, despite the public engagement, there have been no concrete actions or official responses triggered by the story.
Next Steps: Following the Threads of a Larger Problem
The investigation opened multiple avenues for further research, from analysing supply-chain relations with international brands to examining failures in labor inspection to exploring long-term health impacts on women who endure these conditions for years. She also intends to investigate anti-union practices and the lack of collective bargaining, which leaves workers without any structural protection.
For journalists covering similar issues, Kryeziu emphasises ethics and empathy above all.
Vulnerable workers must feel safe before speaking, and cross-checking claims is essential. Most importantly, she reminds aspiring reporters never to lose sight of the human stories at the heart of such investigations:
“I think every approach is personal, but what we shouldn’t compromise on is ethical reporting and not forgetting that we are writing about people, reporting on the lives of those who matter.”, she concluded.
