Public debate in Telenești on “The contribution of women to the sustainable development of communities

Good practices and innovative approaches in promoting good governance and initiatives in gender equality and inclusion were discussed during the debate with the theme “The Contribution of Women to the Sustainable Development of Communities.” The debate was carried out within the project “Partnerships for women leadership and good governance”, implemented by the “Friedrich Ebert” Foundation, Moldova and the PA “Institutum Virtutes Civilis”, with the financial support of the European Union and the “Friedrich Ebert” Foundation. The event brought together participants from civil society organisations and local public authorities from the Telenești, Strășeni, Ialoveni, and Rezina districts, aiming to promote and replicate good governance practices through the sharing of experiences and achievements in community development and ensuring good governance at the local level.

According to Liliana Palihovici, the president of the PA “Institutum Virtutes Civilis” the project “Partnerships for Women’s Leadership and Good Governance” aims to ensure the equitable participation of women and men in sustainable development and decision-making processes. “This is rarely discussed, this is not well-known, and we believe that this information should be presented, discussed and shared with the public“, mentioned Liliana Palihovici.

Ana Mihailov, the country director of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, stated that by organizing the debate “The Contribution of Women to the Sustainable Development of Communities,” the project team started from the premise that „Moldovan society disadvantages women in comparison to men, and this happens due to deeply rooted stereotypes and state policies that neglect, not necessarily intentionally, women when developing public policies”.

Among the participants in the debate was Galina Tonu, the vice-president of the Ialoveni district, who mentioned that in recent years, the district administration has made efforts to promote women in leadership positions. “It is hard to imagine that a community can develop when the opinions of all its members are not taken into account. In recent years, women have been increasingly involved in the governance process within the Ialoveni District Council. I can only see improvements resulting from this situation,” emphasised Galina Tonu.