Public Authorities in Cahul municipality ready to implement concrete actions to eliminate and address gender-based violence

In the Republic of Moldova, the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in a higher number of violence cases against women.

According to statistics provided by ‘La Strada’ International Centre, since the outbreak of the pandemic, the number of women who have reported violence increased by 35%. In this regard, women survivors of violence need more support, such as access to health care, as well as legal, psychological financial support. This year’s ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence’ Campaign, with the theme ‘End violence against women now!’ focuses on the importance of violence prevention, as well as the availability of services for violence survivors, which are essential in the context of COVID-19.

In the framework of the ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence’ campaign, a press briefing was hosted by Nicolae Dandiș, mayor of Cahul, that mentioned how important is to show solidarity during this difficult period and to mobilise ourselves in order to implement many activities aiming to eliminate gender-based violence: ‘We have started adapting the strategic documents, and Cahul LPA committed to allocate 2% of the budget annually for the implementation of concrete actions to address violence against women and girls and ensure gender equality.’

Violence causes violence and has long-term consequences for both children and society in general. Thus, education is a key element in solving this problem. Statistics in the Republic of Moldova show that one in four girls has been subjected to physical violence by the age of 18. Three in four children aged 2-14 years are subjected to at least one form of violence from their parents. “There is a series of conventions that urge to eliminate violence against children by 2030, which means that we have less than 10 years to achieve this goal. As guardians of these conventions, we need to engage at all levels, make global alliances, cooperate at central and national levels, across all sectors: healthcare, justice, civil society, media, etc., to anticipate and respond promptly to cases of violence against children. When working with children, we support parents and caregivers through positive parenting programs, we continue to make constant efforts to eliminate those harmful behaviours and social norms and to promote safe environments,” said Maha Damaj, UNICEF Representative in Moldova.

The event was accompanied by a concert of social importance performed by the Moldovan National Youth Orchestra, conducted by Andriano Marian, aiming to support and encourage women and girls to enjoy a bright future, a future of equal opportunities.

This event is part of the ‘Strengthened Gender Action in Cahul and Ungheni districts’ EVA project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UN Women in partnership with UNICEF. Its content is entirely the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union.