WOMEN AND GIRLS FROM CAHUL AND UNGHENI DISTRICTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT CASES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

The domestic violence phenomenon intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide and the restrictions associated with the emergency situation complicate the process of prevention, identification and monitoring of these cases in the Republic of Moldova.

A large proportion of victims of domestic and gender-based violence are subjected to social pressures and prejudices and they choose to remain silent and don’t report cases of abuse. This situation prevents the competent authorities from finding solutions for the safety of women and girls affected by violence, and perpetuates the problem of abuse in all its forms.

In order to encourage victims and survivors of violence as well as witnesses to denounce cases of abuse, the EVA Project together with local public authorities from 70 localities of Cahul and Ungheni districts conducted an information campaign at community level to raise awareness of the public and to seek promptly the help of specialized bodies and services, if they know people who are subjected to domestic or gender-based violence.

Social assistants, local elected officials and other members of the multidisciplinary teams urged women and girls in these localities to report cases of domestic violence, distributing information materials containing the phone numbers of local and national services they can call for help and support if they face situations of violence or know other people who are being abused. Information was also provided on the steps to be taken to report violence and protect the potential victim from the aggressor’s reaction.

The EVA project – Strengthened Gender Action in Cahul and Ungheni districts is implemented by UN Women Moldova and UNICEF Moldova with the financial support of the European Union. It aims at promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment through strengthened implementation of gender mainstreaming in local public policies and combating domestic violence affecting women and children. The project budget is 5,250,000 euros and the implementation period is 3 years (2020-2022).