A National Agency for Preventing and Responding to Violence against Women and Domestic Violence will be created in the Republic of Moldova

In the Republic of Moldova, violence against women is a serious violation of human rights and a consequence of gender inequality.

Given the ratification of the Istanbul Convention and the stronger aspirations of the Republic of Moldova for EU integration, the institutional framework on preventing and responding to violence against women and domestic violence requires strengthening. A model of institutional organization is needed to increase the interaction capacities at the central and local level, and to improve cross-sector cooperation in promoting policies that put the rights of the victim at the center of all measures.

An important step that would contribute to the development of the system for preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence is the creation of a National Agency for Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.

In this context, public consultations were held on the extended platform of the Inter-ministerial Coordination Council in the field of preventing and combating domestic violence, in order to present and analyse the Concept of the Agency.

More than 70 individuals participated in the meeting: representatives of central and local authorities, civil society, development partners and the donor community. The concept is to be improved and adjusted following public consultations and recommendations from key anti-violence stakeholders. Everyone’s contribution is essential in this process and shapes our desire to create a safer and more equitable future for all women in our country.

“Today’s meeting is an example of an unprecedented commitment to align both state authorities and civil society. It is a historic moment because together we are laying the foundations of a new institution that has never existed before.” states Angelina Zaporojan-Pîrgari, Executive Director of WLC, leader of the team that developed the Agency’s concept.

The new entity will operate as a central administrative authority, subordinated to the Government of the Republic of Moldova, in charge of implementing, coordinating, and evaluating the implementation of policies in the field of preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

According to the concept, the Agency will have the mission to implement public policies on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, to ensure the implementation at the national level of the Istanbul Convention and other relevant international instruments that promote the protection of women’s rights against any form of violence and promotes the non-violent environment in the family, through activities of coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of policies to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence, development of public sector cooperation with the non-commercial sector and civil society, improving the dialogue with the development partners.

The consultation meeting was held by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection in partnership with the Women’s Law Centre, with the support of UN Women.