UN Women and „Resonance” Center from the left bank of Nistru River organized discussions on gender-responsive peacebuilding

Women’s equal and full representation and participation in peacebuilding processes and their efforts to advance sustainable development at local level, represents an essential approach to confidence building between the communities on both banks of Nistru River.  

Within its mandate to advocate for women’s rights and promote gender equality, UN Women facilitate a series of activities with gender equality champions, to identify causes of persisting gender inequalities and to further make recommendations so that women's voices in communities are heard, including in peace processes.

Thus, UN Women collaborates with the Center for Support and Development of Civic Initiatives „Resonance” to implement tailored activities aiming at promoting and strengthening women’s participation in decision-making processes, to increase economic and social resilience in communities on both banks of Nistru River.

For the achievement of the joint sustainable development goals agenda, including on gender-responsive peacebuilding, and following the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), „Resonance” Center, in collaboration with UN Women and with financial support from Sweden, facilitated the creation of three Women’s Discussion Platforms. Women will therefore have the possibility to discuss a wide range of daily life issues and blockages, to address them from the women’s rights perspective, at the same time promoting women’s role and participation in peacebuilding processes from economic and social perspectives. 

The launched initiative provides for the creation and consolidation of discussion platforms in 3 localities on the left bank of Nistru River - Roghi village from Dubasari district, Ribnita and Bender towns, aiming at: 

- Identifying local issues, but also addressing them through a women’s rights and human security approach; 

- Advancing women’s role, rights and participation in decision-making and conflict settlement processes from economic and social perspectives;

- Ensuring equal and meaningful participation of women in public life, to serve as role models, and sharing of good practices and lessons learned; 

- Advocating for social inclusion and problem-solving for women from vulnerable groups;

- Boosting cooperation with local structures, international organizations, civil society organizations and the private sector; 

- Creating opportunities for experience exchange among women’s clubs, formal and informal associations on both banks of Nistru River. 

Thus, on 29 June, in Roghi village from Dubasari district, the members of the Women’s Discussion Platform met with the representatives of UN Women Moldova and „Resonance” Center. During the event, Dominika Stojanoska, UN Women Moldova country representative, emphasized the key role of these dialogues for the community. “Equal representation and participation of both women and men, including those from vulnerable groups, in all levels of development processes and community engagement efforts, is an essential approach to sustainable and peaceful economic and social development of the community.”

"Women's discussion platforms are very important to advance impactful initiatives that will strengthen social and economic security in their communities, addressing the local issues through gender lenses and contributing, also, to improving the women’s social status" mentioned Alexandr Gonchar, the executive director of the Center for Support and Development of Civic Initiatives "Resonance".

On a long term, the creation of these discussion platforms aims at sustaining further regular meetings of the members to debate the issues those communities are facing and to identify feasible response measures. Other than that, it is anticipated that the implementation of concrete measures will increase women’s engagement in decision-making processes and will ensure the sustainability of the platform, thus contributing to building confidence and cooperation between both banks of Nistru River.