46 Moldovan LPAs adhere to the European Charter of Equality between Women and Men in Local Life

For years, local and regional governments across Europe have made public commitments to gender quality by signing the European Charter of Equality between Women and Men in Local Life, which was written by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions. To date, the Charter has over 1,800 signatories and the cities that have joined it have become more responsive to children’s needs, promoted equal opportunities between women and men and implemented various community development projects.

On 16 November 2022, 46 local public authorities (LPAs) in the Republic of Moldova adhered to the Charter. The event brought together mayors, representatives of Parliament, the European Council of Municipalities and Regions, the Network of the Association of Local Authorities in South-Eastern Europe (NALAS) as well as local and international members of the public.

At the opening of the event, the Head of the Cooperation Section of the European Union Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, Magdalena Muller-Uri, highlighted the importance of ensuring the rights of women and men, especially now that the Republic of Moldova wants to become a member of the European Union. "By signing the European Charter for the Equality of Women and Men in Local Life, each signatory authority commits to developing a gender equality action plan, which sets out the principles, actions and resources necessary for this purpose,” she said. “The European Union will keep supporting gender equality because it is a fundamental right for all and an essential value for any democracy".

In her greeting speech, Dominika Stojanoska, country representative UN Women Moldova, highlighted the importance of the event. "We have 46 LPA signatories to the European Charter for Equality between Women and Men in Local Life,” she said. “These are commitments that will create more opportunities for the defence of human rights and economic development". Stojanoska further expressed her gratitude to the signatory LPAs: "As a result, women, men, girls and boys who contribute to the prevention of violence as well as the development and strengthening of communities will benefit from this".

Tatiana Badan, the President of CALM, congratulated the LPAs for ensuring equal opportunities between women and men and committing to implementing the Charter’s provisions in their communities. "We, the local authorities, through our competences and cooperation with a wide range of local actors, can take concrete actions in support of equality between women and men,” she said. “It is necessary to make a joint effort so that the LPAs, together with the support and expertise of our partners, can implement the provisions of the Charter and the citizens whom we represent feel the benefits of these actions".

The Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Public Administration Committee, Larisa Voloh, mentioned that gender equality is essential for sustainable development. "Gender equality is when women and men enjoy goods of social value, opportunities, resources and rewards to the same extent,” she said, stressing that the goal of having local-level gender policies is to ensure that authorities increase opportunities for women and men to exercise their rights equally. She continued: “Our initiatives increase the capacities of women across the country, aiming to provide them with equal leadership opportunities across all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life and to ensure that they live lives free of violence".

Those present at the event also discussed the benefits of signing the Charter, which include integrating gender principles into communities and involving young people, young women and whole communities in decision-making processes. The meeting concluded with certificates being awarded to the LPAs who signed the Charter.

The event was organised by UN Women Moldova through its EVA Project, which seeks to promote gender equality in Cahul and Ungheni districts, and in cooperation with UNICEF Moldova. The event was funded by the European Union in partnership with CALM and received further financial support from the Government of Sweden.