Inclusive Decision-Making: Women Leading Local Development

“When we listen and understand the specific needs of community members, it becomes easier to work together and make choices that matter for everyone”, shared Natalia Costandoglo, an fund-raiser at the Tomai village hall, ATU Gagauzia. 

Natalia is one of 40 participants from 22 local public authorities (LPAs) across the Republic of Moldova who are currently enhancing their skills and adopting innovative tools and approaches to promote gender-responsive governance and budgeting.

This initiative is part of a comprehensive capacity-building program developed by UN Women Moldova in collaboration with the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova (CALM), with financial support from the European Union and Switzerland.

By adopting Gender-Responsive Governance (GRG) approaches, local governments place gender equality at the heart of their policies, budgets, and decision-making thus ensuring that the needs of women, men, girls, and boys are addressed fairly. It promotes inclusive participation, accountability, gender-responsive policies and budgets, stronger institutional capacities, and evidence-based decisions.

Following 10 successful training sessions, the project partner communities within the initiative will continue receiving tailored mentoring and knowledge-sharing to add gender mainstreaming in 22 local strategies and budgets, to boost women’s leadership in governance, and their active role in fostering equitable communities and civic participation.

According to Mariana Galea, first-term mayor of Brătuleni commune, Nisporeni district, these workshops highlight the value of people, the very core of the community. “From my point of view, gender equality means valuing all individuals in the community and recognizing their worth. Only in this way will we be able to build safer, friendlier, and more inclusive communities,” noted the local elected official.

Building on the knowledge gained, the project will advance by supporting LPAs to develop and implement local initiatives that respond to the real needs of women and men, girls and boys in their communities. These initiatives will be rolled out in selected localities, including ATU Gagauzia, with particular attention to women-led communities and those hosting refugees.

Parascovia Ursu, chief accountant in Drăsliceni commune, Criuleni, emphasized the importance of consulting the community when planning the creation or renovation of a park: “When we talk with parents of small children, they often raise the need for safe playgrounds. Young people tend to ask for spaces to practice sports, while many residents, especially women, point to the importance of safe street lighting at night. Listening to these voices helps us prioritize in the budget playgrounds, public lighting, accessible pathways, and sports areas.”

Integrating gender dimension plays a key role in shaping these initiatives, ensuring that local services address the priorities of all community members. For example, building a sports hall is no longer just about new infrastructure, it becomes a space designed to serve both girls and boys, with programs and schedules adapted to their needs. Similarly, a playground is not limited to standard equipment but is created as a safe, inclusive space for children of all ages, including those with disabilities. Even a robotics class shifts from being seen as a male-dominated field to becoming a platform that actively encourages girls to participate and develop digital skills.

Marcel Bobeica, mayor of Gangura commune in Ialoveni district and vice-president of CALM, announced his intention to integrate the gender dimension into next year’s local budget: “I have understood how important it is for our budgets to include gender dimension in areas such as social affairs, education, culture, sports, and infrastructure. We will organize public consultations to identify the needs of all categories of citizens, so that these are reflected in budgetary policies.”

The “Women’s Leadership for Gender-Responsive Governance” initiative is designed to build stronger institutional capacities within LPAs so they can integrate gender perspectives systematically into policy decisions and local budgeting, aligning with both national and global gender equality standards.

The local authorities in Causeni, Drochia, Bratuleni, Obreja-Veche, Costuleni, Andrusul-de-Sus, Rusestii-Noi, Tigheci, Drasliceni and Cocieri will receive support from the European Union through the EVOLVE4GE project.

The local authorities in Straseni, Soroca, Nisporeni, Riscani, Sireti, Hirbovat, Mindresti, Colibași, Gangura, Tudora, Puhoi and Tomai will receive technical and capacity building support with funding from Switzerland.

The initiative “Women’s Leadership for Gender-Responsive Governance,” developed in partnership with the Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova, is carried out under two projects implemented by UN Women Moldova: the EVOLVE4GE project, funded by the European Union, and the “Women for Peace and Prosperity” project, funded by Switzerland.