For ALL Women and Girls: Maria Gavrilcenco on the power of creative activism

#ForAllWomenAndGirls is a rallying call for action on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Activist Maria Gavrilcenco from the Republic of Moldova talks about how she uses art as a tool for engaging youth, fostering gender equality and building peace.

Animations as a tool to engage youth in combatting disinformation

Maria Gavrilcenco, a 24-year-old student from Bender, moved to Chisinau two years ago to pursue her passion for journalism. Determined to create change, she focuses on inspiring and empowering young Moldovans through her work. With each story, Maria strives to amplify voices often overlooked, hoping to encourage her audience to become active agents of change.

“I think it is important for young people to be media literate, and to develop critical thinking. However, many aren’t interested in politics or current events. With the overwhelming amount of information out there, we need to find engaging and creative ways to capture their attention,” Maria shares.

For Maria, art became the key that would help her convey her messages to a broader audience. “Through illustrated videos, we can raise really important topics but with a sense of humor. My videos have covered things like disinformation, language barriers and fake news. From children to grandparents, everyone understands cartoons – so it felt like I found the key to how to reach everyone.”

“Creativity is a powerful form of expression, offering the freedom to share your voice and message in a way that's uniquely yours. Through songs, poetry, and art, you can gently bring awareness to difficult topics like domestic violence, helping to spark conversations and inspire change.”

Cross-river dialogue as a tool for breaking barriers

Maria explains that it is important to combat disinformation and fake news since it leads to fear and stereotypes, which in the end divides people. To support her illustrations and journalism, Maria received financial support from UN Women with the purpose of enabling cross-river dialogue between journalists from both banks of the river Nistru.

“It is through these dialogues that we overcome stereotypes. When people from the two banks, with completely different ideas and perceptions, sit together and exchange opinions and perspectives without conflict – this is how we learn to cooperate and communicate with each other.”

For Maria, using art has been a powerful way to promote peace and understanding. She shares, “Animation has been a great tool for me. It creates a space to connect with others without conflict and encourages shared expression.”

An example of this is the pair of videos Maria animated with UN Women support, focusing on breaking language barriers and the importance of digital security.

A shift in perceptions of women’s rights in Moldova

A key topic of Maria’s animations is the topic of women’s rights, such as in 2024 when she published a video challenging the perception that March 8 is about flowers and gifts. “I explained the origin, how women were advocating for equal rights and protection, but also how there is a Men’s Day in November.”

Although Maria herself is young, she thinks she’s seen a shift in attitudes about Gender Equality since she was younger. “Young people in Moldova today are clearly familiar with Gender Equality. Even the relationships are different today than when I was a young teenager; the boys have a greater respect for the girls, and the girls hold more value for themselves. But I will continue promoting Gender Equality, not just through animation but also through my communication with others. Even if you talk to someone who has no idea about gender equality, you will at least have opened the door for them a little.”

“I dream that one day, all women and girls will value themselves. That they have the right to a healthy, good relationship with someone who respects them, and that they never settle for less.”