Moldova highlights progress in strengthening protection for survivors of violence and improving access to justice at CSW70

During the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), held from 9 to 19 March in New York, the Republic of Moldova presented its progress in strengthening protection for survivors of gender-based violence and improving women’s access to justice.

CSW70 is held at a time when equal access to justice continues to be an unmaterialized promise for many women and girls. Globally, women enjoy only 64 per cent of the legal rights available to men, leaving them vulnerable to discrimination. At this pace, it would take 286 years to close the legal gap.

Considering this year priority theme focused on ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, as well as the review theme on women’s full, effective participation and decision-making in public life, alongside eliminating violence, the Moldovan delegation engaged in a series of high-level discussions, thematic events and bilateral meetings. The delegation included Doina Gherman, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Natalia Plugaru, Minister of Labour and Social Protection, Viorica Țîmbalari, Director General of the National Agency for the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (ANPCV), Marina Morozova, Member of Parliament, and Valentina Bodrug-Lungu, President of Gender-Centru NGO.

From the UN rostrum, Deputy Speaker Gherman highlighted the Republic of Moldova’s progress towards gender equality, ranking 7th in the Global Gender Gap Index, and steps undertaken to strengthen protection against various forms of gender-based violence, by criminalizing digital violence and forced marriage, being also one of the few countries that codified femicide in its Criminal Code. “We want to show that even a country facing multiple crises can make bold choices to protecting its women. We are committed to learning, reforming, and acting with determination.  Our commitment goes far beyond our borders. Moldova wants to be a key advocate for equality globally and submitted its candidacy to the CSW’s for the following mandate”, she stressed. 

In her turn, Natalia Plugaru, Minister of Labour and Social Protection highlighted efforts to strengthen protection mechanisms for victims of domestic violence, noting that protection orders can now be issued for up to six months, alongside the provision of 24/7 emergency legal assistance from the moment a complaint is filed. She further underscored the establishment of the National Agency for the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, as well as the expansion of the network of shelters for gender-based violence survivors.

As part of the programme, the Governments of Republic of Moldova, North Macedonia, Czechia and Sweden, in partnership with UN Women organized a panel discussion titled “Strengthening Women’s Access to Justice: A Survivor-Centered Approach to GBV”. The event provided a platform for exchanging experiences and sharing national reforms aimed at strengthening justice systems and ensuring better protection for survivors of gender-based violence.

The participants highlighted the importance of survivor-centered justice responses and explored how national legal frameworks and international commitments contribute to improving access to justice for women and girls. The dialogue also addressed persistent barriers faced by survivors of violence, including limited awareness of legal rights, financial and geographical constraints, and gaps in access to support services.

During her opening remarks at the panel, Viorica Țîmbalari, ANPCV Director General, highlighted the Republic of Moldova’s progress in strengthening women’s access to justice. This includes the specialized training of justice sector professionals and the development of robust institutional cooperation mechanisms. “We must ensure that women and girls experiencing violence have real access to justice. In the Republic of Moldova, we are working to build a justice system that is better equipped to protect survivors by specializing judges, prosecutors, and criminal investigation officers in cases of violence, strengthening institutional cooperation, and deploying digital tools such as the VioData information system”, said ANPCV representative.

“For many women, access to justice begins with an act of courage - the courage to speak about violence they have experienced. We understand that legislation alone is not enough. The most important transformation must happen in attitudes and institutional culture. Survivors must be treated with respect, without stigma, and without being re-victimized by the justice process”, said Marina Morozova, member of Women MPs Platform, emphasizing that international cooperation is essential, allowing experience exchange, learn from one another, and build justice systems that are more gender-responsive and more accessible to survivors.

“A survivor-centered approach to justice places the rights, needs, safety, dignity, and agency of GBV survivors at the core of legal, policy, and institutional responses. CSOs, thanks to valuable expertise, in partnerships with state structure, can contribute to social and economic empowerment of GBV survivors, to legal awareness, safe referrals, and the provision of free legal aid”, mentioned Valentina Bodrug-Lungu, President of Gender-Centru and moderator of the side event.

On the margins of CSW70, Deputy Speaker Gherman met with the Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, to discuss further collaboration in aligning national legislation with the EU acquis through a gender-responsive lens. During the meeting, Doina Gherman expressed appreciation for the continued support provided by UN Women to Moldova, while Sima Bahous commended Moldova’s handling of the Ukrainian refugees’ influx, recalling her visit to the country in April 2022.

Doina Gherman also met with the President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, thanking her for backing the country’s European path. Their discussion addressed Moldova’s priorities during CSW70 and the country’s determination to actively contribute to the global agenda within the United Nations framework.

The outcome of CSW’s session took the form of Agreed Conclusions, negotiated by all Member States, and were endorsed by voting instead of consensus for the first time in 70 years. 

The agreed conclusions call upon governments to comprehensively review and reform discriminatory legislation, including laws related to child marriage, family law, and property rights. Furthermore, they emphasize the urgent need for multi-faceted measures to prevent and respond to both offline and online violence against women and girls, prioritizing perpetrator accountability and ensuring that survivors have timely, unhindered access to justice and essential support services.

Through its active participation in CSW70, the Republic of Moldova continues to contribute to global dialogue on gender equality while advancing national reforms aimed at ensuring that all women and girls can access justice and live free from violence. Moldovan delegation’s participation was supported by the Government of Sweden.