Women’s Caucus in the Parliament of the XII Legislature, officially launched

Today marked the official launch of the Women’s Caucus in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, XII Legislature - a cross-party initiative bringing together women Members of Parliament from all parliamentary factions around a shared commitment to advancing gender equality, strengthening women’s political leadership, and promoting gender-responsive legislation.

The launch session included discussions on the achievements of the Women’s Caucus from the previous legislature, the priorities for the 2025–2029 mandate, and the adoption of the Platform’s Regulation.

The Republic of Moldova currently has a record number of 41 women MPs, with the current legislature reaching the highest level of women’s political representation in the country’s history. This progress has been made possible largely through the implementation of gender quotas in the electoral process - a mechanism that contributes to increasing women’s participation in political life and decision-making processes.

Globally, the Republic of Moldova is among 78 of the 193 United Nations Member States that have introduced gender quotas to accelerate women’s political representation. Reports and international experience demonstrate that more gender-balanced parliaments promote more inclusive public policies and advance legislation that better responds to the needs and realities of women and men alike.

These advances also contributed to the Republic of Moldova ranking 7th globally in the Gender Gap Index last year, placing the country in the world’s top 10 for the first time in its history.

The event also highlighted the achievements of the Women’s Caucus from the previous legislature. These include the ratification of the Istanbul Convention and ILO Convention No. 190 on eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work, the establishment of the National Agency for Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and the Family Justice Centre, as well as legislative amendments criminalizing multiple forms of gender-based violence, including digital violence.

Additional reforms promoted and adopted include provisions allowing women to receive both salaries and maternity benefits simultaneously, as well as the introduction of alternative childcare services for children under the age of three. Another important milestone was the adoption of legislation on equal pay for work of equal value, aimed at reducing the gender pay gap between women and men.

In her remarks, Doina Gherman, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, stated: “European Union accession also means strengthening women’s rights and equal opportunities. Even though we represent different political forces, we are united by common objectives: combating violence, protecting children, supporting mothers, and ensuring women’s active participation in public life.”

Ambassador of Sweden to Chișinău, H.E. Petra Lärke, highlighted: “I wish the best of luck to the newly established Women’s Caucus of the Parliament of Moldova. Sweden has a long tradition of multiparty dialogue and building platforms that bring political actors together across party lines, also through different projects here in Moldova. Therefore, we especially value the spirit of cooperation that has marked the work of the Women’s Caucus in Moldova. Collaboration across the aisle strengthens democratic practice, accelerates progress on gender equality and ensures that reforms benefit the population from a diversity of perspectives. Hopefully, also in this legislature members from different political backgrounds can unite around shared priorities.”

“The Platform has the mandate, and now, the institutional framework to continue advancing a more inclusive and gender-sensitive legislative and oversight agenda, and its members will not be walking this journey alone. UN Women will continue to support the Women’s Caucus through technical expertise, policy guidance, and capacity building, ensuring that commitments to gender equality and women’s participation are transformed into concrete policies and results for all women and girls”, said Dominika Stojanoska, UN Women Moldova Country Representative.

Participants also discussed the next steps for strengthening the Women’s Caucus capacities, building partnerships, and advancing a legislative agenda that fully responds to the needs of women and girls in the Republic of Moldova.

The launch event was organized with the support of UN Women Moldova and financial assistance from Sweden.