ILO trains State Labour Inspectorate and Unions on creating more inclusive work environment for women and men

The opening ceremony of the event was attended by representatives of state institutions responsible for creating a fair labour market that offers equal opportunities for all employees. Corina Ajder, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, reaffirmed the commitment in this regard:

" In the Republic of Moldova, the  labour force participation rate for women is less than 40%. This is a low indicator compared to that of the European Union, where the participation rate is nearly 70%. Due to stereotypes, women are subject to suspicious treatment when applying for jobs, while the gender pay gap is close to 16% in our country. Labour inspectors play a very important role in protecting workers and ensuring  working conditions are decent and conditions are equal for all. In the Republic of Moldova, things can change , and the Ministry of Labour must play a critical role in this respect."

This action is part of a series of institutional training activities for labour inspectors carried out under the project "EU support to inclusive labour markets in the Republic of Moldova”, implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) with financial support from the European Union.

"I want to mention that, during its path towards European Union integration, the Republic of Moldova has undertaken multiple commitments, including combating undeclared work, child labour, labour exploitation, as well as other aspects such as ensuring equal opportunities, gender equality in the workplace, and more. Given the current context of the country, we need to join forces to raise awareness about this issue and implement the European Union's good practices at local level," said Aurica Butnari, representative of the European Union Delegation to the Republic of Moldova.

The aim of the training was to develop new practices and provide new tools for labour inspectors to complement the support needed in cases of gender-based discrimination in the workplace. The importance of this activity was also emphasized by Ala Lipciu, National Coordinator of the International Labour Organization in the Republic of Moldova:

"Gender equality and non-discrimination have been fundamental principles underpinning the work of the ILO since its creation. These principles are also an integral component of the ILO Decent Work Country Programme for Moldova (2021-24) which aims to improve access to decent and productive work for women and men, better rights at work, stronger social protection systems and consolidated social dialogue. Regretfully, gender stereotypes about the role of women in our society continue to prevail in Moldova and beyond. Understanding the complexity of this phenomenon in the world of work helps identify as well as prevent it."

During the training, participants addressed topics such as understanding how stereotypes affect decisions, the difference between direct and indirect discrimination, how to identify wage discrimination, and discrimination in promotion or advancement. They learnt about useful tools for labour inspectors to conduct inspection visits, assess, identify, and analyze gender-based discriminatory practices that may occur in the companies they audit.

The training took place from February 20th to 22nd.