UN Moldova joint statement on International Women’s Day - “Invest in women: Accelerate progress”

The world is at a crucial crossroad for gender equality. With increasing conflicts, climate change and polarizing societies, standing up for women’s rights is more important than ever.

According to the Progress Report on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Republic of Moldova 2023, Moldova has achieved considerable results in achieving gender equality and empowering women. 

Gender equality is at the heart of the UN Cooperation Framework for Sustainable Development 2023-2027. With UN Moldova and its partners’ support women’s rights were advanced into national and local policies, gender perspectives were introduced in the medium-term Budgetary Framework and gender-responsive indicators were established in budgetary programs and internal audits to ensure resource allocation for gender equality promotion. At the same time, with UN support, the Government approved two national documents, crucial for gender equality and women empowerment: the National Programme on Gender Equality and the National Programme for Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Girls 2023-2027. Efforts to combat violence against women and girls led to the establishment under Government coordination of a National Agency to oversee relevant legislation and policies on gender-based violence with support from UN agencies and development partners. 

Together, we worked fiercely to curb gender stereotypes for women and girls to enjoy full gender equality where all legal, social and economic barriers to their empowerment have been removed.

However, many women and girls still face marginalization, injustice and discrimination and are denied access to their rights. Moreover, recent crises that affected the country: the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, climate disasters, and increased cost of life have hit women and girls the hardest, because of pre-existing gender inequalities.      

The UN Country Team together with Government, CSOs, private sector and development partners will continue to work to ensure that women’s and girls’ rights are mainstreamed across all socio-economic areas being the only way to secure prosperous and just economies, and a healthy planet for future generations. 

UN Moldova will continue its mission of providing inclusive support to all women, encompassing refugee women and girls, as well as women from marginalized minorities.

We will continue to call for the advancement of women’s political participation at all levels of governance as a vital step towards achieving gender equality and the elimination of all forms of violence against women. 

We will continue to work with women’s organizations and feminist movements and support women leaders in all their diversity and abilities – including young women, refugee women, stateless women, women with disabilities, Roma women and LGBTQI+ to transform social norms and prevent any type of violence or discrimination faced by women. 

“Invest in women: Accelerate progress” is this year’s International Women’s Day theme. 

We need investments to end violence against women and girls, to ensure decent work as well as inclusion of women in the decision-making process at all levels. We need women in digital technologies, peacebuilding, climate action, and across all sectors of the economy. 

Recognizing women’s rights as an investment issue is critical for creating transformative solutions that enable women to realize their rights, escape the cycle of poverty, and truly thrive. Investing in women is a human rights  imperative and a cornerstone for building inclusive societies. Progress for women will benefit all of us.

Join us on this International Women’s Day and every day to contribute to a future built on equality and dignity for all.