In the words of Cătălina Roșca: I look forward to the day when I can see my work alongside other Moldovan authors.

Cătălina Roșca is a 22-year old English Teacher based in Chisinau, who participated in UN Women’s writing competition “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress” in March 2024. After the competition, she was able to participate in Moldova.org’s Writing Summer Academy with financial support of UN Women.

I’ve always felt like I was born to write. Even before I could speak, I was scribbling lines on paper that my father would read back to me as if they were the words of famous authors. By the time I was five, I genuinely believed I was a famous author, and my love for storytelling was in full force.

When I started school, math and other subjects never really resonated with me. I searched for something that I excelled at, and I always came back to writing. Throughout school, I entered writing competitions and wrote several essays. However, university life with its never-ending academic writing drained my passion. I didn’t know how to find the joy in creative expression. Then, earlier this year, I came across an essay competition hosted by UN Women, with them theme “Invest in women”. As a lifelong feminist, this theme deeply resonated with me.

Growing up in Moldova, I’ve seen the challenges of being a feminist. Despite being treated well by the men in my life, I noticed the subtle ways boys and girls were treated differently. Explaining feminism here often meets with resistance, but I believe it's crucial to emphasize that it's not about blaming men. Rather, it's about building a society where women have equal opportunities. I try to convey these values to my students, teaching young boys the importance of respecting girls and promoting gender equality.

The writing camp that followed the essay competition taught me a lot. It wasn’t just about refining our writing skills; it was also about finding your voice. Many of us wrote about deeply personal experiences, and I learned a lot about how to support others when they share their traumas.

We were tasked with writing personal essays after the camp, and I struggled at first, thinking I needed some dramatic life story to tell. But once I began writing, the words flowed. The camp taught me an invaluable lesson: to write for myself first, not for others. This rekindled my passion for writing and gave me the confidence to continue.

Like many writers, I dream of one day publishing a book. While I still have much to learn, I hope to one day contribute to the world of Moldovan literature, particularly by bringing more women's voices to the forefront. I look forward to the day when I can see my work alongside other Moldovan authors, contributing to our country’s literature.

In 2023, UN Women partnered with Moldova.org for the release of the second edition of the magazine Oameni (People). Together with Moldova.org, UN Women supports aspiring women authors and journalists in an effort to highlight diverse perspectives, challenge stereotypes, promote gender equality, and inspire a future generation of authors.

Moldova.org is the first and only feminist media outlet from Moldova and focuses on constructive journalism, moving beyond the exclusive focus on conflict-centered, negative coverage. They are only media organization that is member of the National Coalition Life without violence, which boosted and deepened their advocacy and raising awareness efforts among their users and readers on the necessity of promoting Gender Equality and women’s rights. Together with Moldova.org, UN Women strives to promote and support aspiring women authors and journalists.