Motherhood and career can be reconciled when you have your family’s support and a team that takes into account the needs of each employee, declared from her experience Diana Donțu, a mother of triplets and Executive Director of ‘Panilino’ company. The young mother returned to work exactly two months after the birth of her children - Alexandru, Mateo and Ecaterina. For two years and nine months, Diana Donțu has been living the most interesting experience in her life with her three wonders, who motivate her to overcome each challenge and assert herself as a professional. ‘I knew from the beginning that I will continue my career once I become a mother. My job requires continuous development and I need to keep up with all the changes in the area. In this mission, my husband is my biggest support. We support each other’, says Diana Donțu.  As she was born of twins, the idea to have a twin pregnancy was natural to her, but the news that she will be a mother of triplets amazed the whole family. ‘My pregnancy was easy, and this allowed me to work until the last days of pregnancy. I was sure that after the birth of my children things would be easy, but in reality it got harder. Children needed a lot of attention, and I didn’t have the freedom that I used to have’, Diana remembers. ‘In the beginning I felt that someone stole my life, but thanks to my husband’s involvement in taking care of the babies and thanks to his encouragement, I regained my balance. I returned to work, started to read motivational books, and in parallel started to make handmade bags’, declared the mother of triplets.  According to ‘Generations and Gender’ - the most complex demographic survey carried out in the Republic of Moldova, nine of ten women with children under the age of three stay at home and only four of ten women with children under the age of six are employed. Mother with a full-time job - a mission that became possible During the first two months from the children’s birth, she had worked remotely, enjoying the unique moments of motherhood. Later, she started working from the office three days a week, while the children remained in the care of their father and grandparents. After half a year, the family also contracted the services of two nannies. The GGS study finds that difficulty in fulfilling the family tasks due to long hours spent at work is characteristic for one in two men with small children (50.3%) and approximately for 2 of 5 women with small children (39.2%). Speaking from her own experience, after knowing what it's like to be a mother with a full-time job, Diana strongly encourages new and future mothers to continue their work or to develop a new passion during motherhood. ‘If possible, it is good to work remotely, but if the job requires physical presence, then it is recommended for mothers to discuss a reduced work program with their employer. In this way, women maintain their professional skills, are financially independent and have an impulse to develop further’, says the Executive Director of the ‘Panilino’ company. Generations and Gender Survey shows that 75% of the population consider that a working mother can ensure a safe and warm relationship for her child. On the other hand, 74% of the population partially or totally believes that a child under the age of 3 can suffer if his/her mother goes back to work, with a higher proportion in rural areas and among women. There are more opportunities that increase women’s potential to succeed in career Diana used her managerial skills and transformed the baby care routine into a well established program, with meals, sleeping and play at after fixed hours in order to succeed to give them the necessary attention and fulfilling her job responsibilities. The young mother breastfed her triplets for eight months.  ‘The fixed program is rule number one in a family with triplets. My day starts at 05:00 a.m. and ends at midnight. The child development activities such as play, outdoor walks - all happen at predetermined times’, says the mother. The involvement of her husband is significant for all of Diana’s achievements. The couple shares equally the household chores, cooking, shopping, transporting children from kindergarten. ‘There are days when one of the triplets is noisier at noon, then the husband takes him from the kindergarten and waits for us at home until the evening, when I arrive with the other children’, she reports. A family-friendly work environment motivates mothers who want to return earlier from childcare leave  According to the Generations and Gender Survey, the unpaid care work is an exclusive responsibility for most women in the Republic of Moldova, with this situation being exacerbated by the pandemic. The Government, private sector and external partners have joined their forces to expand opportunities for women and men, so as to help couples have the number of children that they want and to achieve their professional and personal aspirations. In July of this year, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova with the technical assistance of UNFPA Moldova passed the legislative initiation that proposes several measures to support employees with children: fathers can take their 14 days of paternity leave during the first year of child’s life, the childcare leave will be shared between the mother and father at their choice, during one year they may receive a monthly allowance of 90% of the salary, more flexibility in adjusting the work arrangements. In this regard, Diana Donțu says that she feels honoured to work in the ‘Panilino’ company, which has recently implemented family-friendly workplace policies and stimulates professional and personal aspirations of 250 employees, offering: paternity leave, reduced work program, remote work. As a newer initiative, with the support of UNFPA Moldova, the company will also set up a care, play and sleeping space for children. ‘I have been aware of the need to create a rest and play room for children for many years. Most of our employees are women and I understood very well that they will become mothers. I have also noticed that the female employees on childcare leave wanted to return to work earlier, but they had no one to leave their children with’, says Diana Donțu. Thus, starting in September, the children of ‘Panilino’ employees will be able to accompany their parents to work and spend time in a fun way in that space, being supervised by a qualified professional, employed by the company. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA), via its Demographic Resilience Programme, focuses its efforts on expanding family-friendly policies both at the legislative level and at workplace, collaborating with the private sector and through campaigns to change gender stereotypes and broaden the opportunities available to women and men who are parents. By its programs, UNFPA encourages men in the Republic of Moldova to share the childcare responsibilities, to apply for the paternity leave and childcare leave until the age of 3. 

Ana Cucu from the village of Colibași, Cahul district, is particularly fond of sweets. This hobby turned into a business in 2015, when she opened “Sweet House” and since then started bringing joy to her customers, with mouth-watering delights. In her confectionery, Ana Cucu prepares the tastiest cakes and sweets. Ana's neighbours and relatives were her first customers, but soon the number of orders started to go up. To keep up with the demand, Ana decided to expand her business. “Sweet House” confectionery teamed up with “Lunca Prutului de Jos” Local Action Group and received a grant of €5,000 from the European Union. Thanks to “EU4Moldova: Focal Regions” programme, funded by EU and implemented by UNDP and UNICEF, her dream turned into reality. Ana moved the confectionary to another building, after it was repaired, furnished and equipped with all the needed machinery according to standards and hygienic rules. She generated two jobs, bought furniture both for the production unit and for the guest recreation room. She also bought a high-performance refrigerated display case for the confectionery. The "EU4Moldova: Focal Regions" programme (2019-2024) supports smart, inclusive, and sustainable socio-economic development in Cahul and Ungheni regions, in order to ensure a better quality of life for citizens. The programme has a total budget of €23 million. It is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

She learned the hard way, but through talent, hard work, having a dream, and ILO support, she was able to make a new life and achieve economic independence. There was a 12-year-age gap with her husband-to-be. This did not scare Natalia when it came to a marriage decision. “What truly matters is love and understanding between the spouses”, that’s what she believed. Her family disapproved of the union. She was young, much too young back then. Freshly graduated from secondary school, Natalia had plans to continue on her learning pathway. She has always been fascinated by art and dreamed of becoming an interior designer and renovator. Later she realised that all these dreams were sacrificed at the altar of marriage.

Like many relationships that turn violent, in the beginning, everything seemed fine. The young couple settled in a small village in Causeni rayon. One year later, they travelled to Russia for work, united by the desire to earn money, build a house back home and start a family. Her husband found work in construction, while she did work as a street vendor and waitress, both informally. After a while, Natalia was able to join her husband in construction work, an achievement in this male-dominated sector. This rekindled her passion for renovation and design. For several years she worked hard to learn new skills on the construction sites, in a non-formal environment. In all those years Natalia nurtured a desire to become a mother. She liked children more than anything else and hoped for a large family.

When Alexandru was born, Natalia returned to Moldova to raise her son, and her husband continued to work in Russia. For several years, the couple was moving between Moscow and Chisinau on short visits. Natalia realised her husband was becoming addicted to alcohol, but hoped she could change him. He had a traumatic past, growing up in a family known to abuse alcohol. Natalia wanted to hold her family together and convinced her husband to return to Moldova. They build a house they had dreamed of, and they had three more children.
Having four children was a blessing. But her husband’s alcohol addiction was a growing problem. He was aggressively controlling every aspect of her life and, even worse, turned to violence. Natalia became a victim of verbal, physical and sexual attacks. Her nights were often sleepless and during the day she was on edge. She was deeply concerned about the effect of the violence on her children, their hidden scars and emotional unsteadiness. However, she continued to hope she could change her husband. She was also afraid of being blamed or stigmatised if she divorced him.

But the day came when she knew it was time to leave and never return. She was pregnant with her fifth child. Her husband hit her, for no obvious reason, and knocked her down. She felt a deep pain in her abdomen. She feared the worst, as she was then eight-months-pregnant.

Natalia and her children escaped to her parents’ home, and two weeks later Maria was born, fortunately showing no signs of trauma. Natalia spent several months in her parents’ house. This was a modest peasant home, lacking basic facilities, such as a washing machine or vacuum cleaner. While still recovering from childbirth, she had to care for her five children and the old parents alone. But Natalia and her family were happy together.

The situation changed when her husband showed up, broke down the door, and assaulted Natalia’s farther when he tried to defend her. He threatened to burn down the house. Since that day, Natalia and everyone around her felt that they were in danger.

Natalia felt relieved when a local NGO reached out and offered help. The maternal centre “Pro Familia” in Causeni provides provisional residence to victims of domestic violence. In Moldova the number of victims is constantly growing. Over 1 in 3 women aged 15 years and older have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetimes. Finances are often cited as the biggest barrier to leaving an abusive relationship. Natalia’s story illustrates these statistics. She and her five children joined the centre for nearly eight months. Staying at the centre split her life into before and after. Natalia was offered social, medical, psychological, and legal support. She was awarded a protection order as well. At “Pro Familia”, Natalia met women like herself, victims of domestic violence, mothers of children with gloomy eyes and hesitant smiles. Women were eager to talk, share, listen, and learn about rights, show compassion for each other, and respect each other’s dignity.

Natalia felt reborn. She grew confident. She learned that everyone has a role to play in ending domestic violence. “The domestic violence survivors shouldn’t stay mum. They should take a stand to help others”, Natalia believes.

At “Pro Familia” Natalia recognized that her life was in her own hands. She resolved that she would never again let someone hurt her. After 12 years of marriage, Natalia filed for divorce and planned a new life. “I could move mountains, just to see my children happy”. But, above all, Natalia needed financial freedom. She started to look for a job and ended up empty-handed. There were few paid jobs available in her rural area and she felt that employers were hesitant to hire a mother of five children. The closure of businesses due to the Covid-19 pandemic magnified the challenges. Formal arrangements for childcare were few and far between in her neighbourhood. At this point, her youngest child, Maria, was only sixteen months old. Natalia felt her hands were tied. “I will never forget that day”, Natalia confesses. “I was told about the Local Employment Partnership (LEP) program launched in Causeni beginning of 2021. LEPs were helping vulnerable people reach financial independence. They promoted employment through entrepreneurship, training and grants, among others.

So far, nine women at “Pro Familia” were introduced to self-employment as a career option. The ILO BIZ-UP guide served as the basis for their training on enterprise set-up, market analysis, business planning and resource management. “With exposure to this detailed and practical knowledge, I knew I could make my way in construction” – Natalia recalls. “I learned how to calculate the cost of and expected return from an investment; and I became proficient with the nuts and bolts of drafting a client contract. I’ve also drafted a business plan, my first one ever. I have to profess, this was really the most exciting part of my journey,” Natalia’s eyes are shining. “I have also worked closely with a mentor, and received practical feedback from a supervisor at each step of this programme.”

In addition to training, the ILO provided Natalia with a toolkit including various types of construction-related equipment and assisted her in registering her activity. “At the beginning, I thought I would set-up an enterprise, create jobs, and provide employment to women like me, namely, single mothers with few resources who are struggling to prove their worth in jobs mostly occupied by men. Then I realised this would eat up all my time, little would be left for my kids. They are young and need their mom. So, I decided to start as an individual entrepreneur and provide services in the construction industry. My patent-based activity is formal, and I have social insurance against several risks – old-age, injury, and death. It is hard to believe, but my first contract as entrepreneur was with “Pro Familia”. The centre needed some renovations and entrusted me with the task. I would have done it for free after all the kindness and care we received there. After one year on my own, I am proud of myself, and I am proud of my children. My sons are very good at football and judo, while my daughters are very creative. They give purpose to my life. My income is growing, this enables me to provide a better life for my children and myself. I also have the freedom to work on my own schedule and spend time with the family.”

As in most parts of the world, the construction sector in Moldova is strongly male-dominated. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, women comprise only 7 per cent of the sector, and 90 per cent of those are limited to desk jobs, including design and secretarial roles. So, Natalia has been making her mark in a heavily male-dominated industry.
“I plan to certify my skills and upgrade them. And I still hope I can set up a business that provides employment to women like me so that they can remain in Moldova and do not have to search for work abroad,” Natalia’s voice becomes firm when she is saying this. “And beyond everything else, I dream of building a house for my family. In the end, life teaches us what is important and that is family.”

One option remained unexplored, though, and Natalia begun to consider it – working on her own. She still retained her passion for art, renovation and design. But Natalia could not afford self-employment either. She had no means to invest in tools and instruments she needed for the work. One day, the director of “Pro Familia” told Natalia her profile caught attention. The International Labour Organization and the Austrian Government were funding a technical project in her region to provide people like Natalia with access to income-generating activities.

12 years ago, she set up Unfloria, a company specialised in the ecological washing and cleaning of garments. Seven years ago, the carpet cleaning unit was opened.   As a result of growing demand, the company decided to open a new carpet cleaning line.   Thanks to the “EU4Moldova: Focal Regions” programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP and UNICEF, the company benefited from financial support worth €30,000 to purchase high-performance equipment.  Service quality, productivity and automation of the work processes were enhanced thanks to the investment. Cleaning carpets using high pressure pumps was replaced by an automatic washing machine. Water consumption was reduced by 15% per square meters.   Carpet washing speed and cleaned surface increased: from 150 square meters per day to 400 square meters per day. Now biodegradable detergents are used.  Since the launch of the business until now, the number of employees has increased from two people to 48, working in five main units. The Scutarus are planning to re-equip the knitwear washing unit and reduce production costs.  The "EU4Moldova: Focal Regions" programme (2019-2024) supports smart, inclusive, and sustainable socio-economic development in Cahul and Ungheni regions, in order to ensure a better quality of life for citizens. The programme has a total budget of €23 million. It is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).