Maia Sandu urges stronger action to prevent violence against women
Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Thursday that enforcing laws against violence towards women remains a challenge, urging better coordination, prevention measures and improved access to specialist services and justice.
Legal progress, but enforcement remains weak
Moldova has strengthened its legislation to combat violence against women in recent years. However, ensuring that protection mechanisms work effectively remains a major challenge, President Maia Sandu said.
"We have fairly good laws compared with the legislative frameworks of other countries. But, as usual, we underestimated how difficult it would be to enforce these laws and make the mechanisms work. Changing legislation is much easier than bringing all the necessary elements together and ensuring they function effectively," Sandu said at a conference in Chișinău organised by the 24 member organisations of the National Coalition "Life Without Violence".
Poor communication between responsible institutions and delayed responses in some cases remain among the main obstacles. Sandu stressed the need for closer coordination between the police and other institutions involved in protecting victims.
Prevention must start with education
Alina Cebotari, Executive Director of the National Coalition "Life Without Violence", said preventing violence should become a priority, including within the education system.
She said the safety of women and girls was a fundamental condition for exercising their other rights and participating in society.
"Safety is a fundamental right. As long as we do not have an environment in which girls and women can live safely, all other rights lose their meaning," Cebotari said.
Sandu backed revisions to the school curriculum to include more educational activities aimed at preventing violence. However, she said schools alone could not be expected to solve the problem.
"Work is now underway on the new curriculum, and we need to intervene here. We should not imagine that placing the responsibility on schools will solve the problem. Beyond schools, we also need public awareness campaigns targeting the rest of society. The impact may not be immediate or substantial, but every action will have an effect on society," Sandu said.
Improving access to protection and justice
Beyond prevention, Sandu highlighted the need to improve victims' access to specialised medical services and justice.
Authorities are examining ways to improve the training of judges and prosecutors, as well as rehabilitation programmes for perpetrators, in an effort to reduce the risk of repeated violence.
The conference brought together representatives of central and local authorities, specialists in preventing and combating violence, activists, journalists, medical professionals and legal experts. Participants discussed measures and solutions to strengthen the protection of women against violence.
Many victims remain silent
An estimated 54% of women who experience abuse do not seek help, while fewer than 10% of people facing violence report their situation to the authorities.
Shame, stigma and social pressure to keep families together can prevent victims from speaking about abuse or leaving violent relationships.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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