On the occasion of the international campaign “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence”, three buildings in Chisinau, one of which is the Parliament Building, and two public places in Cahul and Ungheni were lit in orange color, which is the symbol of the campaign “United against Violence”, IPN reports.
In the event to launch this year’s campaign, Parliament Speaker Zinaida Grechanyi said that even if statistics show a decline in the number of offenses committed in the family, each victim represents our common drama. “Violence against women, children, older persons - all those who cannot protect themselves – should not be tolerated. Violence should be eliminated for good,” she stated.
Prime Minister Ion Chicu underlined the major importance of this campaign. “Violence against women and girls is one of the most systemic and spread violations of human rights and dignity all over the world, but this should not be tolerated. It is a shame for all the societies of the word and a major obstacle to inclusive, equitable and sustainable development. In Moldova, as in other countries, this affects the women, regardless of the context, culture or socioeconomic status, with serious consequents for women, their families and society in general,” noted the official.
UN Resident Coordinator in Moldova Simon Springett said the UN had supported this campaign in the Republic of Moldova for over 20 years. The campaign represents a collective effort of all the governments, the private sector, civil society to sensitize the population to this problem and to prevent and eradicate it. The key message of this campaign – to end violence against girls and women – is very important. “We should all realize that this will be possible only when attitude to this scourge changes, especially our attitude, of men,” stated Simon Springett.
The annual campaign starts on November 25, when it is celebrated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ends on December 10, when it is marked the International Human Rights Day.
The national estimates, according to the study “Violence against Women in the Family” that was conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics, shows that over 63% of the women aged between 15 and 65 experienced at least one form of violence in their lifetime. In 2019, there were reported 2,597 cases of domestic violence, while in the first three months of this year – 678 cases.
