Four hundred women who gathered for a National Women's Forum on Thursday adopted a declaration in which they committed themselves to undertaking the necessary measures to liquidate all forms of discrimination against women and remove obstacles from the path towards building an equitable society, redressing the status of women and advancing human rights and fundamental freedoms, Info-Prim Neo. In opening the forum, which was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Moldova's Independence, UN Resident Coordinator Kaarina Immonen stated in her speech that gender equality should not be addressed in a narrow sense of being only a women's issue, as it affects social relations in their entirety. “This is an issue that concerns us all and it needs both men and women to cooperate in order to find solutions”, said Kaarina Immonen, adding: “Gender equality is a priority for the United Nations in Moldova”. Social Protection Minister Valentina Buliga stated that the modernization of society should take place concomitantly with women's empowerment. “I firmly believe that women should stop waiting for an invitation to engage in political life and competition. They must claim this right with due self-respect”. Also attending the event was Prime Minister Vlad Filat. He remarked that wherever a women is in charge there is an increased level of responsibility and loyalty. The event featured, among other, a documentary about Moldova's history in its two decades of independence and the women's role in it. The event was organized by the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family with the support of the UN Office in Moldova, the OSCE Mission to Moldova, the Swedish Embassy in Moldova, in partnership with the Women's Club 50/50, Gender-Centru, the National Confederation of Labor Unions and other NGOs.