The lack of a feminist message from the women who have made it to the top of Moldovan politics is discouraging other women to follow their path. Female politicians do not impose their own views in this field, but instead promote the messages of their party leaders, all men, from whom they learned to do politics, says Olga Nicolenco, gender equality expert.

She told IPN that a women representation quota in politics is insisted upon because there is no gender balance and it's the place where important decisions for the whole society are taken. Despite its commitments via several international agreements, Moldova doesn't do much to promote gender equality.

The expert stresses that political parties must be worked with because they are unable to solve this issue. Moldovan women politicians didn't make their mark on the political scene, thinks Nicolenco, and this might be because the selection process that promoted them is flawed. Another reason may be that women learned politics from men and are now promoting the same practices and values.

Discussing why the general perception is that women are less interested in politics, the expert notes that often during trainings she hears the question “What did the high-ranked women do for us?”, which highlights their disappointment in women politicians. However, Nicolenco says that often it is women who do the hardest work during electoral campaigns, “knead the electoral mud”, but their efforts aren't appreciated and men who did nothing are promoted instead. “Women need to know that they can get top positions, where decisions are made, without relying on relatives or friends”, stressed the expert.

Olga Nicolenco is adamant that Moldova needs a women representation quota in politics, even if this would be only a temporary tool until the voters and the political class develop new habits. The expert is also confident that when there are more women in power, corruption will decrease, the economic and social burden on women will be eased and “politics won't have a sour taste”.