The MPs adopted in the final reading the bill aimed at ensuring gender equality in the political and public spheres. The law provides that at least 40% of the candidates on party lists must be women. The parties that will not obey this quota will be penalized. The law also institutes penalties for sexist language and two-week paternity leave, IPN reports.
Vladimir Turcanu, chairman of the commission on human rights, when presenting a report before the final vote said the bill that was drafted by the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family was earlier merged with another bill proposed by the Lib-Dems. The first provided for a women’s representation quota of 30%, while the second – of 40%. The members of the commission accepted the 40% quota.
MP Valeriu Giletski, who was recently excluded from the Liberal-Democratic group, suggested removing the provision saying that at least three of each group of five candidates must be of the same sex. The commission accepted this proposal. Afterward, a number of MPs challenged this provision, arguing that they either didn’t correctly understand the proposal when they voted it in the commission or that it is discriminatory and asked to reintroduce it. But Speaker Andrian Candu said the amendment was accepted by the commission and will not be put again to the vote in Parliament.
The commission decided that the penalty for not ensuring the 40% quota will be not the exclusion of the party from the electoral race, but deprivation of this of financing for a year.
The bill provides for the institution of paternity leave of 14 days. The Ministry of Finance suggested reducing the period of paternity leave to three days paid by the employer, given the shortage of funds. However, after long debates, the MPs decided not to shorten this period. Thus, the two-week paternity leave will be paid with money from the social insurance fund.
