Moldovan women are less discriminated, but there is room for better

Moldova made significant progress in creating the legal framework for ensuring equality between men and women, but there is yet room for better, experts of the UN Working Group on discrimination against women in law and practice said in a news conference on May 30, Info-Prim Neo reports. The UN Working Group represented by Kamala Chandrakirana and Eleonora Zielinska focused on Moldova’s legislation, the implementation of key laws, the women’s participation in public life and the weaknesses typical of women who face multiple forms of discrimination. During the ten-day visit, they became involved in constructive dialogues in Chisinau, Gagauzia, Balti and Causeni with government officials, representatives of the legislative and judicial powers, civil society organizations, religious institutions, and women of Roma communities. The Working Group also had discussions in Tiraspol. The experts said the Law on Guaranteeing of Equality that was recently adopted contains a contradiction as regards the goal and area where it is to be applied. The Working Group regrets the exclusion of the four discrimination grounds – state of health, property, social origin, and sexual orientation – following a very politicized and homophobe public discourse on the sexual orientation. The experts recommended swiftly creating the Council for the Prevention and Combating of Discrimination and paying special attention to the development of the case law so as to ensure protection for everyone, in full compliance with the international law. While in Moldova, the members of the Working Group often heard about the patriarchal attitudes that have a negative impact on the women’s image, statute and equality of chance. “This reality encourages the Government to take measures to increase public awareness and support for the equality between men and women in all aspects of life, including by raising awareness of the constitutional guarantees concerning the separation of Church and state,” said Kamala Chandrakirana. The UN experts will present the final conclusions and recommendations formulated after the visit to Moldova in a report that will be submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in June 2013.