Poverty affects men and women differently in Moldova

In Moldova, the ratio of extreme poverty among elderly women is 10% higher than among men of the same age, says Ecaterina Mardarovici, the president of the Women’s Political Club “50 to 50”, at the Consultative Forum on Gender and Millennium Development Goals in Chisinau. The participants (gender experts, government representatives, civil society and international organisations) presented the results of the study “Gender Problems in the context of the Millennium Goals” and identified the major problems in education, health, social protection and equal employment. Galina Balmos, the Minister of Social Protection, Family and Child, said that “these kinds of gaps in national policies and planning are the reasons of unsuccessful results of trying to diminish poverty”. Ulziisuren Jamsran, International Project Manager of the United Nations Fund for Women Development in Moldova (UNIFEM) stated that “reaching an equality of genders and human rights extensions are efficient methods for preventing the poverty and stimulating the development of the country in general”. The Consultative Forum on Gender and Millennium Development Goals is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child and of UNIFEM within the programme “Promoting gender equality in national policies and development plans”, aimed at tackling gender inequality as part of the national efforts to reduce poverty.