Six civil society organizations working to prevent and combat violence against women and girls received six small grants, from UN Women and with EU support, to consolidate their institutional capacities.

Svetlana Andries, UN Women Deputy Country Representative, declared that the development of internal capacities of organizations is essential for the success and sustainability of their efforts. “It is an honor to be able to provide this support and emphasize the importance of institutional strengthening. These resources will enable recipient organizations to improve their internal processes, develop new skills and expand their impact in their communities. This event is proof of the close collaboration among UN Women Moldova, the European Union and civil society organizations. Together, we can create an environment where every woman and girl feels safe and respected, an environment where their rights are protected and promoted”, said Svetlana Andries, as quoted in a press release from the EU Delegation to Moldova.

Evghenia Hiora, program officer at the EU Delegation, said that the EU recognizes the importance of the active involvement of civil society organizations in the development of policies, governance and the provision of services to achieve the objectives of development and accession to the EU, especially in the field of prevention and combating gender-based violence. She added that the EU is the biggest donor to civil society in Moldova. In 2023, the EU offered approximately 9 million euros to finance civil society in Moldova.

With financial support from the EU, UN Women Moldova offered small grants, ranging from 88,000 to 177,000 lei, to the NGO Fiecare Contribuie pentru Schimbare (Criuleni), the Association for IQ Games (Chisinau), the National Institute of Women Egalitate (Chisinau), the Theatrical Center of Moldova (Chisinau), the Family Support Association for Early Recovery of Children with Hearing and Sight Impairments AudiViz (Bălți), and the NGO Biaz Gul (Comrat).

The ‘EVOLVE4GE – Gender Equality for Development’ project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UN Women Moldova, aims to eliminate barriers preventing women in the Republic of Moldova from reaching their potential and contributing to their communities’ development.