The Association “Women for Contemporary Society”, in concert with the Gender Equality Platform, will organize debates in five towns of Moldova to discuss sexist messages and other forms of violence against women in elections.

In a news conference at IPN, Veronica Lupu, director of the project “Equal Chances for Women in Election Campaign”, said the debates will be held in Chisinau, Anenii Noi, Strășeni, Ialoveni and Criuleni. These are intended for candidates and leaders of political parties, opinion leaders, journalists, representatives of civil society and the police.

The participants in the debate will be taught to identify sexist messages and other forms of verbal or physical violence against women involved in the election camion and how to act when they identify a situation of aggression, to what institutions to go to report such cases.

Gender Equality Platform secretary Nina Lozinski said that despite the calls to women to become involved more in politics and the decision-making process, there are yet many barriers that prevent the women from taking up executive posts, with the sexist messages, in particular in the election campaign, being one of such hindrances.

Gender expert Olga Nikolenko said international studies showed the use of violence against women in the election campaign is one of the main obstacles to the realization of the political rights of women. The percentage of women who hold high-ranking posts in politics at international level remains low, of only 23%.

The participants in the conference called on the political parties, observers and the press to join in the efforts to fight violence against women in the election campaign and to report such cases so as to have an inclusive electoral campaign and offer both of the sexes equal chances in elections.