Some 80 world leaders convened at the United Nations to personally commit to ending discrimination against women by 2030 and announce concrete and measurable actions to kick-start rapid change in their countries. The event marks a historic first, with pledges delivered by Heads of State and Government. Asked by IPN, gender expert Olga Nicolenco specified what immediate and gradual actions the Moldovan authorities should take in the context of the set global objectives.

The expert said it is vital for Moldova to adopt a gender quota as a temporary mechanism so that the women could enter the lists of candidates and then had access to leadership positions. The authorities must make sure that the women are involved in the political life as they have rights, but do not have possibilities, the lack of time being a barrier given that they are busy with the housework and during three years cannot leave the kids at crèches to return to work because there are not enough crèches.

Olga Nicolenco noted that the use of gender sensitive budgeting is a new tendency in Moldova. It is a work instrument designed to optimize the use of state resources so that neither the women nor the men are discriminated from this viewpoint. This mechanism should be introduced in Moldova both with respect to the national budget and to the local budgets.

At the meeting in New York, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that “we need women for peace, we need women for development”. “In Germany, we have expanded child care and we finally have a law on women in leadership positions,” she stated.

While actions announced will vary, they are expected to align behind a common message: The Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved without gender equality.