Members of the Platform for Gender Equality on December 17 handed over to MPs a set of information about the necessity of adopting legislative amendments to ensure gender equality. Leaflets were distributed at the two entrances of the Parliament Building right before the legislature’s plenary sitting, IPN reports.

Secretary general of the NGO Council Antonita Fonari said the bill that includes a set of legislative amendments on gender quality was submitted by the Government to the Parliament’s Standing Bureau for examination last May and was passed only in the first reading on July 17, 2014. Moldova pleaded to ensure gender equality through the Sustainable Development Goals for 2016-2030 and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination. “The non-ensuring of gender equality in Parliament, Government and other central and local public authorities represents a form of discrimination,” stated the activist.

Ecaterina Mardarovici, executive director of the Women’s Political Club 50/50, which is a member of the Platform, said the ensuring of gender equality is a precondition for the sustainable development of society. The women represent over 50% of Moldova’s population and they have the right to be equitably represented at all the levels of power. The guaranteeing of this right depends on the MPs. Some 60% of the graduates of universities in Moldova are women, but this valuable intellectual potential is not put to good use and this slows down the democratization and reformation processes.

Head of Parliament Andrian Candu came to speak to the representatives of civil society. He said that the decision to promote women to important posts is taken by each party apart and legal provisions are needed to oblige the parties to do this. As to the adoption of the aforementioned provisions in the final reading, the Speaker said this will take place in the near future. He denied that there are MPs who put up resistance in this regard.