The parliamentary elections of July 11, 2021 showed positive tendencies from the gender perspective, but inequalities are still present in some of the areas. The progress refers to the way in which the men and women performed in elections as candidates and to the higher number of women who entered Parliament. Voters’ perceptions of the participation of women in politics also changed. Nevertheless, dissimilarities persist in the incomes and economic possibilities of male and female candidates and their access to the media, says an analysis presented by the Center “Partnership for Development” that is quoted by IPN.
The analysis shows that the twice higher representation quota of 40% and the provisions concerning the place on the list led to an increase in the number of women in Parliament. The highest number of female candidates for MP was recorded in 2021 – 46.7%. The number of female candidates on the lists increased by about 12% against the elections of 2019 and by 16% against the elections of 2014. The provisions about the place on the list ensured more equitable distribution of male and female candidates and didn’t allow the number of female MPs to be affected by the repeated changes in the lists.
Inequity is seen in the incomes of male and female candidates. A female candidate had average earnings of about 258,300 lei, as opposed to 425,700 lei in the case of men, which is 60% of the men’s incomes. The property of female candidates was smaller and less valuable that the property of male candidates. For example, the average value of cars declared by female candidates represents about 1/3 of the value of cars owned by male candidates.
The analysis shows that the media space in the election campaign continued to be dominated by male candidates. The female candidates were less present in debates and electoral advertisements and also in talk shows during the electoral period. Of the total number of persons attending the debates, only 15.4% were female candidates, while 84.6% were male candidates. Even if they represented 40% of the candidates, the female candidates enjoyed only 22.7% of the airtime during the electoral period.
The analysis authors ascertained that the stereotypes and perceptions concerning gender roles became less accentuated. Even if the problem of gender stereotypes is significant, in Moldova the tendency to attenuate these is robust. For example, 32% of the citizens in 2009 considered that the women were less capable and could not occupy executive posts. In 2018, the figure decreased to 19%, while in 2021 (during the election campaign) – to 12%. This tendency is valid for all the gender stereotypes, such as those related to domestic chores or traditional roles of men.
