The first regional center for the protection and support of women suffering from violence was opened today in ATU Gagauzia. The institution will provide beneficiaries not only shelter, but also psychological counseling, social and legal assistance. At the same time, women will be helped to find a job or even start a business. The initiative is part of a project implemented by the United Nations Development Program with the support of the Republic of Korea, IPN reports.
According to a press release of UNDP Moldova, the center is housed in a building of about 500 square meters, which has been thoroughly renovated. The institution will be able to accommodate up to 20 people, women and children at the same time. Each woman will have a separate room, equipped with everything needed. The authors of the project also designed a room where people staying in the center will be able to spend time in joint activities. At the same time, there is a playroom for children in the institution.
The building has a universal design, being accessible for people with disabilities. A community center will be situated at the first floor of the building, for women and men from disadvantaged groups, as well as people who need counseling or support.
Women will be able to stay at the center for up to six months, during which time professionals will help them to identify solutions to the problems they face. Starting with 2021, the center's team will be trained to offer counseling to a wider category of population, thanks to the CETA (Common Elements Treatment Approach) training program.
Present at the official opening of the center, Dima Al-Khatib, UNDP Resident Representative for the Republic of Moldova said the inauguration of this center is a real milestone. “We all know that violence against women and girls is a blight on all our societies and a serious and growing shadow pandemic. With the marking of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, we are pleased to join hands with the key actors in Gagauzia for the establishment of the center which once functional, it will provide comprehensive support and a long-awaited assistance for women from the whole region,” stated Dima Al-Khatib.
Irina Vlah, the Governor (Baskan) of ATU Gagauzia (Gagauz-Yeri), said it will take a lot of effort to inform the community about the existence of this Center, about the services offered, about the mechanism of interaction, which should be very transparent to the community. “We hope that thanks to this project, women will better know their possibilities and we will contribute to the elimination of the phenomenon of violence in the society,” she noted.
For the arrangement of the center, the ATU Gagauzia authorities offered a building, which was repaired, after undergoing technical expertise. UNDP, with the support of the Republic of Korea, has allocated US$90,000. The contribution of the Executive Committee of ATU Gagauzia in this project amounts to about $85,000.
Aiming at supplementing the renovation budget, a fundraising campaign was organized to which dozens of men and women from the country and abroad contributed. The total amount of donations is 75,687 Moldovan lei. The entire amount was used to purchase appliances for the center, i.e. washing machine, refrigerator, etc.
