Government approves introduction of 30% quota for female candidates in elections

The executive approved a bill with amendments to the Election Code, which oblige the parties running in elections to have a quota of 30% of women on the list of candidates, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to Minister of Justice Alexandru Tanase, this quota would ensure a balance between women and men in decision-making and the women's more active participation in the political and public life at all levels. Alexandru Tanase said that this is an initiative that the PLDM, of which he is a member, promoted in the election campaign and that is compliant with the international documents designed to ensure the observance of human rights. Women represent 51.9% of Moldova's population. 51.1% of the graduates of the national education institutions are women. But in Parliament the women make up only 20% of the lawmakers. In the European countries, the number of women in the legislature and other executive bodies is much higher. 47% of the Swedish MPs are women. In Denmark, the women represent 37% of the MPs, in Finland – 40%, while in Belgium – 38%.