The Moldovans have a discriminatory attitude towards representatives of at least seven minority groups in the country, namely the LGBT community, persons with HIV/AIDS, former prisoners, persons with intellectual disabilities and persons of another religion, ethnicity or nationality. The population is not ready to establish social relations with these persons – be friends, neighbors, workmates or even family members, shows a study of the prejudice and marginalization in Moldova presented by the Center “Partnership for Development” (CPD).
In a news conference hosted by IPN, Natalia Covrig, CPD executive director, said the level of acceptance was estimated through the social distancing index that measures distance from 13 minority groups that form part of Moldovan society. “Social distancing is nothing but the degree to which the population would accept to establish different levels of relations with representatives of particular groups. We refer to the readiness to establish or create family relations, be neighbors, friends, workmates,” noted Natalia Covrig.
The study shows that the distancing and marginalization index is higher in the case of LGBT persons, persons with HIV/AIDS and former detainees. “When we speak about LGBT, we have about 78% of persons who would not like to be neighbors to representatives of this group and 75% of the Moldovan citizens who would not like to be workmates with representatives of his group. About half of the population of the Republic of Moldova does not want to be neighbors to or be coworkers with persons with HIV or former convicts,” said Natalia Covrig.
She also said that the data show a high level of prejudice and discriminatory attitudes. Even if measures were taken to increase the social cohesion and inclusion levels, particular groups continue to be marginalized.
According to Andrei Brighidin, a member of the Equality Council, the findings of the study should make the decision makers ponder over and identify suitable solutions and policies to build social cohesion. “There are particular challenges that were signaled by civil society. I will draw attention to the fact that these challenges were also signaled by the Council for Preventing and Eliminating Discrimination and Ensuring Equality, but we will follow the theory and small steps method. We should better take at least two steps forward instead of tree than one step backward,” stated Andrei Brighidin.
Gheorghina Drumea, secretary of the Coalition for Inclusion and Non-Discrimination, noted that a number of the legal provisions adopted last year enabled to create a better mechanism for protecting the victims of discrimination, both at contravention and criminal levels. Also, a number of phenomena were criminalized, including the inciting of discrimination through public speech or actions.
Note: IPN News Agency gives the right of reply to persons who consider they were touched by the news items produced based on statements of the organizers of the given news conference, including by facilitating the organization of another news conference in similar conditions.
