UNDP carries out first gender audit in Moldovan parliament

Chisinau, 27 October /MOLDPRES/- Moldovan MPs have been informed of the conclusions and recommendations of a gender audit report carried out in the parliament. The document analyses, for the first time ever, the gender equality situation in the Moldovan parliament, spots gaps and challenges and offers recommendations to consolidate a gender-friendly parliament, the parliament’s communication and public relations department has reported.

Attending the event was also Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu. He said the report clarified the gender situation in the parliament and provided relevant solutions. The speaker added that the parliament was willing to multiply its results with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and in particular, to implement the recommendations of the report and amend the legislation to consolidate women’s position.

Resident Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative in Moldova Dafina Gercheva welcomed the parliament’s commitment to implement the recommendations of the report, adding that the legislative body would further benefit from the UNDP support to achieve an integrative approach of the gender dimension.

Deputy Speaker Liliana Palihovici said the report’s recommendations encouraged MPs to take quicker and more efficient actions to strengthen a genuine democracy and ensure the equal participation of men and women in the decision-making process.

For her part, the parliament’s secretary general, Ala Popescu, added that the parliament’s secretariat was gender-friendly, though some of its sectors had more women employees than men. Popescu assured that the secretariat would take into account the recommendations during its modernization process.

The report was carried out by the UNDP’s consultant for democracy, Sarmite D. Bulte, along with other activities on gender equality and human rights observance, implemented with the support of the “Improving the quality of Moldovan democracy through parliamentary and electoral support” UNDP programme. The document scans the number of women in the parliament, within governing bodies and commissions, as well as in the secretariat. The report also issues a string of recommendations, such as the elaboration of an action plan on gender equality, adjusting legislation, participation of MPs and clerks in seminars on gender concept, creating a sub-commission for gender equality issues, as well as introducing new recommendations into the parliament’s regulation to ensure a fair participation of both male and female MPs in its activity. The report comes with some recommendations for the parliament’s secretariat, government and public entities, such as political parties.

According to the report, Moldova ranks 64 out of 190 on the top representing women distribution in the parliament.

(Editor M. Jantovan)