Two districts of Moldova to benefit from assistance to prevent violence

Chisinau, 9 May /MOLDPRES/ - A consignment worth 155,000 euros in all, made up of 9,000 litres of disinfectants, 21,500 protection masks, 1,100 reusable rubber gloves, 90 infrared thermometers, 800 packages with food and hygiene products and 1,000 sets of education materials has been put at the disposal of 70 settlements from the Cahul and Ungheni districts. They will be used in actions for the prevention of the domestic and gender-based violence.   

The equipment and goods are donated within the programme EVA – Promotion of gender equality in the districts of Cahul and Ungheni, financed by the European Union, co-financed by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and implemented in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund in Moldova (UNICEF).  

„On this difficult period, our thoughts go to the victims of the domestic violence. The European Union provides support to the multi-disciplinary teams involved in cases of domestic violence from the Cahul and Ungheni districts. We hope that this assistance will convey a message both to the victims of the domestic violence and the children and families at risk that they are not alone on this period,’’ Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Peter Michalko said.    

In the world, there is evidence that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of domestic and gender-based violence is on the rise and one of the priorities of the authorities is to ensure the functionality of the essential services, including the coordinated and prompt response of the members of the multi-disciplinary teams to the needs of the victims – women and children.    

„Women play an important and pro-active role in the providing of social, medical, education services and services provided by the local authorities. In conditions of COVID-19, it is crucial that women are included in all decision-making processes as response to the pandemic. It is important that we take measures, in order to protect women and girls from all forms of violence and the reaction plans should take into account women’s necessities,’’ an acting country representative of UN Women Moldova,  Peterson Magoola, said.    

The EVA programme also has a component of piloting in schools of the activity of preventing violence, which will be implemented along with UNICEF Moldova.  

„The pandemic hits also children of all ages, including the most vulnerable ones, who now have no access to teachers, friends, as well as to nourishment and protection services. We know from various earlier health crises from all over the world that namely children are facing a high risk of exploitation, violence and abuses when the schools are closed, social services are interrupted and the movement is restricted,’’ a UNICEF Moldova country representative, Desiree Jongsma, said.     

Data by the General Police Inspectorate shows that, in the first three months of 2020, the police registered 267 offences dealing with the domestic violence, up by 15.5 per cent against the same period of the year before.

"The donation is meant to back the vulnerable families, so that we ensure them access to quality services. By providing personal protection to employees from the sector, we can interact with our beneficiaries and thus help them through counseling, by ensuring access to services and support them, so that they overcome the difficulty situation they face. It is important that this solidarity be felt at all levels and the employees of the social system feel safe when they fulfill their duties. We must teach also residents that there are certain measures which we must observe, in order to interrupt this chain of transmission of the infection,’’ a state secretary at the Health, Labour and Social Protection Ministry,  Djulieta Popescu, said.  

The programme EVA – Promotion of gender equality in the districts of Cahul and Ungheni, is aimed at promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment through the integration of the gender component in the local public policies and combating the domestic violence against women and children in the districts of Ungheni and Cahul. This programme will be implemented during three years and its overall value is of 5.25 million euros.