UNFPA, CCI to cooperate to expand family-friendly policies in Moldova

Chisinau, June 30. /MOLDPRES/- Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) will cooperate over the next five years to expand family-friendly workplace policies in Moldova. CCI president Sergiu Harea and Resident Representative of UNFPA Moldova Nigina Abaszada signed a memorandum on the matter today in Chisinau.

Under the document, the two institutions will carry out several information activities for the private sector in Moldova to encourage the participation of women in the labor market, while supporting the balance between family and professional responsibilities.

Nigina Abaszada said "UNFPA studies reveal that in the Republic of Moldova, many citizens wish to have three children, but in reality they have one child or at most two. "This happens for various reasons, including the reduced opportunities for women to be able to combine motherhood with professional duties. Fertility rate and population size is declining. By investing in equal conditions for women and men in the workplace and family-friendly policies, we support the demographic resilience of the country", said Abaszada.

Harea said that the signing of the Memorandum is an important step in promoting family-friendly policies, because unfortunately Moldovan companies face a labor shortage. "According to the surveys carried out by the CCI, a large part of the respondents claim that the reasons for the departure of young people from the Republic of Moldova are not only the salary, but also the lack of a job that offers security and psychological comfort. We hope that the actions we are going to take under the Memorandum will allow us to increase the competitiveness of local companies and the country's economy", he said.

Previously, CCI and UNFPA, in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, carried out an initiative as a result of which several private companies in Moldova aligned with family-friendly policies in the workplace and implement family-friendly initiatives for employees.

The partnership between UNFPA and CCI is carried out within the project "More opportunities: Gender-sensitive family policies for the private sector in the Western Balkans and the Republic of Moldova" implemented by UNFPA, with the support of the Austrian Development Agency, in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.