CARE WORK CAN BECOME AN ATTRACTIVE SECTOR OF ECONOMY

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1 UN IN MOLDOVA CARE WORK CAN BECOME AN ATTRACTIVE SECTOR OF ECONOMY February 2018, #6 LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEANS PEOPLE AT HOME page 12 MOLDOVA JOINS FORCES TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS HUMAN RIGHTS GALA 2017 GALA OF COURAGEOUS PEOPLE page 22 page 7

2 Summary Foreword by UN Resident Coordinator 3 A special day for about 200 moldovan children 15 Purple economy can become a pathway to economic growth in Moldova 4 Who are the invisible among us? 16 Care work, from burden and invisible, to value added and an attractive economy sector 5 Antibiotic resistant infections can affect anyone, regardless of age or country 17 Human Rights Gala 2017 gala of courageous people 7 Now I say: I will fight for my rights! 18 Knowing your HIV status is trendy! 9 Moldova reported to the UN on the status of the economic, social, and cultural rights 19 A new web platform will help young people to plan their future career 10 UN Programme Women in Politics has come to an end 20 Older people in Bahrinesti say Yes to active ageing 11 Moldova joins forces to end violence against women and girls 22 Local economic development means people AT HOME 12 Moldova Eco Energetica Gala awarded eco-energy champions 24 Children took over of schools, local public administration and media institutions on World Children s Day 14 Cervical cancer will be prevented in Moldova through organized screening programs 26 Magazine: UN in Moldova The United Nations in Moldova February 2018 Magazine Nr. 6 The UN in Moldova is a quarterly magazine published by the United Nations in Moldova, 131, 31 August 1989 St., Chisinau, MD 2012, Moldova, tel.: (373-22) , fax: (373-22) ; The articles in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the United Nations or any of its Agencies. Articles may be freely reproduced for non commercial purposes, provided the source is acknowledged. Cover: UN Moldova / Circulation: 100 copies If you want to receive a printed copy, write a message to moldova@one.un.org

3 Photo: Igor Schimbator / UN Moldova Dear readers, At the beginning of the new year we are taking stock of our achievements and lessons learnt and defining the way forward. Looking ahead we are shifting gears to embrace innovation and foresight, since only future-oriented societies and institutions can tackle the challenges of 21st century and build solid foundations for sustainable peace and prosperity was a very special year for the Republic of Moldova. In March, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of Moldova's membership to the United Nations. Over the past 25 years, the UN family, together with our national counterparts and development partners, has built the foundation for the establishment of a functional democracy and market economy by: improving the legal and regulatory framework; strengthening institutional capacity for evidence-based policy development and implementation, and for delivering accessible, affordable and high quality public services; promoting human rights, fundamental freedoms, gender equality and women s empowerment; creating a culture of tolerance, acceptance, diversity and non-discrimination; building bridges of trust and confidence between communities that have drifted apart; and promoting green and inclusive economic growth. While significant progress has been made towards reducing poverty and inequalities and consolidating democracy, there are still formidable challenges ahead, which calls for continuous, concerted and collective efforts has been a landmark year for the United Nations in Moldova. Together with the Government we signed the United Nations Partnership Framework for Sustainable Development a five-year agreement on priority areas of our joint work towards fulfilling people s aspirations and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Over the next 5 years we will further invest in promoting: (i) Democracy, good governance, human rights and gender equality; (ii) Sustainable, inclusive and equitable economic growth; (iii) Environmental sustainability and resilience; and (iv) Inclusive and equitable social development. In 2017, the United Nations in Moldova, in partnership with the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), supported the Government to evaluate the Moldova National Development Strategy 2020 and develop a new blueprint for Moldova 2030, which will be fully aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the EU Association Agreement. I firmly believe that 2018 will be yet another successful year, during which the UN, in close collaboration with national stakeholders and development partners, will produce tangible and impactful results for the benefit of the people of Moldova and will further support the country s transformation into a modern and prosperous state where no one is left behind! DAFINA GERCHEVA UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Moldova FEBRUARY 2018 UN Magazine 3

4 Purple economy can become a pathway to economic growth in Moldova women are doing most of the unpaid Moldovan work, which takes about 66% of the total amount of time they spend working and, compared to men, women do twice as much unpaid care work in the household as men. Public investments in care services are critical in ensuring gender equality, workforce participation and inclusive growth, said Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Moldova, during a regional roundtable event held by UNDP and UN Women in Chisinau. The event was attended by experts, government officials, accademia and civil society representatives, who debated possible policy solutions that could change the persistent approaches related to the care economy that Moldova and other countries in the region are facing. Ipek Ilkkaracan from the Istanbul Technical University presented during the roundtable session a policy simulation performed in Turkey, the country with the lowest rate of labour force participation of women, and the lowest early childhood and preschool education rate among the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). An investment of 1.18% of Turkey s GDP in early childhood and preschool education programs would create almost 720 thousand jobs, while a similar investment in the construction sector would create less than 300 thousand jobs. Moreover, 73% of these jobs can be done by women, compared to the 6% in constructions, and 85% can generate decent incomes. Stela Grigoras, ex-minister of Health, Labour, Family and Social Protection, said that the Government is aware of the major impact of the care activities on the economic development and intends to increase the expenditures for social investments and to take measures to facilitate the reconciliation between work and family life, making sure that gender equality is ensured and the jobs created in the care industry are decent and properly paid. 4 UN Magazine Ipek Ilkkaracan, representative of Istanbul Technical University Development of care services is part of the purple economy concept, which is complementary to the green economy and can be a pathway to sustainable economic development, said IPEK ILKKARACAN The Government will approve policy documents and amendments to the legislation to create, step by step, enabling environment for the employment of women with small children and to increase the employment rate of these women, to end professional segregation, including in the care activities, and to develop specialized social services in order to redistribute the care activities so as to achieve reconciliation between work and family life, the ex-minister added. Currently in Moldova nine out of ten women with children under the age of three and two out of three women with children aged between three and seven years old are unemployed. The employment rate for women is 37% compared to 43% for men and women earn on average 12.4% less than men. For some women the employment rate is even lower, e.g. only 15% of the Roma women aged over 15 years are employed compared to 34% of the non-roma women and 25% of Roma men, shows the Time Use Survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics under the joint UN project Strengthening the National Statistical System with the support of the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and the project Strengthening Moldova s Capacity to Manage Labour and Return Integration as part of the Moldova-European Union mobility partnership. FEBRUARY 2018

5 Care work, from burden and invisible, to value added and an attractive economy sector 75% of all the unpaid care work in the world is performed by women Interview with Bharati Sadasivam, Team Leader, Gender Equality and Women s Empowerment, UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub UN Magazine: What is the care economy and why is it important to tackle it? Bharati Sadasivam: The care economy consists of the types of services that are given for the wellbeing of people in the household children, elderly, the sick and people with disabilities and also healthy working adults. They can be direct care services, like those provided to children, the elderly, the disabled or the sick, and indirect services, like domestic chores of washing, cleaning, shopping, bringing firewood, collecting water, cooking. Together they represent a whole body of work that is caring labour for current and future generations. Care work can be paid as it is when done by care workers, preschool teachers, healthcare professionals or domestic servants. When care work is performed at home it s almost always invisible meaning it is not counted in the country s growth or GDP 1. But it s obviously extremely important for the future of societies and human wellbeing. Care work sustains the workforce, sustains families to become productive, sustains people in the economy and in the society. We need to understand that 75% of all the unpaid care work in the world is performed by women. This limits enormously their ability to enter the labour force and have careers and incomes, to have opportunities and freedom of choice for growth and personal development or to even have recreation and leisure. So, unless we tackle the imbalanced way in which we address care work, both society and the economy will suffer. UN Magazine: You said women perform 75% of care work and therefore they have fewer opportunities. How does unpaid work affect specifically women? Bharati Sadasivam: Let s talk about Moldova, where you still have a very long maternity leave, while men only recently have been given two weeks of optional paternity leave. So, in Moldova the paid parental leave is three years, but in much of cases, around 90%, is taken by women. If women are lucky and they work in sectors where they are needed and their skills are not eroded, after three years they can re-enter the work force. But if you have two children and you are not working for 6 years, then it can affect your ability to get back into the labour market while at the same time being mainly responsible for raising your children and taking care of the household. This is one reason why the way we design and implement family leave and care services is an important issue for women. But it also affects whole families, because it promotes the idea that only women should take care of children and fathers have no role in it. This idea is damaging for the child as well, because it s very important for children not to see their parents in such gender roles and to have a connection and receive care from both parents. UN Magazine: How can we improve things specifically in Moldova, what are your recommendations because there are of course women who would like, for example, to stay home for three years and benefit from social allocations? Bharati Sadasivam: This is a very sensitive issue, which we understand needs to be approached carefully, by establishing a dialogue with families, with communities, and women in particular. We must talk to all concerned to understand what the real needs are and to explain to everybody involved that any attempt to amend ex- FEBRUARY 2018 UN Magazine 5

6 isting legislation is not aimed at taking away their benefits, but to expand their opportunities. There is already a discussion within Government about the very little coverage of childcare services between the ages of 0 and 3 years old, which is also shown by research. In Moldova, the childcare services for this age spectrum covers only 10% of population in rural areas and only about 60% in urban areas, which is far below OECD averages. So, to address the issue of women being out of the work force for so long, you will need to address things simultaneously parental leave to have shorter leave time for women must go with expanded opportunities for childcare services. If you want to reduce the time that s paid for parental leave, you should offer a choice of services for childcare. Obviously, some women will want social allocations and to stay home, but it is important to offer everybody a choice. What UNDP with the rest of the UN and civil society organizations in Moldova have been advocating with the Government is that services provided for children and the elderly need to be improved and to raise the level of service providers. Service providers should be trained to deliver skilled and quality services so that the care sector as a whole becomes a sector that both men and women find attractive as an employer. At the same time, there is a need for a lot of advocacy and education among men and women, so that they see the opportunities, benefits and costs that women experience by being out of the labour market. UN Magazine: You said that one of the solutions is the development of public services for children aged 0 to 3 years. Is this an investment for the Government or the private sector? 6 UN Magazine Bharati Sadasivam: It s certainly an area where a lot of actors are involved. As research shows, public spending on the care sector is really an investment. Not just for the reasons of personal and human development of women, but also because of the great importance of having children socialize at a very young age. We supported a research in Turkey, conducted by the Istanbul Technical University, with a policy simulation concerning the impact on investing a certain amount of money in the care sector versus investing the same amount of money in a hard infrastructure sector like construction. And they found that investing in the care sector generates 2.5 times the number of jobs that you generate in the construction sector. In addition, and this is very important, these jobs are decent jobs, which means they provide benefits and security, and provide long-term employment to the people. Of course, a lot of these jobs can go to women, but it also generates jobs for men. Because when you set up a childcare facility, for example, you will need to set up a lot of back up services like food, clothing, toys and whatever else you need for this center. So, it will generate employment in other types of industries, that will attract both men and women. UN Magazine: How consistent should be the financial effort of the government of Moldova to launch new social services in order to address the care economy? Bharati Sadasivam: I would say that quite a lot have been done already, so it is not going to cost a lot to change the policy. For example, the Government might want to consider whether it is possible to extend the two weeks of paid paternity leave to at least three or six months and make it fully paid to incentivize men to take it. In the long term, it will pay off, because women will be able to share the household duties with their husbands and to benefit from career opportunities. By having this arrangement, you will rise the GDP as a whole, because both men and women will have the opportunity to return to their jobs. Regarding other types of investments, for example care services or expanding the kindergarten level, there will be some funding involved, but you do not have to invest all the money at one time. UN Magazine: How is Moldova situated compared to other countries in the region? Bharati Sadasivam: When you compare with the region, Moldova is not doing so badly, but you have many disparities between urban and rural areas. You also have wage gaps and a lot of gender segregation in the market, mainly due to women s care work burdens. There are also widening gaps in terms of returning late to the labor force after maternity leave and being put into sectors which don t pay very well. We find that in all our activities, in all countries, across all regions, we always push for women s economic empowerment, we always say that there should be more jobs and women should come into the labor force, women should start working, generate incomes, become entrepreneurs. But women s work time is not infinite. You cannot keep pushing women to come into the labour force and generate income and be economic providers, unless you address their care work and redistribute it among families, the state and societies. Otherwise, women are going to do much more unpaid work in parallel with the paid work, which is what is happening in this region and most parts of the world. Without addressing the care aspect, we are not going to free women to reach an economic potential. The issue of caring about care work has become urgent in the era of the global United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, because there is a specific target to recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work by By addressing care work you can address a number of other goals related to employment, poverty, education, inequalities, and of course gender equality. We see care work as a lever, as a key that unlocks a lot of potential in all areas of human development. This is why we are advocating for greater policy attention to care work, as the basis for a country s human development and inclusive economic growth. FEBRUARY 2018

7 Human Rights Gala 2017 gala of courageous people The United Nations in Moldova continued the tradition of rewarding the most outstanding human rights achievements in the Republic of Moldova. During the UN Awards Gala, that took place on December 6, UN Moldova gave six awards and a special mention for the most innovative and efficient human rights actions in Moldova in At this event, we come to greet our champions organizations and individuals who showed courage, creativity and perseverance in advancing human rights in Moldova. Also in December, the United Nations and the whole world start a oneyear campaign to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights marked on December 10, It is our common duty to do everything we can to make the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights come true!, Lawyer Veaceslav Turcan, awarded for promoting civil and political rights in Moldova The award for pro-active, fair and consistent approach in covering the human rights issues was given to the online news portal NewsMaker, while the Coliseum Arts Center received the award for the exceptional work of educating juvenile and adult detainees through theatre, as well as for its efforts to raise awareness and inform about sexual abuse of minors, violence against women and children, and about the life of detainees. The special mention this year went to the radio station Patrin Moldova, for a promising start, perseverance, originality and the unique style of addressing the rights of Roma people. said DESIREE JONGSMA, the adinterim UN Resident Coordinator and UNICEF Representative in the Republic of Moldova. For the efforts to advance civil and political rights and promote the training of Moldovan lawyers, including in the Transnistrian region, an award was given to the lawyer Veaceslav Turcan. Maia Taran and Maria Scorodinschi received awards for remarkable courage to fight gender-based violence by empowering women and girls at local level. The award for remarkable activism in human rights area was given to priest Maxim Melinti for his inclusive approach and for overturning stereotypes in his daily work. Maria Scorodinschi, awarded for outstanding courage in combating violence against women FEBRUARY 2018 UN Magazine 7

8 It depends on us in which society we will live tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. The efforts that we are making today are very important for the future, said the award winner VEACESLAV TURCAN. Maria Scorodinschi, in turn, who was awarded for being pro-active in fighting violence against women, stressed that I decided to speak openly about my experience of violence and show people that a woman can win through with other s help and can have a better life. The winners were selected in an open competition from 72 applicants. The evaluation criteria included creativity, perseverance, dedication and courage in advancing human rights and the impact of these actions on people s lives. Victorina Luca, director of Patrin Moldova radio station 2017 was a special year for the Republic of Moldova in terms of human rights. During this year, the country s progress in implementation of five international human rights treaties was reviewed by five important UN committees. Also in 2017, Moldova developed the new National Human Rights Action Plan based on the recommendations of these reviews and the Universal Periodic Review from 2016 and signed a new strategic cooperation document with UN for the following 5 years Partnership Framework for Sustainable Development , which is based on the fundamental human rights and on the leaving no one behind principle. Six awards and one special mention were given at UN Human Rights Gala of Awards in 2017 The UN Human Rights Gala of Awards has been held yearly since 2004 on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day to highlight and award the most valuable, innovative, efficient and participative initiatives and activities aimed to protect and advance human rights in Moldova. 8 UN Magazine FEBRUARY 2018

9 Knowing your HIV status is trendy! your HIV status is trendy! is the slogan around Knowing which young fashion designers from Moldova accepted, for the first time, the challenge of embodying the Red Ribbon, which is the symbol of solidarity with people living with HIV, in their collections participating in the Red Ribbon nomination. For the first time, the fashion industry teamed up to tackle the HIV issue during the International Fashion Festival ArtPodium The winners of the contest the designers Iulia Filimon, Zlata Prilepova and Natalia Balaban won the opportunity to take part in a master class given by a world-class designer and in a fashion defile of the winners from Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries that will take place at the Regional HIV/AIDS Conference in Moscow from 18 to 20 April The special guest of the event, also member of the jury and the person who awarded the winners, was the singer Olia Tira, the UNAIDS Moldova Goodwill Ambassador. The UN family in Moldova is very proud of its partnership with the artists and designers we work with to reduce stigma and discrimination and overcome HIVrelated prejudices and stereotypes. This initiative is also contributing to the achievement of the Global Goals and transformation of Moldova into a modern and prosperous state where no one is left behind, stated DAFINA GERCHEVA, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative. Volunteers and organizers of ArtPodium 2017 festival Award ceremony of Red Ribbon nomination winners We aim to draw attention to the fact that people living with HIV are often subject to discrimination and to counter the myths and stereotypes that persist in our society with facts and figures, says SVETLANA PLAMADEALA, the country manager of UNAIDS Moldova. UNAIDS Moldova took over the Knowing your HIV status is trendy! initiative, which belongs to the regional office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, from UNAIDS Belarus. Similar competitions will also take place in Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. One of the collections presented for the Red Ribbon nomination The event also involved HIV counseling and testing activities. More than 160 people were tested for HIV and consulted on HIV prevention and treatment methods. The testing was anonymous and free of charge and conducted by specialists from the non-governmental organizations Genderdoc-M, NGO Credinta and NGO Positive Initiative. During the three-day event, the volunteers of these NGOs distributed outreach materials and offered red ribbons to the visitors of the exhibition, urging to wear them in solidarity with people living with HIV. As at January 1, 2017, there were about 11,000 cases of HIV infection in the Republic of Moldova. According to the expert estimates, however, the real number is around 16,000. FEBRUARY 2018 UN Magazine 9

10 A new web platform will help young people to plan their future career The National Employment Agency (NEA) launched a new website in October 2017 with ILO support to help young people with career planning. Raisa Dogaru, Director of NEA, talks about the background of the website, the services it offers and the issues it is expected to address in a very practical way. 10 UN Magazine Raisa Dogaru, director of National Employment Agency UN Magazine: Why do you think it is necessary and a good idea to offer career guidance to youth? Raisa Dogaru: Indeed, the web platform is an innovative career guidance tool for youth, which is one of the NEA s target groups, making up 30% of the total number of its beneficiaries. The World Bank s report From aspirations to occupations: the role of information in educational and labour market decisions in Moldova has confirmed that youth believes that the information about the Moldovan labour market is extremely important in the decision-making concerning their education and future career, and that career guidance would improve the access to relevant and age-specific information on education and labour market trends. The ILO survey Labour market transitions of young women and men in the Republic of Moldova reveals that the share of the young people who are neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET) is high in Moldova: the share of the NEET young people aged between 15 and 29 years old was about 28.9% in These young people are at risk of losing their human capital, which will have a negative impact and lead to substantial costs for individuals and the society in general. Very few Moldovan young people are economically active, which makes inactivity even worse than unemployment because it affects 59.6% of youth. UN Magazine: How does the webplatform work in practice? What kind of information can young people find there and how is it going to help them? Raisa Dogaru: The web platform offers young people the opportunity to try themselves in a certain occupation through a test. They can find information about 90 occupations there. Information includes the description of the main tasks related to the occupation, the scope of work, the required level of education and qualification, the required knowledge and skills, and the outlook of the particular job on the labour market. With all this information within easy reach, young people can decide which occupation suits them best depending on their aspirations. UN Magazine: What structural changes on the labour market do you expect this innovative tool to trigger? Raisa Dogaru: The purpose of the web platform is to inform young people about the professions, the required skills, based on individual aspirations, for a future career, interconnected with the requirements of the labour market, which would ultimately allow them to get a suitable job. The web platform can increase the chances of finding a job according to the professional aspirations, skills and job opportunities through full integration and involvement, access to quality information, services and education and jobs. In this context, the National Employment Strategy policies are improving the availability and quality of information on education and the labour market, identifying the needs of young people and providing them with appropriate information, and last, but not least, establishing partnerships with employers and creating innovative career guidance tools. UN Magazine: How did NEA and ILO cooperate to create the web platform? What roles did they have in this process? Raisa Dogaru: In September 2017, the ILO project initiated a broad analysis of the employment status of young people on the labour market in the Republic of Moldova. It ranked the occupation of young people by occupational groups according to the Classification of Occupations of the Republic of Moldova (CORM). The purpose of the analysis was to identify those occupations where the share of young people is high and the occupational profiles of which were drafted afterwards. To do that, ILO carried out a labour market analysis in 2016, taking into account the structures of the employed, unemployed and inactive population, the evolution of occupations at national level by groups of occupations and the employment forecasts. FEBRUARY 2018

11 Older people in Bahrinesti say Yes to active ageing Gathered in the Mayor s Office of Bahrinesti village, Floresti district, in the north of Moldova, about 15 senior citizens, most of them women, were listening carefully to the mayor of the village, Feodosia Bunescu. She was telling them excitedly about a new initiative that will revive their village. We will have here, in Bahrinesti, a real learning centre for the elderly. We will dance, draw, learn how to use a computer and will spend the time in the most interesting and useful way, Ms. Bunescu explained. Bahrinesti is one of the winners of the Small Grants Program provided by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection (MoHLSP) for active ageing activities. For the first time in the Republic of Moldova, such grants were allocated from the state budget in 2017 thanks to the continuous advocacy efforts made by the civil society and the development partners. We have pledged ourselves together with non-governmental organizations and development partners to promote active ageing in our country. For an ageing society, as the Moldovan society is, such initiatives are a solution for the future. It is time to change the image of the elderly by tapping their potential and abilities. To achieve this, we have to provide job opportunities, better health services and to increase their social engagement, stated Stela Grigoras, the ex-minister of Health, Labour and Social Protection. The Bahrinesti villagers have never heard of something similar. Bahrinesti is a village with about 2,000 inhabitants, most of whom are over 60 years old. Although sceptical at first, they gradually agreed on this idea. I would really like to learn how to use a computer. My grandchild, who is in the 5th grade, shows me how to use it, but I would like to manage it on my own, said one of the women. I am not sure about drawing, but I will definitely come to crochet, stated another person. The Bahrinesti women have a passion for crocheting. Tatiana, 72 years old, has been weaving since forever. She started crocheting about 30 years ago. It did not take too much time to learn to crochet and I have created thousands of such Older people in Bahrinesti, Floresti, say YES to active ageing It is not recommended to eat too much meat at an advanced age, that is why we have to eat something else, but we have to know what. We will discuss at the learning centre for the elderly about healthy food, and other important aspects such as how to earn income from our occupations or how to use internet to find useful information, said FEODOSIA BUNESCU, mayor of Bahrinesti works already. Some of them I sold, some I gave away as presents, she said, showing us her house full of her handmade works. Besides crocheting, she also likes chopping down wood and hammering nails. No day goes by without me hammering down a nail, she jokes. When asked whether she will attend the learning centre, she smiled at first, and then nodded. My greatest wish is to be healthy and see my children who live in Russia. I know that I have to be socially active for this and I will be said Tatiana assertively. There are more than 600 thousand persons over 60 in Moldova. According to the Active Ageing Index developed with the support of UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund, they are much less integrated in the social life than their peers in other European countries. To give equal rights to older persons and increase their social and economic engagement, UNFPA supported the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection in developing an Active Ageing Action Plan. The focus of this document is on improving access to health services and building healthier behaviors among elderlies, facilitating the integration of old people in the community-based economic and social programs, and ensuring their protection against violence, bringing youth and elderlies together as partners, said Rita Columbia, UNFPA Moldova Representative. Since 2016 Help Age International and the MoHLSP with the support of UNFPA and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs have been revising the public policies to assess to what extent the needs of the more than 17.2% of the Moldovan elderly are integrated in the public health, social protection and employment policies and to what extent the Moldovan national research institutions are involved in researching active ageing models implementable in Moldova. These actions will help to increase awareness about ageing and combat any form of age discrimination, which is detrimental to the health and wellbeing of older adults and should not have a place in a society that thrives to be more prosperous, equitable and healthier. FEBRUARY 2018 UN Magazine 11

12 Local economic development means people AT HOME Over the past twenty years, labour migration has had a strong impact on the economic and social development of the Republic of Moldova. The main reasons why people leave are the lack of jobs and very low wages. These economic factors determine those who return temporarily to emigrate again. Migration outflows are larger from rural areas, given that poverty rates are 7.5 times higher in rural than in urban areas, due to the lack of jobs and employment in agriculture. Up to present, approx. 68% of migrants are from rural areas, leaving the rural localities without about 33% of its economically active population. Local authorities of 38 villages and towns that are part of the Migration and Local Development (MiDL) project also confirm these numbers. To facilitate local economic development, the Swiss Government offered USD 20 thousand grants to three towns (Ialoveni, Edinet and Straseni) and three villages (Colibasi, Carpineni and Selemet) from the Republic of Moldova through the UNDP Migration and Local Development Project. The mayors of the 6 beneficiary localities discuss about the results of these investments. Ion Carpineanu, mayor of Carpineni, discussing about the potential of extending production with the director of the clothing company Simone Giger, director of Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova, handing the check for the grant to Valentina Casian, mayor of Straseni VALENTINA CASIAN, mayor of Straseni town CONSTANTIN COJOCARU, mayor of Edinet town By implementing this project, we are developing and sharing the best practices to stimulate the local development actors, hence we are projecting a positive and friendly image of local businesses. We hope that, once the infrastructure of the CAAN Industrial Park is improved, we will be able to attract 50 new residents and reduce the unemployment rate by creating at least 800 new jobs, with a potential increase of up to 2,000 new jobs. This way we hope to reduce the migration flow by 2 to 5%. The Edinet Industrial Park covers an area of 18 hectares and has 4 resident companies with business investments of over 30 million euros. Thanks to the grant offered by the Swiss Government, the park s employees have benefited from training, the administrative building has the necessary furniture and equipment, and advertising materials were developed in several languages etc. All these things will help us bring in new resident companies and start new businesses. In a couple of years, the number of beneficiaries is expected to reach tens of thousands. A check of 20,000 USD was granted by the Swiss Government to Ialoveni town RADU CHILARU, deputy-mayor of Ialoveni town First of all, the briquetting line expected to be put into operation very soon will provide briquettes to the Andries kindergarten attended by about 500 children. The biomass alternative will help us save up to 400 thousand Moldovan lei every year. Last but not least, due to this project, about 100 new jobs will be created in Ialoveni district. 12 UN Magazine FEBRUARY 2018

13 First products of Colibasi advertised using two local brand names Constantin Cojocaru, mayor of Edinet town, hosts mayors from various localities at the first Economic Forum organized at the Edinet Industrial Park ION CARPINEANU, mayor of Carpineni village ION DOLGANIUC, mayor of Colibasi village TATIANA BADAN, mayor of Selemet village We have managed to create the necessary infrastructure for the local clothing factory (connection to the electricity grid and gas pipelines) and attract a foreign investor that will create more than 160 jobs. This intervention will reduce the energy costs of production by 20% and will increase the production amount at least tenfold. Therefore, the investor is interested in staying here and creating new jobs. Due to the creation of the local brands Borcanas de COLIBASI and Cu Drag din COLIBASI, at least 25 local agricultural producers will have the facilities to efficiently process and sell all their products. They could not process it before and had to throw away the surplus of their vegetables. Moreover, by selling products that are specific to this area, Colibasi village is building a local brand and is promoting the consumption of local products among Moldovans. The Selemet market will bring together agricultural and food producers from over 20 villages from the Southern part of the country. We are proud that after a 100-year tradition of having a local farmers market in Selemet, we have finally managed to create adequate conditions for thousands of farmers who will have reliable sources of income, as well as for the local beneficiaries who will buy the products they need in appropriate sanitary conditions. The direct beneficiaries of the projects will be approx. 200 small and medium enterprises, agricultural producers, processing, textile and trade companies, industrial producers and the resident companies of the Edinet and Straseni industrial parks. The indirect beneficiaries will be 1,200 farm households from the rural areas covered by the projects and from the neighbouring localities. The projects will create about 1,000 jobs, including half of them for women. The six projects were selected based on an open competition among 23 localities that have been part of the Migration and Local Development Project since Tatiana Badan, mayor of Selemet, at the opening ceremony of the agri-food market FEBRUARY 2018 UN Magazine 13

14 Students of Petre Stefanuca high school in Ialoveni celebrating World Children s Day in school courtyard Children took over of schools, local public administration and media institutions on World Children s Day In Moldova, World Children s Day started early. At 8 am the young reporters Madalina, Gabriel and Alexandra were already interviewing live the UNICEF Country Representative in Moldova, Desiree Jongsma, for the morning talkshow on the public broadcaster Moldova 1. They wanted to find out how children all over the world were going to celebrate their takeover day - the day for children by children, and the day when their rights are truly celebrated! More than 350 children and adolescents took part in the World Children s Day events. Along with their peers in more than 100 countries, on November 20 th Moldovan children took over of schools in Chisinau, Ialoveni and Calarasi, as well as two city councils, several media outlets, and the Licurici puppet theatre. To celebrate the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, children all over the world took over roles in 14 UN Magazine various institutions, doing the work that adults do every day. For one day the children acted as directors, CEOs, actors, journalists or talk-show hosts. The events aim to increase awareness of the need to respect children s rights, such as the rights to life, health, education and leisure, the right to family life, to be protected from violence and, last but not least, the right to freedom of expression. World Children s Day 2017 was a fun day full of events conveying a critical message. As part of a global effort, singer Pink offered UNICEF her hit song What About Us, encouraging kids from all over the globe to send in clips of themselves singing it and compile these clips into a collaborative music video. The Moldovan children also took part in the UNICEF global initiative for a chance to be included in the new remix of the song What About Us. Gabriel, Alexandra and Desiree Jongsma in the Buna Dimineata talk show studio On November 20 children took over management of Gheorghe Asachi high school in Chisinau Children taking over control of Calarasi district Council FEBRUARY 2018

15 A special day for about 200 moldovan children The children took part in a sporting event aimed to promote inclusion of young children through sport About 200 children aged 3 to 8 years old, including children with special needs, engaged in sports activities and football games at the Sports Complex Futsal Arena FMF, Ciorescu village, Moldova. The event was organized by Special Olympics Moldova in partnership with Moldovan Football Federation, UNICEF Moldova and Chisinau Center for Public Health, with the aim of promoting inclusion of all children through sports. The young athletes were guided by about 100 volunteers, while their parents had the opportunity to interact with early childhood development specialists. Through sports, children can unite, discover and achieve their potential. Sports are inclusive anyone can join in, regardless of age, gender, disability or social status. It doesn t matter who wins today, in the end friendship is always the winner! said Desiree Jongsma, UNICEF Representative in Moldova, in her welcoming speech. The Moldovan Football community supports any initiative, project or programme that aims to promote a healthy lifestyle among children. Every child has the right to fully enjoy the benefits of sports, football among them, so as to foster stronger ties with the community, said Nicolae Cebotari, General Secretary of Moldovan Football Federation. This kind of event is a first for Moldova. Together with our partners we are glad to have brought so many smiles and inspiration to the wonderful children gathered here, their parents, educators and community leaders, said Alexandra Danilenco, President of Special Olympics Moldova. Opening ceremony of the sporting event at Futsal Arena FMF Sports Complex, Ciorescu village UNICEF and Special Olympics have been working together since 2007 to protect and promote the rights of children with intellectual disabilities, with a focus on changing the perception of children with disabilities and promoting social inclusion. Sharing the commitment to promote the rights of children with intellectual disabilities, outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the two partners signed a Global Memorandum of Understanding at the Special Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, in Young athletes, guided by volunteers, participating in the event s sports activities The joint activities under the Memorandum include offering opportunities for inclusive sports participation, free medical examinations, healthy early childhood development activities, training in family health planning for parents and caregivers, as well as collaborative efforts to consolidate national legislation on child rights. This partnership empowers the children and youth with intellectual disabilities from 35 countries to contribute and fully participate in their communities and countries. In Moldova, due to this collaboration, over 1,000 children of pre-school age, 600 parents and educators and 30 community leaders engaged in the sports activities organized in Chisinau, Straseni, Ungheni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Dubasari, Criuleni and Rezina beginning with FEBRUARY 2018 UN Magazine 15

16 Olga s story, a 26-year-old single mother of two children is read by the public Who are the invisible among us? On the occasion of the EU Anti- Trafficking Day, a one-week outreach campaign called The Invisible in Plain Sight has been launched by displaying 10 figurines, on which real stories of victims of human trafficking were written in the Arch of Triumph area. The purpose of the campaign was to raise awareness of the risks and consequences of this phenomenon. Why is it important to be aware of it? The Republic of Moldova is known as a country that is affected by trafficking in human beings, although more in the past than today, thanks to considerable improvements since the 90s when the phenomenon was widespread. The efforts made by both the Government and the Counter-Trafficking Program implemented by the International Organization for Migration have helped reduce the number of victims. 16 UN Magazine Diana Bojenco, Director of Center for Protection of Victims and Potential Victims of Human Trafficking Diana Donoaga-Certan, IOM Prevention and Protection Programme Coordinator, at the kick off event of The Invisible in Plain Sight To be able to fight this phenomenon, back in 2006 the Government of Moldova put in place the National Referral System for Protection and Assistance of Victims and Potential Victims. This system provides prevention services to potential victims and assistance to the victims identified either in the country or abroad. Victims are offered food and accommodation, healthcare and psychological and other kind of services to facilitate their smooth reintegration in the society. The system also involves criminal prosecution of traffickers and assistance programs for victim witnesses. With the help of this system the number of victims decreased from 295 in 2006 to 120 in The instruments developed by the Government in partnership with IOM Moldova work. However, identification of potential victims is still a challenge. The victims are among us. They are invisible and helpless, either for fear of stigmatization or because they are not aware of the services that are available to them. This is why it is crucial that each and every person and, therefore, the entire society, know how they can help a victim and prevent a woman or a child or any one else from becoming a victim of trafficking in human beings. FEBRUARY 2018

17 Antibiotic resistant infections can affect anyone, regardless of age or country Flash mobs in Chisinau and Orhei, roundtable discussions at universities and medical colleges, intersectoral meetings and nationwide dissemination of outreach materials were some of the activities that marked the World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2017 in the Republic of Moldova. The medical community, public health specialists, pharmacists, students and representatives of the agricultural sector joined the global efforts to raise awareness about antibiotic resistance and prudent antibiotic use. #KeepAntibioticsWorking was one of the key messages of the World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2017, which emphasized that each of us has a role to keep antibiotics working. Taking antibiotics inappropriately speeds up the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistant infections are more complex and harder to treat and they can affect anyone, regardless of age or country. According to the results of a study conducted by the National Center for Public Health in the period of , about 10% of the total number of medicines used by Moldovans were antibiotics. The antibiotic resistance is also extremely relevant to the Moldovan context, because the country has a high prevalence of multidrug resistant tuberculosis, with one third of new cases and roughly 70% of retreatment cases being multidrug resistance tuberculosis. During the press conference dedicated to the World Antibiotic Awareness Week, Stela Grigoras, ex-minister of Health, Labour and Social Protection, emphasized that it is important to sell antibiotics only with a prescription and to follow doctor s advice and to increase control of how pharmacists keep the medical prescriptions for 30 days with indication of commercial name of drugs, and how they comply with the rules for antibiotics sales. Haris Hajrulahovic, WHO Representative to the Republic of Moldova, stressed that WHO will continue to support the health authorities in addressing and preventing multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. Globally, 480,000 people develop multi-drug resistant TB each year, and drug resistance is starting to complicate the fight against HIV and malaria, as well. The cost of health care for patients with resistant infections is higher than that for patients with non-resistant infections due to longer duration of illness, additional tests and use of more expensive drugs. In many places, antibiotics are overused and misused in people and animals, and often given without professional oversight. Today, it is estimated that in half of all cases, antibiotics are prescribed for conditions caused by viruses, where they do no good. Antibiotics are given as growth promoters in animals or used to prevent diseases in healthy animals. Following the overall objective to encourage prudent use of antibiotics in order to slow down antimicrobial resistance and preserve their effectiveness, public health specialists and medical students distributed among people hand disinfectants, promoting the message that infections can be prevented if we keep our hands, environment and personal things clean. Fighting antibiotic resistance is in our hands! #KeepAntibioticsWorking was one of the key messages of the flash-mob organized by Medical School students FEBRUARY 2018 UN Magazine 17

18 Ecaterina is learning English together with her mates Now I say: I will fight for my rights! see in you only what you choose to show and People what is visible disability, I guess, is a matter of perception and feeling. I am going to make others understand: It is not me, who has a disabilty it is the environment, which is not accessible to all, pointed Ecaterina Sochirca, intern at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Ecaterina is one of the 15 persons who have followed a six-month internship in UN Moldova within the Diversity Internships Program for the people most vulnerable to human rights violations, and therefore, underrepresented in the national and international labor market. A woman with visual disabilities from Transnistria region, Ecaterina faced discrimination and stigma when trying to find a job after the successful university and Master graduation in the field of international relations and political sciences. Ecaterina Sochirca is doing an internship with a project, the aim of which is to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities on both banks of the Nistru river. She is coping well with tasks related to communication, translations, administration and logistics within the project and the whole office. Ecaterina is a young and ambitious woman, who exactly sees where she wants to be, mentioned Xenia Siminciuc, OHCHR Program Coordinator. She, just like our other interns in different UN Agencies, is expected to become an agent of change in her community and this is meaningful. Various studies show that the higher the level of interaction between persons from vulnerable groups and the general population is, the easier and faster their acceptance will be. We will certainly continue to empower the persons that are the most vulnerable to human rights violations within the Diversity Internships Program and other joint projects, because people and only people are the key stone of our work in Moldova. Now I say: I will fight for my rights! This internship gave me the power to follow my dream of having a stable and interesting job. In the middle of October with the help of my supervisors I started to attend the Top English School of Today, where I am learning English. Yes, it s challenging to come from a small Transnistrian village to a quite big and inaccessible city, where the streets, buildings and public transport are not adjusted to meet the needs of people with disabilities, elderly people and parents with kids. However, these changes depend on the rights holders. I know for sure that I want to let others in my community know how to claim their rights and monitor their fulfillment, 18 UN Magazine said ECATERINA SOCHIRCA, intern at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) FEBRUARY 2018

19 Moldova reported to the UN on the status of the economic, social, and cultural rights In the perception of the Moldovan people, the economic and social rights, such as the right to work, the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, the right to a decent living, are the most frequently violated rights. The Moldovan government delegation has recently reported to the UN on the status of the economic, social, and cultural rights in the country. On the first day of the review, the Government representatives presented the national report and highlighted the progress in relation to the status of the economic and social rights, such as the development of policies to support employment; the pension system reform; the adoption of policies for protection of children without parental care, and poverty reduction by 20% as a result of the 2020 Strategy implementation. During the interactive dialogue with the Moldovan delegation, the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR) asked questions about the enforcement of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by the judiciary; the mandate of the Ombudsperson s Office to protect the economic and social rights; the implementation impact of the Human Rights Action Plan; the share of public expenses for the social field; the measures to eliminate the discrimination of Roma people, etc. CESCR interacted both with the civil society representatives and with the chair of the Council for Preventing and Eliminating Discrimination and Ensuring Equality. Therefore, it received first-hand information about the status of the economic, social, and cultural rights in the country. It was for the first time when a representative of the Women-Lawyers Platform, a Roma community mediator, and a representative of the Youth Group for Interethnic Solidarity were part of the civil society delegation, due to the support received from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). On the occasion of Moldova s review by CESCR, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) organised a live broadcast of the Geneva session in Chisinau. About 100 people attended the event, including authorities, people from vulnerable groups, professionals in various areas, civil society representatives, and engaged in discussions about the rights stipulated by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. According to the findings of the Perceptions of Human Rights in the Republic of Moldova study, every fifth person in Moldova considers that his/her right to healthcare is violated; every sixth mentions the right to work and social protection, while about one quarter of the population think that their right to a fair trial, to education, and to freedom of expression have been violated. Thus, the study shows that the most frequently violated rights in the recent years have been the social, economic, and cultural rights. Over 100 professionals from various areas are watching the Republic of Moldova being reviewed by UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Moldova ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and is, therefore, subject to a periodic review by CESCR, which monitors the implementation of the Covenant. Before the recent review Moldova was reviewed by CESCR in At that time, the Committee made a number of recommendations to the Republic of Moldova regarding the sexual minority groups, the persons with disabilities, the Roma population, and others. FEBRUARY 2018 UN Magazine 19

20 UN Programme Women in Politics Has Come to an End After this programme, I feel that my life has taken a turn for the better Launched in July 2014 to enhance women s voice and participation in the political life and in the decision making in Moldova, to develop women s capacities before, during and after elections and to increase the public awareness of the women s input in the development of the country, the UN Programme Women in Politics has come to a close. Here are the voices of some of the women whose lives have been changed by Programme`s interventions. Laura Bosnea, participant in the UN Programme Women in Politics I thought it would be difficult to run for local councillor, but with the support of the community where I served as a community mediator and the support received from the UN Programme Women in Politics it was much easier than I had expected, even if some members of political parties had publicly stated that politics is not a place for Roma women and that we, Roma women, must stay at home, take care of the children or sell clothes at the market, Alina Zotea, Moldovan MP In the 21st century a politician who is not using social media is not present in the people s lives. I have learned new techniques that have helped me organize social media campaigns and increase the impact of my posts about my daily work in the parliament. Since I have learned new things about the social media, my posts have become viral, said MP ALINA ZOTEA, who took part in a workshop organized by the Women in Politics Programme, aimed to build a stronger social media presence of the women members of parliament in Moldova. 20 UN Magazine confesses LAURA BOSNEA from Rascani town, who received Programme-supported training before the election campaign. Iulia Sirotiuc, editor for a Moldovan TV channel Due to the programme, we, the journalists, tried to ensure a balanced presence of women and men in our programs or talk-shows. We have tried to invite an equal number of women and men and, in the future, we plan to focus our programs and talk-shows on women, not just in terms of quantity, but also quality, states IULIA SIROTIUC, TV editor in Moldova, who took part in the media self-assessment programme for ensuring gender equality, which lasted 10 months. FEBRUARY 2018

21 After the training program, I feel that my life has taken a turn for the better. I realized how important selfconfidence and financial independence is for a woman with disabilities and not only. This program helped me overcome my fears. I started to believe in myself, to believe that I am able to start my own business. And I will succeed with good planning and the right knowledge. And I will become financially independent, claims OLGA BERDEU, a 50-years-old woman with disabilities from Chisinau, who participated in a program for enhancing the political and civic participation of women with disabilities in Moldova entitled We Have Abilities We Want Possibilities!. Olga Berdeu, participant in the UN Programme I had the opportunity to explore my leadership skills in terms of gender equality. I did exercises that helped me focus on empowering my skills, developed the management skills and learned about gender sensitive budgeting. When I was selected to conduct an orchestra, a choir and a rock band on the stage in front of more than one thousand people, I felt that it was an important turning point in my life. I have always had leadership skills, but these training sessions helped me to find them inside me, Aliona Chircu, mayor of Greblesti village says ALIONA CHIRCU, one of the youngest mayors in Moldova and the first woman mayor in the history of the Greblesti village, Straseni rayon. She attended several leadership and gender equality seminars held by the Women in Politics Programme. The United Nations Programme Women in Politics was a joint initiative of UN Women (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women) and UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), implemented from July 2014 to December 2017, in partnership with two non-governmental organizations East-European Foundation and Partnership for Development Centre, and financially supported by the Government of Sweden. FEBRUARY 2018 UN Magazine 21

22 Moldova joins forces to end violence against women and girls The Moldovan Parliament, Government, local public authorities, United Nations, non-governmental organizations, teachers and students, police officers, people from all across the country joined the international campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, which took place between November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and December 10, the Human Rights Day. Women and civil society call for immediate action to end gender-based violence The campaign kicked off on November 24 with a concert of solidarity with women survivors of violence. During the event, the United Nations in Moldova, in partnership with the National Coalition Life without Domestic Violence, launched a fundraising campaign for a survivor of violence in need. The event brought together over 500 representatives of the Government, Parliament, civil society organizations, development partners and people willing to support this cause. The building of the National Philharmonic was lit in orange, a colour which symbolizes a bright life, free from violence, for every woman and girl. During the public event You Are Not Alone United to End Violence against Women, which took place on November 28 in Chisinau, women survivors of violence and the civil society had an open dialogue with the government representatives about taking the necessary next steps to prevent and end violence against women and girls. They called for the adoption and funding of the National Strategy for Preventing and Combating Domestic Violence and its action plan and for the ratification of the Istanbul Convention. The authorities committed to adopt this strategy, and to create better services for the victims of violence. The event was organized by UN Women jointly with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection and the National Coalition Life without Domestic Violence. UN Women and the Embassy of Italy shared Recipes against Violence in an awareness-raising community event, on November 26 at the Helmut Wolf shelter in Ciuciuleni, Hancesti, during the days of the Italian cuisine. The public learned what they can do to prevent violence and tried the traditional dishes cooked by Italian chefs. At the Public Dialogue, Maria Scorodinschi, positive champion, shared her story of overcoming domestic violence 22 UN Magazine Recipes against Violence, Ciuciuleni, Hancesti FEBRUARY 2018

23 Youth got actively involved in this campaign. Over 90 children from Drochia district took part in drawing, poetry and essay contests entitled We Do Not Tolerate Violence and discussed with experts about how to build harmonious relationships, about non-violent communication and violence prevention. Stop indifference, stop violence, is a line from a poem written by IRINA from Drochia. This play meant a lot for me. It encourages us to do something to prevent and fight violence. As a future police officer, I will do my best to reduce it, said the eighteen-year old MARIA from Nisporeni. Over 200 young people from the towns of Hancesti and Drochia watched the Love Doesn t Hurt performance by MADE Theatre and UN Women, based on life stories of Positive Champions the women who overcame violence. Maria Scorodinschi told her own story of breaking this vicious cycle, followed by discussions about the causes of violence and how to prevent it, moderated by the National Coalition Life without Domestic Violence. The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign triggered a real movement in social media to call for ending violence against women and girls. This issue was broadly covered in mass media and addressed during meetings at different levels and events. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (2011), 63% of the Moldovan women have experienced at least one form of violence from their partners during their lives. The 16 Days of Activism campaign has been organized in Moldova for the last 17 years by the Government, local authorities, the United Nations and other international organizations, civil society and people from all over the country. This year more than 70 events and activities took place across the country. The purpose of the campaign is to increase awareness on preventing and ending violence against women and girls. Photos: UN Women/Ramin Mazur Over 200 young people watched the play Love Doesn t Hurt based on the stories of the Positive Champions, the women who have overcome violence 16 Days of Activism campaign started with a concert of solidarity with the women who became victims of violence FEBRUARY 2018 UN Magazine 23

24 Moldova Eco Energetica Gala awarded eco-energy champions For 7 consecutive years, the winners of the Moldova Eco Energetica contest have been awarded for Best Ideas, Technologies and Eco- Responsible Stories. Among the 35 projects competing in Moldova Eco Energetica 2017 were wind farms, kindergartens equipped with the most modern energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and private households that use only green energy. Moldova Eco Energetica took place for the first time in 2011 and since then it has been the most important instrument of changing the energy consumption pattern, focusing on energy efficiency, renewables and the sustainable development of our society. For the Government of the Republic of Moldova this commitment has become a national priority for the Agenda The impressive results achieved so far are a result of the fruitful cooperation with our development partners and local entrepreneurs. I am happy to be here to award the green energy champions that, with their enthusiasm and own example, help us to promote the eco-friendly technologies, said VITALIE IURCU, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure. 24 UN Magazine Fifth anniversary of Moldova Eco-Energetica Gala 12 finalists businesses, public institutions, NGOs were nominated as the winners of Moldova Eco-Energetica Gala. The applications were reviewed in three stages: panel assessment, field visits and the decision of the Coordination Council. The award ceremony of the best eco ideas, technologies and stories was the culmination of Moldova Eco-Energetica Days held from 6 to 8 December. During these days, independent experts from Moldova and abroad, government authorities, academics, representatives of the private sector discussed the achievements in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector, presented new investment programs in the green energy sector, and debated priorities for the upcoming years. Additionally, there was an exhibition of eco-friendly technologies. Moldova Eco-Energetica Days were initiated by Moldova Energy and Biomass Project, which is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme, and organized by the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure and Energy Efficiency Agency. The EU provides support to the energy sector in the Republic of Moldova in order to increase the level of energy security of the country and, at the same time, to offer cleaner and cheaper energy for the Moldovan citizens, for example by providing affordable renewable heating to kindergartens and schools, stated ANEIL SINGH, Head of Cooperation within European Union Delegation. Stefan Liller, Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme The Moldova Eco- Energetica Competition is an excellent platform to share and acknowledge the best achievements in advancing renewable energy projects and initiatives in the country. I am honored to award two great initiatives today, developed and advanced by some very bright and talented young people. I am deeply impressed by your knowledge of and passion for green energy, which also makes you responsible citizens of this country and our planet, said Stefan Liller, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative. FEBRUARY 2018

25 The winners of Moldova Eco-Energetica 2017: ECO-RESPONSIBLE STORIES Valeria Grosul, winner of Best Youth Initiative nomination Representatives of Irarom Grup, winners of Best Wind Power Project nomination Moldova Eco-Energetica Gala Best Photovoltaic and Geothermal Solar Energy Project: Gheorghe Cimbir, Chisinau Best Wind Energy Project: Irarom Grup Ltd Best Combined Systems Project: Kindergarten Povestea, Nisporeni Best Bioenergy Project: Kindergarten in Sestaci village, Soldanesti district Best Energy Efficiency Project: Buildings Sector: Association of Condo Owners ACC51/417 Public Sector: Kindergarten Doremici, Calarasi district Best Youth Initiative: Nicoleta Betivu, Valeria Grosul, Nicolae Spanu, Chiscareni village, Sangerei district Best Education Initiative: Nicoreni school, Drochia district Best Communication Initiative: Termoelectrica SA ECO-RESPONSIBLE TECHNOLOGIES Orange Moldova ECO-RESPONSIBLE IDEAS Gheorghe Olaru, Chisinau PUBLIC VOTE Nicoleta Betivu, Valeria Grosul, Nicolae Spanu, Chiscareni village, Sangerei district Moldova Eco Energetica awards the best ecoresponsible ideas, technologies and stories The partners of Moldova Eco-Energetica 2017 are the Energy Efficiency Fund, the Moldovan Business Association, Moldova Investment and Export Promotion Organization, United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Start Up Energy Transition. FEBRUARY 2018 UN Magazine 25

26 Cervical cancer will be prevented in Moldova through organized screening programs A new project for the prevention of cervical cancer among women and girls has been launched in the Republic of Moldova. The project aims to fight cervical cancer in the period of Cervical cancer is a serious public health issue in the country. Every day one woman is diagnosed with cervical cancer and every three days one dies because of it. Over the past five years, more than 1,500 women have been diagnosed with this disease and more than 1,000 have lost their lives. According to scientific evidence, almost all cases could be prevented through well-organized cervical screening programs and vaccination against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) at the adolescence age. An organized program means that all the women who are eligible for screening will benefit from these prevention services as there is a system in place for recruiting women, monitoring visits, tracking further developments and ensuring high quality of services at all levels. The organized cervical screening program is at an early stage in the Republic of Moldova. Most of the time the screening is done occasionally, when women are screened at their own request or while attending a doctor for other reasons. This, however, does not guarantee that all women aged years are subject to screening every third year, as recommended, leading to an increased incidence of cervical cancer. Launch of the Prevention of Cervical Cancer project in Moldova Among the core activities of the project are capacity building of health specialists, including of family doctors, fitting out three cytology laboratories with advanced medical equipment, introduction of the cervical screening module in university and college curricula, centralized monitoring and record keeping of identified cancer cases. In addition, an outreach campaign targeting women and girls will be conducted, along with a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Study, which will identify the barriers to performing the cervical screening tests and the solutions to overcome them. As a result of the project, over 760,000 women aged years are expected to benefit from cervical screening services. The cervical cancer incidence is expected to decrease by 20% and the cervical cancer mortality - by 5% by Prevention of Cervical Cancer in the Republic of Moldova is a joint project supported by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Swiss Agency for Development and cooperation (SDC), the International Association for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer and the World Health Organization, which aims to reduce cervical cancer incidence and mortality. Rita Columbia, UNFPA Representative in Moldova The countries that have implemented such programmes at national level have a much lower cervical cancer rate. In the United Kingdom, for instance, the organized cervical screening program launched in 1988 saved the lives of more than 4,500 women every year. Finland has currently one of the lowest rate of cervical cancer worldwide, said RITA COLUMBIA, UNFPA Representative mentioned during the launching event. 26 UN Magazine Otilia, 33 years old, succeeded to prevent cancer thanks to timely cervical screening FEBRUARY 2018

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28 4 FEBRUARY World Cancer Day 11 FEBRUARY International Day of Women and Girls in Science 20 FEBRUARY World Day of Social Justice 1 MARCH Zero Discrimination Day 21 MARCH International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 21 MARCH World Down Syndrome Day 22 MARCH World Water Day 24 MARCH World Day to Combat Tuberculosis 6 APRIL International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 28 APRIL read online World Day for Safety and Health at Work 28 UN Magazine FEBRUARY 2018