UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund made an assessment aiming to determine the conditions and perspectives for setting up in the Republic of Moldova of the Center for Demographic Studies. The assessment mission was carried out by Tomas Kucera, professor at the Department of Demography and Geodemography of Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic). During one week, the expert in demography had met the representative of academic and state institutions as well as the representatives of international organisations working in the Republic of Moldova.At the same time, on 23 April 2013 was organised a special sitting of the National Commission on Population and Development to discuss the bringing up to date the ICPD beyond 2014 agenda for the Republic of Moldova and the setting up of a national ICPD group. During the sitting, Tomas Kucera spoke about the situation of the Republic of Moldova in the regional demographic context and about the results of his assessment mission on setting up the Center for Demographic Studies, providing a number of recommendations.

UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund, in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family, with the support of Orange Foundation has implemented the project "Economic Empowerment of vulnerable women in Moldova" which had the goal to support vulnerable women - victims and potential victims of domestic violence in Moldova. Thanks to the Project 1066 women were helped to gain new knowledge and skills to ensure their financial independence.

Rodica S., aged 35, endured beatings from her cohabitant, because she feared that she would not afford to raise the children by herself. With children, she could not be employed and she depended entirely on him. When she decided to leave home with the children she received aid at the Maternal Center in the district, where she knew about the Project "Economic empowerment of vulnerable women in Moldova" and has attended numerous training courses offered under the project. Since her childhood she dreamt to become a seamstress. After finishing the training she developed a business plan - opening a tailor shop in the village. Under the project she received a sewing machine, cloth, thread. "I sew bed linen made from purchased cloth and sell it at the market. I already pay utilities and stored some wood for the winter. I gain daily about 100-150 lei and I can buy food and hygiene items, I can please my children buying them something tasty. I am calm and confident".

The village Ignăţei,  from the district Rezina is one of those 30 key communities of the project “Protection and Empowerment of Victims of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence in Moldova” , financed by the Government of Japan through the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security.  The results of the first monitoring visit to the local projects for development of social services for domestic violence victims and perpetrators, undertaken by the representatives of the UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family, prove the key role of the local multidisciplinary specialists - the social assistant, medical worker/ doctor and policeman - in solving the cases of domestic violence.

 An old village

Gathered at the Mayor’s office, the specialists of the multidisciplinary team, headed by the mayor of the locality Ion Balan, seem to be nervous because of the guests trying to tell in detail the situation from the village Ignăţei.  Located 30 km away from the district center Rezina, we find out that it is a village like many others from Moldova- with people who left abroad, children left with no parents, youth, who left for abroad and don’t seem to will coming back. “Since the beginning of the year nine persons died, and no baby was born. I am scared when I think of the way the village ages”, says a woman who recalls that 20 years ago “Ignăţei was inhabited by 3500 people and at present it has 2500 inhabitants only”. Another woman states with sadness that “new houses are not being built in Ignatei, and given the lack of jobs and occupations, people start drinking, and many disputes and cases of family violence appear”.

Story of a woman respected in the community, but humbled at home

It was during the training seminar on domestic violence prevention and combating, conducted within ‘Protection and Empowerment of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence Victims in Moldova’ project, when Raisa M., 48, decided to approach one of the specialists and recount her story.  It is a sad, yet touching, story about an intelligent woman with a liable position in the village, who has long helped domestic violence victims to fight this phenomenon, but who had no courage to do the same herself.

Raisa’s first marriage did not work well. Her husband was jealous of her success and left her going abroad and abandoning their two daughters with no support or financial help. Over two years after leaving her husband, she decided to retune her life. While being at the sanatorium, she met Vasile, “a handsome prince to face, but rotten at heart”, as she would later realize. “He was a nice looking and friendly man, who made gifts, brought flowers, managed to convince me he was the best on earth. He told he was in the process of divorce and he did not have luck in life. I believed and accepted him.”