WITH SUPPORT OF EUROPEAN UNION, FORUM ON COMBATING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN HELD IN CHISINAU FOR FOURTH TIME

With the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe, a forum dedicated to combating violence against women was held in Chisinau for the fourth time. The forum, promoted by the national coalition “Life without Violence”, discussed such phenomena as digital violence, femicide, social shame associated with violence and the importance of professional risk assessment in preventing violence.

Activist Anna Tcacenco stated that “the international conference on preventing and combating violence against women is a unique and safe space to discuss violence in all its forms and manifestations.”

Veronika Teleuca, coordinator of the Life Without Violence Coalition, believes that “this year we rediscovered the power of women’s communities who have stood up for their rights and made themselves heard at protests, on the streets or online.”

She believes it is important “to be together to realize, both for us and for the partners, that we all have one common mission: to improve the lives of our girls and women.”

The Life Without Violence Coalition is a national network of 22 organizations providing specialized services to women and children affected by violence. It supports the development of member organizations, provides funding for organizers and activists, and contributes to legislation and public policy.

One of the key topics discussed at the forum was risk assessment in cases of domestic violence.

Eimear Dunlop, Vice President of GREVIO (Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence), emphasized the importance of this aspect.

“Risk assessment is a mandatory requirement of the Istanbul Convention and a key mechanism for institutional states to fulfill their obligations to prevent and protect people from human rights violations by private individuals,” she said.

The head of the agency for preventing and combating violence against women and family violence, Viorica Timbalar, emphasized the importance of coordination at the local and central levels.

“Coordination is the biggest challenge. When there is a case of violence in a locality, it is much easier to solve the problem if a police officer, a mayor, a doctor and a social worker sit at the same table to find the best solution for that woman,” she said.

The forum was supported by Oak Foundation, RoAid, Urgent Assistance Foundation, Austrian Embassy in Moldova and UNICEF Moldova.