Weak economic empowerment of women is a real obstacle to Moldova’s GDP growth

The state, the business sector and international organisations want to join forces to create opportunities for women’s economic empowerment. Ways and solutions were discussed within the Working Group “Women’s Economic Empowerment and Gender Equality” of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, during a meeting organised jointly with the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitisation (MDED).

At the very beginning of the meeting Veronica Arpintin, Secretary of State of MDED, stated that adequate empowerment of women in Moldova can and must contribute to GDP growth, and that to boost this process a synergy is needed from all actors implementing practical solutions in this regard.

Marina Morozova, Member of the Moldovan Parliament, said that the “Women in Business” programme is an effective tool for expanding economic opportunities for women. In the new version, the programme contains a number of applicable solutions that can help women entrepreneurs.

The President of the Board of Directors of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Moldova (AFAM), Carolina Bugaian, among the actions listed, referred to AFAM’s intention to initiate a project to promote entrepreneurship in schools, especially in rural areas. AFAM members, successful entrepreneurs will go as mentors to four pilot districts and talk to teenagers about starting a business and being financially independent, said Carolina Bugaian.

Tatiana Udrea, programme coordinator at UN Women Moldova, said that according to statistics, about 70% of students at economic colleges are girls. But after graduation, only a third of them remain in the real economy for various reasons, but most often due to insufficient early childcare services. It is therefore essential to promote the opening of crèches, she said.

At the meeting experts of the Economic Council Secretariat, said that the Roadmap for Women’s Economic Empowerment, developed within the framework of the platform, will be completed following this meeting. Thus, between July and August 2023, a mapping of available assistance and priorities of all actors in the process of women’s economic empowerment will be made and included in the Roadmap.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund, and the International Finance Corporation’s Investment Climate Reform Project funded by the Government of Sweden’s International Development Agency.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund.