OSCE Campaign for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence 2019: End the Silence
CHISINAU, 25 November 2019 - On the occasion of the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign, the OSCE will launch the campaign "End the Silence" in the Republic of Moldova and across South-Eastern and Eastern Europe. Its aim is to raise awareness about gender-based violence, in particular the issue of violence against women and girls. Gender-based violence concerns all of society, and governments have a responsibility to prevent and combat it.
On 25 November, the start of the 16 Days of Activism, we will launch a social media campaign that can be followed on the OSCE Mission to Moldova’s Twitter https://twitter.com/OSCEMoldova and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OSCEMoldova/ accounts as well as on the OSCE's Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/osceorg. In December, we will deliver posters to police stations across the country to raise awareness of violence against women and the role of police in combating it.
The campaign is based on the results of the OSCE-led Survey on the Well-being and Safety of Women, which was conducted in 2018 in seven OSCE participating States: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine. The research was also conducted in Kosovo. Over 1,800 women in Moldova took part in the survey.Violence against women and girls (VAWG) affects women and girls throughout all areas of the Republic of Moldova, regardless of income or origin. Women who experience violence rarely contact the police. Only 11% of women reported the most serious incident of current partner violence to the police. And although some women know the names of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in the field of violence against women, they rarely seek help from them. Similarly, almost half of the victims did not talk to anyone about the worst case of sexual harassment. Those who spoke about their experience chose to speak to a family member or a friend rather than to a specialized service or organization.
There are a number of obstacles that prevent women from contacting the police, including shame, fear, distrust in institutions, as well as lack of long-term and practical support, such as housing assistance and financial support. They may also consider the incident as too minor, fear the aggressor or wish to keep the incident a secret. „The OSCE as a whole has strong commitments on combating gender-based violence, which is considered both a threat to individuals and a broad security concern. The OSCE Mission to Moldova facilitates the exchange of good practices between both banks of the Dniester/Nistru river as a confidence building measure and as a way to build more secure, resilient and tolerant communities,” said Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Claus Neukirch.
Violence against women and girls is a result of gender inequality, which is based on harmful existing norms and attitudes. Contrary to social stereotypes, violence against women is not a private matter.
We all can and need to support and encourage women to report any cases of violence and get the help they need. In the Republic of Moldova, a support hotline is available at: 0 8008 8008