Parliament adopted, in its final reading, the draft law for the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women. The decision was made during the session on October 14.
By ratifying the Convention, the authorities of the Republic of Moldova commit to appropriately penalizing violence against women, allocating resources to ensure the functionality of crisis centers for victims of violence, providing emergency hotlines available 24/7, shelters for victims of violence, psychological and legal counseling services, as well as other measures.
The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence represents the first European instrument that addresses the issue of violence against women and domestic violence in a comprehensive manner. Its ratification will bring the Republic of Moldova closer to the goal of eliminating violence against women and domestic violence and achieving zero tolerance for this phenomenon.
Each public authority will analyze, assess, and plan the necessary resources to ensure the implementation of the Convention. It is worth noting that even before the ratification of this Convention, the Republic of Moldova had the obligation to ensure the protection of victims of crimes, and various measures have already been implemented at the national level for all forms of violence covered by the Convention.
The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence was adopted on May 11, 2011. To date, it has been ratified by 35 member states of the Council of Europe, with the Republic of Moldova becoming the 35th member state to ratify this document. The Convention was signed by the Republic of Moldova on February 6, 2017.
