The purpose of the conference is to reiterate the importance of the family institution and the necessity of a multidimensional approach to it, including from social and educational perspectives, in order to ensure the well-being of family members, especially in the context of climate change.
The event brought together over 150 participants both in person and online, including students, doctoral candidates, educators, civil society activists, and representatives of authorities from Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, and Israel.
During the conference, several topics of interest were discussed, such as the gender dimension of climate change, its social impact on women and vulnerable groups in Moldova, the effects of climate change on families, realistic solutions for managing these changes in every household, and recommendations for providing support to families in crisis situations.
State Secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Felicia Bechtoldt, emphasized the importance of cohesion within families and the need for increased collaboration to tackle the challenges posed by climate change and beyond.
“The family is where we learn about the importance of family, values, love, equality, respect, sharing household responsibilities, combating forms of violence, and caring for the environment. Every action we take to protect our planet contributes to ensuring a better future for our children. Together with national and international partners, we must take on the development of projects that support families in transitioning to a greener and more sustainable future,” stated the state secretary.
Felicia Bechtoldt also referred to the measures taken to support families under the ministry's mandate, which include:
- Providing energy compensation during the winter season 2023-2024 (November-March) through the “Help at the Meter” program;
- Employees can benefit from flexible working arrangements through the introduction of new options;
- Both fathers and mothers will be able to take turns sharing parental leave;
- For the first time, paid leave will be offered to parents who wish to adopt children;
- The possibility to request paternity leave of 15 days is now available not only in the first 56 days after the child's birth but also within 12 months of birth;
- Development of the regulatory framework for alternative childcare services, which establishes services for the care of children up to 3 years old—organized by the employer at the workplace, individualized childcare services, or family-type childcare services;
- Starting this year, the one-time birth allowance amounts to 20,000 lei and is granted to the mother without the need for her to submit an application; the same procedure applies for accessing the monthly allowance for childcare until the child reaches the age of 2;
- Women who work during maternity leave can retain both their salary and maternity allowance, and the maternity allowance can be automatically calculated from the income of the spouse with the higher salary;
- At the local level, the position of specialist in the prevention and combating of domestic violence and rehabilitation of crime victims has been established, starting this year, as part of the “Restart” social assistance reform. Additionally, several initiatives are being implemented in the context of preventing violence and ensuring a healthy and violence-free family environment.
“The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection is constantly in the process of identifying new ways to support families, recognizing that families are the most important unit of society,” concluded State Secretary Felicia Bechtoldt.
The event was organized in collaboration with the State University of Moldova, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Embassy of Sweden, UN Women, UNESCO, the Gender Equality Platform, and the Gender Center.
Source: Ministry of Labor and Social Protection
