The Perspective of Women in Rural Areas on Both Banks of the Nistru River
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Perspective of Women in Rural Areas on both Banks of the Nistru River Sociological study Institute for Public Policy Chisinau, 2019 The study has been developed under the aegis of the Institute of Public Policy, in partnership with the Organization “Новый Век” (Tiraspol), with the financial support of the British Embassy in Chisinau through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund. Authors: Aliona Cristei, Master, Researcher, Institute for Public Policy, Daniela Terzi-Barbarosie, Psychologist, Psychological Centre “SINESIS”, Elena Bobcova, Ph. D., Executive Director, Independent Analytical and Research Centre “Новый Век” This report is focused on the rights of women, as part of human rights aspects only. Its terminology and language imply no political position. The territory of Transnistria is not recognized as an indepen- dent state by the international community, the unanimous position is that it is part of the Republic of Moldova. The Experts have accordingly referred to the decision makers in this territory as de facto authorities. The use in this report of such terms as ‘Constitution’, ‘Law’, or any other term used to clarify the rights of women does not indicate any de jure recognition of these regulatory acts, de facto au- thorities or institutions. These terms are used exclusively for the convenience of the reader and to pro- vide the most precise identification possible of specific documents, de facto authorities, office-holders and institutions. The names of places and other typographical terms differ between the languages in the territory. The report uses the terms the Experts understood as the most common in the area. In some instances, the Experts have used the terms “left bank” and “right bank” to indicate the territory controlled by the de facto Transnistrian authorities and the Government of the Republic of Moldova, respectively. In other instances, the Experts used the term “Transnistria” to refer to the territory con- trolled by the de facto Transnistrian authorities. This use follows the pattern established by the latest Protocols signed between the Chisinau and Tiraspol authorities, and does not imply recognition of the independence of the territory. The views expressed in this report are solely those of the authors, based on the independent human rights assessment they were engaged to undertake, and do not necessarily reflect the official position(s) of the British Embassy in Chisinau. The authors sincerely thank all the respondents who participated in the in-depth interviews, group discussions and talks carried out in the framework of the research. CONTENTS Contents ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 List of abbreviations ................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Argument .................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Executive summary ................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................................. 9 I.The legal and regulatory framework with regard to gender equality .............................................................. 11 1.1. Legal, regulatory and policy news ........................................................................................................................... 11 1.2. Initiatives of development partners and civil society on both sides of the Nistru River ...................... 15 II.The quality of life of rural women from both banks of the Nistru River .......................................................... 20 2.1. Perceptions on the quality of life .............................................................................................................................. 20 2.2. Social Problems ............................................................................................................................................................... 24 2.3. Living conditions and access to basic services .................................................................................................... 28 III. Studies and the level of education of women in rural areas on both sides of the Nistru River ............ 33 3.1. Level of studies ................................................................................................................................................................ 33 3.2. Perceptions on the importance of the studies .................................................................................................... 34 3.3. Sources of information ................................................................................................................................................. 36 IV.Women’s employment in rural areas on both sides of the Nistru River ........................................................ 40 4.1. Professional activity and employment prospects .............................................................................................. 40 4.2. The income of women .................................................................................................................................................. 43 4.3. Perceptions and risks concerning employment ................................................................................................ 46 4.4. Barriers to women’s empowerment ........................................................................................................................ 49 4.5. Forms of civic and political participation .............................................................................................................. 52 Case study: Woman leader of the ethnic minority community ............................................................................. 55 Case study: Woman leader in the LPA ............................................................................................................................. 67 V.Women’s health in rural areas on both sides of the Nistru River ....................................................................... 63 5.1. Access to health services ............................................................................................................................................. 63 5.2. Practice of addressing to the doctor ....................................................................................................................... 65 VI.Family relations in rural areas on both sides on the Nistru River ..................................................................... 68 6.1. The distribution of roles in the family ......................................................................................................................68 6.2. Violence against women.............................................................................................................................................. 74 VII.Knowledge and attitudes about the unsettled Transnistrian conflict .......................................................... 76 7.1. The perceptions of women regarding the unsettled Transnistrian conflict .............................................. 76 7.2. Practices of communication between the communities on both sides of the Nistru River ................ 81 General findings ..................................................................................................................................................................... 83 The quality of life of rural women from both banks of the Nistru River ............................................................. 83 The studies and the level of education of women in rural areas on both sides of the Nistru River ......... 83 Employment of rural women on both sides of the Nistru River ............................................................................ 84 The health of women in rural areas on both sides of the Nistru River ................................................................ 86 Family relations in rural areas on both sides of the Nistru River ........................................................................... 86 Violence against women ..................................................................................................................................................... 87 Knowledge and attitudes about the unsettled Transnistrian conflict ................................................................ 87 Recommendations and possible entry points ............................................................................................................. 88 For Central Public Authorities ............................................................................................................................................ 88 For the Local Public Administration on both banks of the Nistru River ............................................................. 88 For the civil society on both banks of the Nistru River ............................................................................................