IN UN MOLDOVA MOLDOVAN AND SWEDISH DADS July 2018, #7 WHY ADOLESCENTS NEED “HEALTH EDUCATION” IN SCHOOLS? page 8 MOLDOVA WORKS TO ENSURE ALL FOOD IS SAFE page 27 GREEN CITY LAB: INNOVATIONS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHISINAU page 30 Photo: Mihail Turculet/Embassy of Sweden in Chisinau Summary The Roma children from Vulcanesti Foreword by UN Resident Coordinator village, Nisporeni attend school due to 3 a UNICEF project 19 Work-life balance can be achieved Promoting women in defence sector is through investments in childcare a proof of a mature democracy services 4 20 New initiative in Moldova: UNFPA Highly skilled Moldovan migrants help promotes reproductive health and develop Moldovan society rights in vocational education 6 22 Acknowledging the valuable work of Why adolescents need “Health health professionals at the 2018 Health Education” in schools? 8 Gala in the Republic of Moldova 23 A friendly football match together with Migration – an opportunity to develop and for the people living with HIV 10 Moldova through joint efforts 24 The community of human rights Better conditions for the travellers journalists is expanding and becoming and drivers crossing Palanca more influential 11 checkpoint 26 Moldova works to ensure all food is Moldovan and Swedish Dads 12 safe 27 Green City Lab: innovations and When work becomes home: child care urban development opportunities for room at the UN House 14 Chisinau 30 100 children and dads participated in a Moldovan students challenge sports event on Father’s Day 16 stereotypes and gender roles 32 Early Moments Matter: UNICEF photo SUN Da-I Fest brought together green exhibition featuring fathers and their technology and good music in the newborns 18 heart of Chisinau 33 Magazine: UN in Moldova The articles in this magazine do not necessarily reflect The United Nations in Moldova the official views or policies of the United Nations or any of its Agencies. Articles may be freely July 2018 Magazine Nr. 7 reproduced for non commercial purposes, provided the source is acknowledged. "The UN in Moldova" is a quarterly magazine published by the United Nations in Moldova, Cover: UN Moldova / Circulation: 100 copies 131, 31 August 1989 St., Chisinau, MD 2012, Moldova, tel.: (373-22) 22 00 45, fax: (373-22) 22 00 41; If you want to receive a printed copy, www.un.md, www.magazine.un.md write a message to [email protected] Photo: Igor Schimbator / UN Moldova Dear readers, he United Nations in Moldova is currently implement- Participation of diverse groups has been encouraged ing the United Nations Partnership Framework for throughout the entire process, using both online and TSustainable Development 2018-2022, an ambitious offline means. For example, ten working groups, includ- five-year agreement with the Government of the Republic ing representatives of the government, development of Moldova aimed at bringing significant positive change partners, civil society, private sector, and academia have in the lives of all people in the country, especially the most been established to work on the strategy, and all their vulnerable and disadvantaged. The agreement is fully meetings have been broadcast online. The process is aligned with the national priorities and the Sustainable now nearing completion, and the new National Devel- Development Goals and focuses on four main areas: i) opment Strategy “Moldova 2030” is expected to be fi- governance, human rights, and gender equality, ii) sustain- nalized soon. able, inclusive, and equitable economic growth, iii) environ- mental sustainability and resilience, and iv) inclusive and s an organization, we have recently embarked equitable social development. Although only half a year on a comprehensive reform that will bring has passed since the launch of this new phase in the Unit- Achanges to the leadership structure, account- ed Nations work in Moldova, we are already delivering on ability mechanisms, and the capacities of the entire our commitments and making progress towards achieving United Nations development system. More specifically, our goals by capitalizing on our previous efforts, building the reform will reshape and strengthen the role of Resi- new partnerships and exploring innovative solutions to the dent Coordinators, the highest-ranking United Nations many development challenges that the country is facing. development officials at the country level, allowing them to foster better collaboration between different Over the recent months, we continued to United Nations entities working locally. The result will support the Government in the process of be an effective and efficient organization that is more elaboration of the new National Develop- responsive to the development needs of the country. ment Strategy “Moldova 2030” – the main At its core, the reform is about improving the lives of strategic planning document of the coun- people, and the changes that it entails will enhance our " try. We mobilized financial resources, har- capacity to deliver on our promise of advancing the nessed top-level knowledge, and built part- Sustainable Development Goals for everyone, every- nerships to support the design of a strategy where, leaving no one behind. that is fully aligned with people’s aspirations, national priorities and the Agenda 2030, Ultimately, our success is the success of every child, which means a strategy that promotes the woman, and man whose life is touched in a meaningful achievement of the Sustainable Develop- way by our efforts. I, therefore, invite you to discover ment Goals for all segments of society, with some of their success stories as well as learn about a a focus on the most vulnerable. selection of our projects and initiatives in the pages of this issue of the United Nations Magazine. DAFINA GERCHEVA UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Moldova JULY 2018 UN Magazine | 3 Work-life balance can be achieved through investments in childcare services Natalia Covrig, Partnership for Development Centre. The public authorities are responsible for " providing nurseries. The access to these services has a positive impact on the employment rate Representatives of public and private sectors, civil society and development partners of mothers with small discussing about work - life balance. children, while more women on the labour n 2017, about 200 thousand wom- that implemented successful social market means more en were kept away from the labour policies in this field were discussed businesses and, last Imarket by their family responsibil- and reviewed by MPs, representatives ities, about 200 the number of men of the public and private sectors, civil but not least, economic who gave up their career to do un- society and development partners at growth. Estimates show paid household work barely exceeded a roundtable marking the International that GDP will increase by 5,000, official data reveal. Stereotypes, Family Day. The event was organized 6.37%-7.05% when the discriminatory social norms and prac- with the support of the United Nations employment rates of men tices lead to gender inequalities and and the Government of Sweden. and women are equalized. bring about for Moldova losses of up An efficient policy for the reconcili- to 10% of its potential achievements. ation of work and family life has three Moldova is one of the most Proposals for strategies to recon- pillars: public authorities, fathers and unequal countries in terms cile work and family life, inspired from employers, believes Natalia Covrig, of childcare leave period, the positive experience of countries Partnership for Development Centre. and the introduction of a ”quota for fathers” will To achieve this objective, increase the number of we have to make the fathers receiving parental " education and early child leave. In Island, for care services, as well as instance, the childcare the preschool education, leave lasts 39 weeks, 13 of accessible to all the which are designated for families,” fathers, 13 – for mothers, and the remaining 13 can said DAFINA GERCHEVA, be shared as parents UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP decide,” Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Permanent Representative for says NATALIA COVRIG, Partnership Representative. Moldova, during the event. for Development Centre. 4 | UN Magazine JULY 2018 A noteworthy example is Turkey, which implemented gender-sensitive HR policies in " the private sector. They delivered training for employees on gender equality, awarded the companies that employed most women compared to the previous year. While some of the companies sell franchises to women only in order to support the female entrepreneurs, others provide free of charge childcare services to improve work efficiency,” says MEHTAP TATAR, Programme Specialist, UN Women, Mehtap Tatar, Programme Specialist, Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. UN Women. Eduard Mihalas, Programme Analyst on Population and Development, UNFPA Moldova. This is due to the sound investments in the devel- " opment of the childcare sector and to a very flexi- Exploring the positive experience of countries successfully implementing social work- ble work schedule that is life reconciliation policies. motivating for women and men. These policies have Eduard Mihalas, Programme Ana- ties of Agenda 2030 is to ensure a bal- to be interrelated, because lyst on Population and Development, ance between work and family life. if you have a flexible work UNFPA Moldova, gave the example of Moldova has made progress in the France and Sweden as having fami- implementation of social policies for schedule, but no nursery ly-friendly policies and both a high fer- reconciliation of family life with work for your child, these poli- tility rate and a high employment rate by approving the Strategy for ensur- cies will be inefficient,” of women. ing equality between women and men, granting the right to take care of chil- claims EDUARD MIHALAS, tatistics show that women do 4 dren and to paternal leave to all the Programme Analyst on Population times more unpaid care work than categories of employees, including the and Development, UNFPA Moldova.