Entrepreneurship training, mentoring for survivors of violence in Moldova; 20 women to receive vouchers to start business

One hundred survivors of violence from five regions of Moldova – the municipality of Chisinau, the districts of Rascani, Ungheni and Drochia, and the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia – will benefit from mentoring and entrepreneurship training sessions. Thus, 20 of them will be able to develop an idea for an income-generating activity through a voucher programme providing 40,000 lei each, thanks to a new economic empowerment project.

The initiative was launched during an event that brought together representatives of public authorities, social and employment services, civil society organizations and development partners, in order to discuss the integration of economic empowerment into the coordinated response to violence against women.

“Violence affects not only women’s safety, but also their ability to build an independent future. We want to support them in developing their professional skills, accessing employment opportunities or initiating an income-generating activity. Financial independence can help them escape abusive situations and rebuild their lives safely, for themselves and their children,” said Felicia Bechtoldt, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.

The project aims to provide women affected by violence with access to support for developing personal skills and self-confidence, professional and entrepreneurial competencies, as well as income-generating opportunities. The intervention will place particular emphasis on women facing multiple vulnerabilities, especially those residing in placement centers.

“Economic empowerment is an important priority of UN Women’s mandate, as it is essential for the long-term safety of women who have survived violence, beyond intervention and protection measures. Through this project, we aim to offer dozens of survivors of violence a chance for a new beginning, while also strengthening the capacities of frontline professionals, so that economic empowerment becomes a natural component of the support provided to women in vulnerable situations,” said Svetlana Andries, Deputy Country Representative of UN Women Moldova.

The participants in the roundtable discussed the results and lessons learned during the pilot phase, ways to strengthen cooperation between social and employment services, as well as the solutions needed to ensure the continuity and expansion of economic empowerment programmes.

The dialogue provided a platform for identifying institutional responsibilities and referral mechanisms through which women survivors of violence can receive coordinated support tailored to their circumstances and available at the local level.

The project, Strengthening the Economic Autonomy and Resilience of Survivors of Violence in Five Districts of Moldova, is implemented by the Labour and Social Protection Ministry, in partnership with the Women’s Law Centre, the National Employment Agency and UN Women, with financial support from Sweden.