3017th Meeting, 93rd Session, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Human Rights Treaty Bodies Date: 9 October 2026 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/cedaw/3017 Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [15:42]: Thank you. I would like to address the questions that were given, specifically on what concrete actions is the state taking to address equality in ethnicity, disability and location. For us, it's very important that the information and the access to services is being provided to our communities. And we're doing that through the social assistance departments. In each village, we have a social assistant. And we also have mobile teams that are providing the social services, but also the information necessary specifically for the population that is at risk. We also provide information also through the paralegals, through the information that is on the websites of the government institutions, through community mediators, also on the pages of the the courts, we are trying to make the information accessible, including for people with disabilities. Government institutions are also having their websites that are accessible for people with disabilities, and we're making other actions in order to make sure that the information is accessible. For us, accessibility is not just about, you know, ramps and physical accessibility in the buildings. For us, it's important to have the staff that is trained to provide excellent services to people with various needs. We also have the employment mobile teams of the National Employment Agency in order to make sure that the people have access to information on employment, have access to the programs that the National Employment Agency is offering. I want to touch base on on specifically the access to services to victims of domestic violence. In 2024, the network of shelters for victims of domestic violence included nine shelters with about 178 places. Right now, we are expanding our network. and we are having 11 shelters with a goal to extend with additional three shelters. Right now, the number of places that we have is 260, and our goal is to attain 290 places, which is above the Istanbul Convention's standard. All of the services that we are providing And the ones that we are creating will be financed by the state budget and also by the European Union growth plan. We've also, in order to improve the services, we've also extended the standard placement period from three to six months. in the shelters for GBV victims, with the possibility of extension for up to 12 months, allowing victims and survivors to find employment, acquire professional skills, and subsequently reintegrate in the community. Now, I want to address the question about sexual harassment. As part of our government policies, We are implementing regulations on workplace harassment prevention. CEDAW · Chair [20:08]: Excuse me. Maybe sexual harassment can be taken with employment more in detail later, but if it's in the workplace that you're talking about in particular. Thank you. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [20:19]: I want to address right now the The question on the encouraging women to participate in the political life. The rules are similar for women and men in terms of running for office, and they align with the Venice Commission standards of good practice. Moreover, to run as an independent candidate, a woman can register her candidacy with half the number of supporter. Signatures required for a male candidate. And also, political parties are required to spend 20% of their state allocation on political events for involving women in politics. And if they do not respect this provision, they are having fines of suspension of the allocation of these resources. I also want to address a question about how we are promoting the participation of women from underrepresented groups in decision making, particularly at the local level. In fact, this is one of the objective of our national program on advancing gender equality. And under this program, we are working together with development partners, with civil society that are supporting women from underrepresented groups in local communities through advocacy initiatives and training. These activities help women build the knowledge and skills. They need to engage effectively in local decision making processes and are contributing to in changing of the policies. On Article 9, regarding the question on disaggregated data, right now, we're having a population register that contains all the information provided by different institutions, you know, births from the medical hospitals, marriages and any other type of civil status changes from the agency for the public services. And this population register basically contains multiple information from different agencies, including from the General Inspectorate for Migration and. This data can be disaggregated by sex, rural or urban residence, ethnicity, allowing us to identify potential inequalities. Further analysis of this data is planned in order to answer the question whether we see inequality. The National Bureau of Statistics plays an important role in systemizing this data. While all the relevant public authorities are responsible for interpreting the findings and taking measures to eliminate barriers to access, including barriers related to the registration of births, marriages and citizenship. In 2027, the Public Services Agency plans to review its citizenship data. System to ensure that it incorporates appropriate data desegregation. Now, on your question on nationality, Moldova has a mechanism to identify and prevent statelessness. The procedure for recognizing stateless person status is free of charge and can be initiated either upon request or by the authorities themselves. We are currently working on the regulatory amendments to systematically identify the risk of statelessness, improve information sharing between authorities and remove financial barriers. The proposed measures include an 85% reduction in certain citizenship related fees and free procedures for specific vulnerable groups. Children born in the Republic of Moldova to stateless parents acquire Moldovan citizenship by birth. Regarding disaggregated data, the availability of information on citizenship applications refusals and delays needs to be confirmed by the competent authorities. Our priority is to ensure that no child is left without birth registration or access to citizenship because of their ethnic origin, their parents status or the circumstances of their birth. Now, as far as the financing of measures to combat gender stereotypes, sexism and. Harassment and ensure women's equal participation, since 2024, as I mentioned earlier, Moldova has. Introduced gender responsive budgeting, covering over 70 budget subprograms in 22 local authorities in 2026. Last year, in 2025, the state allocated 2.6 million lei to support helplines. We're also investing in child care services and strengthening protection against sexual harassment, including online abuse. And our priority is to ensure that public funding delivers concrete results for women's safety and equal opportunity. And I would like to add on the Article 3, if I may, regarding the national human rights institutions. The authorities are continuing to take measures to consolidate capacities to human rights institutions in order to effectively exercise their mandate. The Ministry of Justice is currently working on amendments to the legal framework governing the Ombudsman institution, with the aim of ensuring full alignment with international standards, including the part concerning immunity. The institutional capacity of the People's Advocate Office has been strengthened in the last few years. I want to name just a few. From 2021 to 2026, the budget of the Ombudsman Office increased by about 300%. In order to strengthen the capacity of the Council for Equality and the Protection of Rights in the area of non-discrimination, the Parliament currently adopted on first reading a draft law that aligns the national legislative framework with European Union directives. The draft law also includes provisions regarding strengthening the functional and financial independence of the Equality Council, including by ensuring sufficient resources for the performance of its duties. From 2021 to 2026, the budget for the Equality Council increased by about 135%. CEDAW · Chair [28:35]: Covered. Any follow-up question? Just a small one, I hope. Yes, please, because we want to move to the other article. No, please, go ahead. CEDAW · Committee Expert [28:46]: Follow-up question on article 9. Ready. Welcome again to our constructive dialogue, and I would like to thank your delegation for the information, answers, and the information and data and statistics you have provided us with. Please, uh, provide these statistics, uh, in the shortest term, especially when it comes to what you mentioned, uh, this morning regarding the decree on, in May 2026 on simplifying, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, the granting of nationality to the residents of Transnistria. How does the State Party assess the potential implications of this development on the right to nationality and the prevention of statelessness in the region? Has the State Party conducted or does it intend to conduct a specific assessment of the potential impact of this decree on women and children, namely those who may face overlapping or unclear legal statuses or nationality Thank you very much. Thank you, my dear sister, Mrs. Hamida. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [30:10]: We will come in written form for this question. Thank you. CEDAW · Chair [30:20]: Thank you very much. I would like now, therefore, to move to part three of the Convention. and would like for that to give the floor for article 10 to Mrs. Yelena Piacomella for five minutes you have the floor please you have. The floor Madame you going to speak in French thank you. Please make sure that you have the English Channel on for interpretation go ahead please. CEDAW · Committee Expert [30:51]: Thank you Madam chair Secretary of State Like my colleagues, I wish you and members of the delegation a very warm welcome to this constructive dialogue. The committee welcomes progress made in the field of education, with a strong representation of young women in further education, estimated at about 58 per cent of the total staff for the period 2024-25. The committee is also pleased to see gender equality in the education strategy for 2030 and initiatives to encourage girls to move towards STEM careers. The committee notes, however, that 90 per cent of young women continue to choose studies in the field of human sciences. that lead to less well-paid jobs than those from STEM subjects. Could the state party please provide up-to-date information on new measures and strategies adopted to try to tackle this segregation in the long term? The committee is pleased to see awareness raising to try to prevent school dropouts. We've also taken note of information on positive measures such as quotas and subsidies or grants, and we thank you for that. However, we would like to go back to a question that is very dear to us. The committee notes with concern that the school dropout rates are still high within the Roma community. We need disaggregated data by sex regarding the school dropout rate of girls who are Roma. We think that that could be due to bullying, early marriage and a lack of inclusivity measures. The committee is concerned that Roma pupils, as well as pupils with disability or those who are LGBTQI are particularly exposed to bullying and exclusion. What reintegration programmes exist or are planned for Roma girls and women who have dropped out of school, particularly in rural areas? What measures has the State party taken to disseminate, implement and ensure compliance with decree 1024 from the Ministry of Education and Research in order to prevent and combat bullying that pupils are victims of. The committee is pleased with the progress that Moldova in comprehensive education in the field of sexual and reproductive health in the school system. Nevertheless, we are concerned to see a lack of standardised content and a shortage of teachers, which means that it is not fully implemented. The committee is also concerned to see a lack of continuity on the prevention of sexual harassment or gender-based violence, what is necessary to ensure that sexual and reproductive health is given in a comprehensive and age-appropriate way, that it is a standalone subject in the school curriculum and that specific budget lines are devoted to training teachers and producing appropriate teaching material? Thank you very much for your attention. CEDAW · Chair [35:16]: Thank you very much, Ms. Piacomella. The floor to the delegation, please, on Article 10. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [35:23]: Thank you for your question. I would like to give the floor to the representative of the Ministry of Education and Research in Moldova. Republic of Moldova · Representative, Ministry of Education and Research [35:34]: Good afternoon. Thank you for the questions. And I will start by the questions regarding the participation of the woman in the STEM profession and the initiative that we are providing in this regards. STEM Moldova has implemented now structural, legislative and financial measures to encourage girls and women to pursue STEM. The Ministry actively promotes gender equality in education and encourages girls to pursue the non-traditional fields. For instance, in our national strategy education 2030, we have the call to eliminate stereotypes and to promote female role models in underrepresented fields. To promote and strengthen science, technology, engineering, and arts and mathematics in higher education, the Ministry recently approved the order in April 2026, approved the official list of STEM fields of study and speciality that are priority for us. In this context, consequently, the state order for the admission in the academic year 2026-2027 that was approved by the government decision was developed based on the commitment to increase the share of tertiary students enrolled in STEM and ICT disciplines at least 25% in accordance also with our responsibilities in the reform agenda under the growth plan. So currently students or students that are enrolled in STEM, they accounted about 24% of total higher education enrollment. And also we approved a government the decision to increase at least by 40% the scholarship for the students that will take this, especially for women, who will take this non-traditional, let's say, fields. If I speak about the research and higher education, in the research we have 42.9% of researchers are women. Out of this, 45.8% have a PhD degree. In engineering and technology, we have, unfortunately, only 24.9% of women, but in social sciences, we have 68.8%, and in medical sciences, 62.4%. Through this initiative to promote increase of scholarship, we intend to attract more students in this, especially female, in these disciplines. Also, I'd like to mention that the progress extended into non-traditional male institution, for instance, the Technical University of Moldova, women now account for 33.5% of enrolled students. And the Stefan cel Mare Policy Academy, we have 50.4% of women. And also in Military Academy armed forces, we have 22.3% of women that are integrated in some specialities. Also, we have very good balance regarding the men in the management or in governing bodies. For instance, in higher education, women account for 28.6% of university rectors, 4 rectors out of 14, and 49.0% of vice rectors in higher education. And also the same situation we have in that education. Out of 81 directors of vocational education institutions, we have 43 that are women. It is about STEM and non-traditional disciplines. Regarding the dropped out, I'd like to mention, first of all, that the percent of dropped out in the Republic of Moldova, it's not so high. In March 2026, the Ministry updated a methodology on the management of absenteeism and school dropped out in general education. which replaced the instruction of 2015 year. The methodology introduced single digital system in our information system and the whole case management runs through the education management information system. No parallel paper reporting to local education authorities or the ministry is required. Also, it is worth mentioning that the school integrated the prevention of school dropout into their annual action plans, while the cases regarding FAD intervention are referred to the territorial multidisciplinary team commission. And just a few statistical data. During the 2025-26 school year, the school dropout remained low, 0.08% in the first semester, corresponding to 222 students out of 250,000. with 95,000 of students in this level, including 92 girls and 130 boys. And in the second semester, we have 0.09% of school dropout, corresponding to 261 students out of the same number of the students. And including 100 girls and 161 boys. Regarding the Roma dropped out, I'd like to mention that in 222 cases, we have only 34 cases of Roma school dropped out recorded in the first semester and 49 cases in second semester. So it's about the school dropped out and maybe a few points regarding the bullying, if I may. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [44:37]: Yes, please. Republic of Moldova · Representative, Ministry of Education and Research [44:38]: Because there is. So first of all, I'd like to mention that the Republic of Moldova has established a regulatory framework for preventing and combating bullying and other forms of violence against children in educational system. The key legal and regulatory instruments in the Republic of Moldova are following. First of all, education code that establish the obligation of educational institutions to ensure a safe educational environment and protect pupil rights. Also, very important acts is the methodology for the prevention and combating of the bullying that was approved in 2022. The principal sector specific instrument governing the prevention, identification, reporting, examination, and intervention in bullying cases. Also, in 2022, approved the reporting form for the suspected cases of abuse, bullying, neglect, exploitation and trafficking involving children that provides for the systematic recording and monitoring of reported cases, including bullying. And just to mention, One of the last documents, this is joint order of the Minister of Education and Minister of Internal Affairs. from August 2025 approving the joint action plan on ensuring people's safety in educational institutions and preventing violence between people that strengthen inter-institutional cooperation in this field. And also I'd like to mention the the order, ministerial order from March 2026 on the implementation of the program of services for the prevention and intervention in bullying in primary and secondary institution and support the children that are in this kind of activities and just a few few data on bullying to mention Also, I'd like to mention that we have now anti-bullying program that is launched in this year and that program will cover 38 schools across 23 districts and municipalities. Thank you. Of course, we have some more data that we can provide in writing. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [48:11]: Thank you so much. CEDAW · Chair [48:13]: Thank you very much. I know it is difficult, given that some of the answers are coming online and some are in the room, and I appreciate the effort. However, please try to be precise and short in your answers to the point of the question, so that we can really progress. I am sorry, because I understand the difficulty of also inputting online. I will not take any follow-up question immediately because I'm moving again to an article 11 which you will address, Madame Piacomella, under employment. So please do, and if you have any follow-up question after employment, we can take them. Please, you have the floor. CEDAW · Committee Expert [48:54]: Thank you, Madam Chairperson. And I'd like to thank the delegation for their answers. Madame Secretary for State, the Committee welcomes the fact that following the ratification of ILO Convention 190, that the State Party has adopted codes of conduct in the workplace and also training initiatives as well as awareness raising initiatives for prosecutors and the public and the aim is to combat sexual harassment. However, Gender equality in the workplace can only be fully realised in a safe and inclusive environment, which will make it possible to prevent and combat sexual harassment. The Committee is therefore concerned to note that the effectiveness of preventive and accountability measures aiming to stamp out sexual harassment in the workplace remain uncertain. In that respect, I would like to know what measures the State Party intends to take to bridge the remaining gaps so as to guarantee a safe, inclusive and non-discriminatory workplace. The Committee welcomes the efforts that the State party has made to overcome the unequal sharing of family and domestic responsibilities. In particular, we would like to hail the fact that childcare for children under the age of three has been extended and that the National Confederation of Trade Unions has defined minimum standards for the development of spaces aimed at childcare within trade union structures. The committee is also pleased to note that Moldova is currently transposing directive 2010/41 of the European Union so as to ensure that all remaining categories of independent workers are granted the right to maternity leave. Nonetheless, we remain concerned by the lack of specific measures to relieve the disproportionate burden of domestic responsibilities or to encourage men to take paternity leave. I would like to know what measures the State Party intends to take in that respect. Furthermore, the Committee would like to know the planned timeline to transpose the EU directive. to ensure that independent women have equal access to maternity benefits and to maternity leave on the same footing as a wage-earning women. Madam State Secretariat, we are also concerned by the fact that the wage gap between men and women exceeds 15% and that assessments of posts disaggregated by sex and the assessment of the payment gap and complaints mechanisms are not properly developed. This hampers efforts to identify and combat salary discrimination. Moreover, the Committee remains concerned by the fact that elderly women and those from disadvantaged groups are affected disproportionately, particularly because of a lack of an amendment to article 86 of the Labour Code. In that respect, the Committee would like to know, please, the following: What measures is the State Party intending to take to ensure that the principle of equal pay for equal work be effectively implemented and applied? What measures does the State Party intend to take to address the barriers that elderly women face And lastly, is a time frame planned to harmonize the retirement age of men and women? CEDAW · Chair [53:03]: I thank you, madam. Thank you very much. I'd like to give now the floor to the delegation on Article 11. You have the floor, madam. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [53:17]: Thank you so much for your question. I want to respond to your question on the Directive 41. We have passed this law, and this law will enter into force on the 1st of January, 2027. So all women, spouses of independent workers will receive maternity benefits. As well, I want to answer to the workplace harassment prevention. So, we've passed a government decision this year where we've included that all the government authorities need to have a code of contact in order to prevent workplace harassment. I also want to say that each public authority is required to allocate 2% of its budget to staff training. One of the training topics is the prevention of workplace harassment. In particular, every public authority is required to have its own regulations, as I mentioned, on the prevention of violence and harassment in the workplace, including. Sexual violence and sexual harassment. I also. Want to mention that we included that sexual harassment that is being committed through the information technologies also punishable, while the criminal code criminalizes stalking, including systematic pursuit carried out through information technology, the technologies or electronic communication network. As far as measures about equal pay for equal work, we've seen a trend of a decrease of the disparity between women and men in terms of equal pay of equal work. Previously, the disparity was higher. We have, um, but it's very important to note that, you know, when we look. At the disparities, we see that, um, we need to see this disparity not among in the total economy, but really looking at the occupation and really looking at also the numbers of hours. Worked because we also have. A tendency that women are working more part-time, therefore their wages are lower. So when we make this comparison, we need to take into account also for these factors. We have drafted a law on the transposition of the EU directive on equal pay and equal work, and right now this law is at the EU Commission for consultation. Once we get the feedback, we will approve this law in Moldova, and then we will follow with the implementation. As far as the plans for retirement, our law says that in 2028, the age of retirement of women and men will be equal. So the law that was passed a few years ago, it put in a gradual increase in the retirement age of women so that in 2028, the retirement age for women is equal to. Is the same as the retirement age for men. Now, in terms of the article, in terms of article 86 prime in the labor code, the elderly women, so right now in the labor code. I'm. Informed that I have a colleague of mine that can answer on the question that is related to the labor code and I would like to give the floor to my colleague from the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. Thank you. Republic of Moldova · Representative, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection [58:07]: I will talk about the convention ILO 156 concerning equal opportunities and equal treatment for men and women workers. Moldova ratified this convention, the legislative amendments introduced the definition of an employee with family responsibilities into the labor code and provide for periods covered by maternity and paternity benefits to count towards pensions and qualifying periods. These measures support the sharing of care responsibilities and encourage fathers to take paternity leave. And also its implementation is relevant to addressing traditional gender stereotypes, particularly to the perception that the family and child care responsibilities should be primarily assumed by a woman. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [59:20]: We will come in written form on the Article 86 of the Labor Code. I also wanna mention specifically for an initiative that we are doing of the University of Third Age for elderly population, including elderly women. We are organizing University of Third Age in several universities in Moldova, where we have We are providing courses to elderly people on different topics and we're trying this way either if they want a job. a job in a different occupation that they have been or in the same occupation, but they would like to improve their competencies, this is an opportunity. And also I want to say that we are planning to modify law. Number 105 from 2018, where we want to provide vouchers for formal training and non-formal training to elderly population. here specifically after they have the pension, the age of retirement. Right now in our legislation, we are providing all of the qualifications, all the trainings to registered unemployed up to the age of 65. But we want to extend that also for the age of 65 and plus. So we're planning on changing this law. And related to paternity leave, I want to say that in Moldova, there are. More than 4,000 of men that are taking the paternity leave out of 13,000, 13,000 of, I would say, births that are specifically in Moldova. And the paternity leave right now, it's 15 days, and it's paid 100% of the salary. In terms of how we are encouraging men to take more time to take care of the children. Right now, we are working on making the childcare leave to include a non-transferable childcare leave for both parents. And we have a draft law where we've included that minimum two months parents must take a non-transferable leave. So yes, we have a lot of flexibility now, childcare leave, where both men and women can take this leave up to three years. But we want to make sure that at least two months of this leave is non-transferable. And this is how we are trying to encourage. And also we have the father clubs, the father clubs that are. Being promoters of examples in the country where men are discussing about how important is to be an example in their communities to be involved in childcare responsibilities. And also, we've included in our labor code a special leave for taking care of sick family members or a person that is not necessarily a family member. But is part of the household as well. CEDAW · Chair [1:03:36]: Thank you very much. Misses, you have no follow-up question? Thank you very much. So I really thank the delegation since there are no follow-up question, everything was answered. So we can move smoothly to Article 12 on health. And here I would like to give the floor to Miss Natasha Astadispouja for five minutes. You have the floor, madam, please. CEDAW · Committee Expert [1:04:01]: Thank you, Madam Chair, and I warmly welcome the delegation as well. The committee acknowledges the progress that has been made by the state party in this area of health, including legislative protections for access to safe and effective services for sexual and reproductive health care methods and an increased proportion of annual cervical screenings. However, The committee understands that the provision of abortion healthcare by telemedicine services was previously available in the state party and continued until it was effectively banned from 23 January 2025. I understand that there has been some partial reintroduction, but civil society argues that the recession of the original plan disproportionately impacts women in rural areas and also survivors of gender-based violence who may face stigma, fear or delays due to geographical distance to services. Repealing this ordinance may violate the principle of non-retrogression, so can the State Party provide the rationale for initially removing that service, any measurable consequences of this removal, and whether the State Party is considering full reinstatement? Were public health experts or reproductive rights organisations consulted about these changes? The State Party has acute sexual and reproductive health care issues. Adolescent pregnancy rates run three times the European average and remain particularly high in rural areas. Do you have an update on the Education 2030 strategy goals and outcomes for reproductive and sexual health services and education? Does the strategy address intersecting, compounding inequality issues? There have been reports that medical staff shortages lead to increased wait times, postponed treatment and inadequately serviced mental health, sexual and domestic violence health care. How is the state party planning to address these practical implementation issues? Women with disabilities face additional structural barriers, including a lack of adapted equipment, insufficient training of medical personnel, a lack of accessible information and communication that is insufficiently adapted to the individual needs of patients. This is exacerbated for rural women. What is the state party doing to ensure accessible, inclusive and needs-adapted health care services with respect for the autonomy and dignity and right of women with disabilities to make informed concerning their own health and their reproductive lives. I note the European Court of Human Rights found the state party responsible for failing to protect women with intellectual disabilities from forced abortion and contraception. What is the state party doing to ensure that women with disabilities are not exposed to abuse or degrading treatment in healthcare settings? That the percentage of women infected with HIV in 2022 is more than double that of men is quite concerning. Civil society reports that societal HIV impacts on women include widespread stigmas, fear of disclosure, poor training of healthcare providers and a miseducation of crisis centres and shelters, which often deny admission for HIV positive women. We understand that there's a new national program for HIV, STIs and viral hepatitis B, C and D, but does the state party have any plans to expand HIV/AIDS prevention and education programs? to address the stigma impacting vulnerable women, such as domestic violence victims, transgender, drug users or sex workers? The drug registries that name women can result in limited access to work and restriction from certain jobs, driver's licences, loss of parental rights, increased social stigma and encouragement of government abuse. What actions are being taken by the state party to remove drug registries, increase education regarding HIV and drug use stigmas? How will the State Party address the unique needs of Roma women and girls to ensure literacy and institutionalised racism gaps are closed when Roma women access healthcare services, including adequate education on reproductive and family planning services? The Committee understands that there is no public authority collecting data on violence against Roma women, so how is the data about Roma women measured? Finally, sex workers in Moldova have limited access to the mainstream health system. Only 25% of sex workers are registered with a family doctor and only seven hold compulsory health insurance. How does the state party intend to integrate sex workers into the health system to provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, including adequate physical and mental health worker training, substance services and post-rape care? Thank you, Madam Chair. CEDAW · Chair [1:08:50]: Thank you very much, Mrs. D'Epokora. I would like now to give back the floor to the delegation for Article 12, please. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [1:08:58]: Thank you. On the access to sexual and reproductive health. The Republic of Moldova continue to pursue expanded access to safe, quality and non-discriminatory services, with particular attention to women in rural areas, adolescents and women from vulnerable groups. Regarding the use of telemedicine for medical abortion, The regulatory framework is currently being developed so that this modality can be implemented under clear and safe legal, clinical, and technical conditions. At the same time, access to safe. Abortion services is being strengthened through updated protocols, expanded services, and bringing services closer to beneficiaries. In 2024, 83% of women accessed abortion services under safe conditions in accordance with approved standards and protocols. In 2026, a new standardized clinical protocol was approved, strengthening equitable and non-discriminatory access, confidentiality, informed consent, screening for domestic violence, and access to post-abortion contraception. In localities where there is no obstetrician, gynecologist, counseling and referral are provided through primary healthcare, helping to reduce territorial barriers and bring services closer to women. The data also show a longtime decline in the incidence of abortion. The abortion rate decreased from 17 to 1,000 women of reproductive age in 2003 to 11.5 in 2025, while the proportion of abortions among adolescents aged 15 to 19 decreased from 10.6% in 2003 to 4.9% in 2024. For 2026-2030, the priority is to further reduce territorial disparities and expand effective access to services, including through the development of medication abortion in the first trimester and inclusion of the service in the single health insurance program. The objective is to increase access to safe abortion services from 82.3% to 90% by 2030. And I would like to give the floor to the representative of the Ministry of Health for more additional information. Thank you. Republic of Moldova · Representative, Ministry of Health [1:11:46]: Distinguished Chair, distinguished committee members, my name is Christina Tamas-Lakar, and I'm representing the Ministry of Health. In the Republic of Moldova, sex workers are recognized as a key population at increased risk of HIV infection and are covered by the national program on HIV, sexual transmissive infections, and viral hepatitis B, C, and D for 2026-2030. Regarding access to health care, stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion may create barriers to accessing medical services, including mental health support. Mental health services are provided through mental health centers, which are the part of the primary healthcare system. These centers provide community-based mental health care, physiological support, psychological support, and refer to specialized services when necessary. Additional psychological, social, and legal support is available through community-based services and civil societies organization. Regarding HIV, prevention, the national program covers key populations at increased risk of infections, including sexual workers. Although these programs are not exclusively designed for women, they incorporate gender-sensitive interventions addressing women's specific needs and vulnerabilities. Services include HIV and sexual transmission, transmissive infection, testing, counseling, condom and lubricant distribution, pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis, and referral to specialized healthcare services. Furthermore, under Ministry of Health order from June 2020, eligible persons belonging to vulnerable groups including sex workers, who meet the applicable criteria, can access to contraceptive services within the national framework for 12 vulnerable groups. The program for 2026-2030 also includes interventions to promote sexual and reproductive health, prevent violence and human trafficking, and improve access to non-discriminatory health care. According to available data, 5.4% of sex workers report avoiding healthcare because of stigma and discrimination. The target for 2026-2030 is to reduce this proportion to no more than 3%. In addition, the program aims to maintain HIV prevention coverage at least 95% among female sex workers. If we will refer to consent, An important aspect in ensuring free and informed consent for reproductive health interventions in the case of women with an intellectual or psychological disability. The disability itself should not be considered equivalent to an inability to express her will. Medical personnel must make efforts to ensure that information concerning the proposed examination or intervention is communicated in accessible form and that the woman's wishes are established. Where the family doctor and obstetrician and gynecologist have doubts regarding the patient's ability to understand the information and freely express her consent, They may seek support from a psychologist or psychiatrics within the community mental health centers, depending on the individual situation. And an important milestone was the adoption in September 2026 of the National Program on Sexual and Reproductive Health for 2026-2014. The program establishes a comprehensive policy framework aimed at preventing unintended pregnancies, expanding access to modern contraception, strengthening reproductive and maternal health care, and reducing inequalities in access to services. Thank you. CEDAW · Chair [1:16:15]: Please, Madam. CEDAW · Committee Expert [1:16:19]: Thank you, Chair. I thank the delegation for those very direct responses. I am wondering if, as part of the newly defined telemedicine abortion healthcare services, whether or not you are consulting with civil society or organisations dealing with reproductive and sexual health issues. I would not mind a little more of an elaboration on the statistical compilation of violence against Roma women and perhaps more broadly. Thank you for answering the question around stigma and also for your very specific responses around health care and sex workers. And you also answered a question that I didn't ask but was going to, and that is the HIV strategy and program, whether or not that had a gender sensitive lens. And you've explained that it does. So I'm grateful for those responses. But if there's any specificity around particularly Roma women, that would be appreciated, whether it's now or perhaps as part of a follow up in writing. Thank you. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [1:17:30]: I would like to clarify on the telemedicine order. So right now, the Ministry of Health is working on drafting a law on regulating telemedicine in general. So it will be telemedicine for various services. And after that, they will do regulations on telemedicine for different specific medical services. including services for providing abortion. So right now, it's more about building the legislation and making sure that it is regulated according to the higher standards. And we will involve the civil society organizations. At the moment, this law is in the draft, it's being drafted. and we will for sure involve the civil society organisations once we have a concept of, once we have the first draft of this law. CEDAW · Committee Expert [1:18:49]: Thank you for that clarification. So specifically they will be in a regulatory form, does that mean that kind of delegated legislation can be rejected or amended, or is it the whole legislation will be around the telehealth, but there won't be the opportunity to maybe carve out aspects of that telehealth medicine when it comes to the legislative process? I just am wondering if that comes before a parliament, for example, or a legislative chamber, if someone can actually reject the circumstances surrounding abortion or whether it will just go in as a regulation and a part of law and therefore they'll accept that as a whole. Does that make sense? Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [1:19:34]: This will be a general law on on the telehealth and then subsequently it will be regulated on all the specific areas. So before the order existed but there wasn't a. A national framework that regulated at the national level telemedicine. Therefore, it was like the order was accessible, but at the national level, it was not regulated according to the higher standards. It was an older order. CEDAW · Chair [1:20:19]: Thank you very much. And with this, I think we can move to Article 13. And I would like to ask Ms. Elena Piacomella for two minutes to introduce the article. CEDAW · Committee Expert [1:20:33]: Thank you, Madam Chair, Madam Secretary of State. We would like to circle back to numerous follow-up points, specifically regarding the economic autonomy or empowerment of women, particularly those from less favored groups. First, the committee regrets that the social protection regime in place does not include numerous unfavored groups such as the Roma families, the remote rural families, and those with disabilities, and that the financing for these systems has not yet been bolstered. Rural women are employed primarily in weakly remunerated sectors. seasonal workers or precarious situations where there is not social protection or entitlement. We would thank you for information, or we thank you for information that you've just provided seeking to improve economic empowerment of older women, and we hail your efforts. Might you also provide information on the initiatives or programs for professional training and entrepreneurship that could increase the economic empowerment of this group, including rural women? Also, what measures does the State Party plan to take to put into place community centers to support children, older persons, and persons with disabilities in order to lighten the load on women that comes with non-remunerative support for these groups. You have addressed this to some degree, but we would like to have a bit more details, if we might. Madam Secretary of State, the Committee takes note of the explanations provided on the non-ratification of Convention 102 of the ILO on social security. due to a lack of funds. We would like, however, to know what strategy, what measures is the State evaluating now, and if they are doing so, how to evaluate the entitlements for women in order to ensure that they enjoy full economic empowerment with social security support. already addressed in the current budget. I thank you kindly. Thank you very much. CEDAW · Chair [1:23:03]: The floor to the delegation, please. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [1:23:09]: Thank you so much for your question. I want to mention a few measures that we have in place in order to encourage economic empowerment of women. So this year, we've increased our budget for active labor market measures. So from four times, our active labor market measures was around 1.7 million euros each year. This year, thanks to the European Union growth plan, we were able to increase this budget to 9.5 million euros. 5 million euros, out of which we've included an indicator specifically for women, that all the beneficiaries from the National Employment Agency that are benefiting from different active labor market measures should, we're having a target that 60% of all the beneficiaries of all different programs, and what I mean here about different programs, I mean about professional training, about on-the-job training, about professional internships, starting a business. About expanding a business, creating jobs specifically for people with disabilities. So in this program, we're having two indicators that 60% of them should be women and at least 10% should be people with disabilities. And right now, as of the latest data we have as of September, we are very close to this target. We have 59% of all the beneficiaries of all these programs are women, and we have 9% of all the beneficiaries are people with disabilities. And I want to a little bit talk about how important is actually these programs for women, including Roma women? We are working very closely to each beneficiary, and we are also monitoring to see their employment placement after graduating from these programs. And for example, for vocational training, professional training that we. Have, we are providing professional training in about 55 occupations, and we're providing scholarships so that women can. Be incentivized to do this training programs. And we have an employment placement rate of 80%, of about 80%. So this particular program is quite effective in helping women that haven't been in employment or that had. Jobs that were low paid to get employment. Now, another measure is starting a new business. And I want to. Tell you specifically that we have this measure targeted specifically rural areas because, you know, in bigger. Cities, it's easier for companies to expand their business and to create more jobs. So we really target this funding specifically in the rural areas. And What we also do is that we are making sure that these programs are also creating jobs. So we are not just providing an incentive, but we are also making sure that the person that got this grant to open a business must create at least one job, and must maintain that job for at least 12 months. Now I want to talk a little bit about services. Community centers, services for older persons, people with disabilities, in order for women to be able to return back to the workplace. And here, I want to say that this year, as part of our. Program for the inclusion of people with disabilities. We have created, we are expanding our Respiro, our Respiro social services, it's kind of respite social services that allows women to leave their family members, I'm saying about women because most of them that are taking. Care of people with disabilities are women and a small number are men, that allows in particular women to leave their family members in this respite social services and allow them to have some some vacation time, some time where they can really focus on their own well-being. I also. Want to mention that for community centers, we have been working together with local public authorities, and over the past few years, we have been opening more intergenerational centers where both older people but also young people will have a place where they can. Do different activities, and then we have also like more intergenerational dialogue in the communities. We have social services specifically for children that allows mother to leave their child at our child community centers, and they can work in the meanwhile. We also are having social services specifically for elderly people. And we are really working with development partners to expand this government-run community housing for elderly people so that we have, again, more women that are taking care of their elderly parents that they can they can return to work. We are working right now on a national employment program where increasing women's employment is a priority, and we have included. There the development of all the services for childcare, people with disabilities, and elderly. We're also working with the private sector, and we want to encourage the development of the private sector services for elderly and also for people with disabilities. CEDAW · Chair [1:31:06]: Thank you very much. Thank you very, very much. With this, I'm happy we can move now to an article that probably requires a little bit more time. It's article 14, and I would like to give the floor to Mrs. Toledo-Vasquez for six minutes. You have the floor, madam, please. CEDAW · Committee Expert [1:31:27]: Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I will be focused on groups of women and girls that face intersectional forms of discrimination. We appreciate the information that we've already received on the mobile roaming teams for social assistance for women in rural areas, for older women, and for women with disabilities, as well as the initiatives to facilitate employment and access to justice. We also appreciate that the strategic plan for agricultural policy includes gender equality. Recently, we heard of measures to strengthen economic empowerment of women. would like to know how many rural women have benefited from these measures, as well as what measures have been adopted to ensure their effective participation in decision-making in rural areas and to strengthen the availability of broken-down data. Regarding women with disabilities, the Committee welcomes the commitment of Moldova to deinstitutionalization. That being said, we are concerned over the lack of individual preparation, the absence of community services that are accessible, and follow up on the long term. What measures will the state adopt to bolster independent oversight, accountability, and lasting support, ensuring autonomy, rights, and dignity? As regards Roma women, The measure for community Roma women will help to establish the link between the users and the public authorities. We are concerned about the limited possibility to respond to all forms of violence and discrimination that affects Roma women and girls. What measures is the State adopting to increase the amount of Roma women among mediators strengthen the gender focus for them and to strengthen their cooperation between and among and with Roma women's organizations. Women, migrants, and asylum seekers face barriers to essential services, especially those that find themselves in the situations marked by the most vulnerability. Moldova should guarantee access to information, services of interpretation, and safe ways to receive protection services regardless of legal status. Further, it is essential that we go beyond short-term humanitarian assistance and move towards solutions that are sustainable and have a gender perspective that foster economic empowerment of women that are refugees and the host communities, recognizing their role in the strengthening of the social fabric, community resilience, and peace. Lesbian, bisexual and transgender women are more exposed to discrimination in the areas of health care, employment, education, social services and the justice system. Access to health care services might see obstacles due to stigma, a lack of knowledge on the part of the professionals, fear of discriminatory treatment and concern over confidentiality. What measures have been adopted to address the stigma and prejudice against LGBT women? Are you also setting forth same-sex marriage to allow for full protection of women, regardless of their sexual orientation? Women that are living with HIV, women that are drug users, and sex workers continue to face discrimination, stigma, criminalization, rather discrimination and ongoing social socioeconomic obstacles those living with HIV are among the most stigmatized in Moldova this is they have been mentioned what measures does the state plan to adopt to review or reforms the measures that criminalize these women for the transmission of HIV the use of drugs or sex work how will you eliminate the stigma if this they remain criminalized what measures are set forth to broaden these services for reducing the damage and fight discrimination by the security forces and those who provide services, and to offer economic alternatives to women that wish to move on from the sex trade. There are ongoing deficiencies in the meeting the specific needs of women deprived of liberty, particularly in access to medical attention, mental health care, and specialized support in trauma, given the backgrounds of violence. Also, hygiene, isolation, and the possible disproportionate use of disciplinary measures for women in particularly vulnerable states are of concern. What measures has the State taken to provide comprehensive care? that is gender-based, improving the conditions and broadening the labor and job opportunities during imprisonment and after release, what progress has been made in finding alternatives to imprisonment for pregnant women and women with young children in step with the Bangkok Rules, and as regards to the disciplinary practices that are discriminatory. Likewise, does the State have broken-down data on the makeup of the female prison population that would allow for the identification of possible overrepresentation of certain groups of women, such as Roma, women with disabilities or drug-using women? Lastly, although Moldova has adopted measures to protect human rights defenders, including guarantees against abusive demands or slaps, They continue to receive misogynist abuse online and not online. We are concerned that investigations continue to be insufficient. What measures will be adopted to ensure their safety and accountability? How will you address the draft law on human rights defenders, and specifically in the rules on female human rights defenders? Much obliged. CEDAW · Chair [1:37:25]: Thank you, Mrs. Thank you, Valedo Vazquez. I'd like to give the floor back to the delegation to answer Article 14. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [1:37:36]: The. Republic of Moldova promotes gender equality in rural areas through three main priorities: integrating gender equality into local development, women's economic empowerment, and improving access to services. In 2025, we explicitly introduced the principle of equality between women and men into regulatory framework for regional and. Local development. Development programs and projects must therefore contribute to reducing the territorial inequalities, promoting social cohesion, and ensuring equitable access to services and infrastructure. Including for persons with disability. Regarding women's economic empowerment, Through the Women's Entrepreneurship Support Program, 180 women received non-repayable funding, totaling about 2.7 million euros, with 27% of the supported businesses located in rural areas. I also want to mention that the programs that are offered to unemployed people 60% of all the unemployed people that are registering for these programs are coming from the rural areas. Therefore, the number of beneficiaries that are benefiting from these programs are also from rural areas. Women farmers benefit from 10% higher subsidies. And the number of women receiving complimentary agricultural payments increased by 32% in 2024 compared to 2023, from 722 to 954 women. At the same time, we're strengthening rural women's access to social assistance, health care, and legal aid, including through territorial community services and mobile teams. and economic empowerment projects for women from vulnerable groups and victims of domestic violence, including grants for opening businesses. Through these measures, we aim to improve rural women's access to resources, essential services, and economic opportunities, strengthening their economic independence and contributing to the balance development of rural communities. I want to give the floor now to the representative of the Ministry of Agriculture. Republic of Moldova · Representative, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry [1:40:32]: Thank you and good afternoon. On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, I would like to shortly present some information regarding support for rural women in agriculture. In 2025, women accounted for 19.8% of beneficiaries of the National Fund for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Environment. Under the Strategic Agricultural Policy Program for 2026-2030, women farmers receive priority in the evaluation and selection of projects for several support measures. Under the Startup Advanced Subsidy Scheme, more than 55% of the businesses supported are managed by women. For 2026, about 500 million leks of the fund has been received and targeted to support women, young people and small producers. We're improving women's access to finance and equipment through different projects. For example, through the IFAD funded programs, rural women can obtain loans for up to 1 million leks with a grant component for up to 320,000 for agricultural production, processing, marketing, agritourism, and related activities. That being said, we recognize that some gaps remain with only about 14% of legally registered farms that are headed by women. To address this gap, we're aligning our policy framework with the EU common agricultural policy as part of the accession process. Law no. 126/2025 on agricultural policy and the strategic agricultural policy programme, approved by the Government this year, includes dedicated objectives for young and new farmers and for rural employment, social inclusion and rural development. We are also improving how we measure results. A monitoring and evaluation framework is being built now in line with EU standards, with data collected by the agency for intervention and payments in agriculture, which will allow us to track who benefits from support and to adjust our measures where women remain underrepresented. Thank you. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [1:42:35]: Thank you. I would like to give the floor to the representative of the Ministry of Justice. Republic of Moldova · Representative, Ministry of Justice [1:42:52]: About conditioned detention, I would like to mention that the prison administration system is making efforts to address all the requirements and needs of women in detention and mothers with children. Women are housed exclusively in a dedicated penitentiary institution, which are entirely separate from male facilities. The infrastructure is designed to be gender sensitive, incorporating specialized medical assistance and specific sector for mothers who are detained with their children. For pregnant women and mothers with children up to three years of age, specialized detention units called mother and child house are established to promote the normal growth and development of children. Efforts are being made to involve mothers with children in cultural, educational and artistic activities, with the aim of strengthening the mother-child relationship. In addition, mothers with children are provided with all necessary supplies, including various items designed to help develop children's cognitive skills. Women in detention participate in interactive session designed to help them manage their emotions and reduce aggressive behavior. In addition, the second chance hub project was launched in which women participate in various training session focused on financial literacy and entrepreneurial development. Activities aimed at supporting their reintegration into society. This project is implemented by the National Women's Platform of Moldova in partnership with the National Penitentiary Administration. Similarly, they can participate in paid activities. Currently, approximately 44 women are employed. Also, by government decision number 228 from 2024, the minimum standards for food substitute and the provision of assertion eating items for person in penitentiary institution were approved. The new provision are contributing to the improvement and diversification of food rations. For the first time, food standards have been established for individuals with health problems, pregnant prisoners, and nursing mothers. The several programs for women who use drugs are implemented, namely, psychological rehabilitation program for drug users, methadone substitution therapy program, and program on risk reduction in drug use. Currently, there are approximately 400 EU men in detention, which represent about 5% of the total number of persons in detention. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [1:45:34]: I also want to mention that we also passed the Directive 79 of the European Union, which basically excluded the civil status of women, whether they are receiving a maternity leave or not. In our legislation in Moldova, women that were married were benefiting from maternity leave if they weren't working. but it was based on the salary of their spouse. But unmarried women were not benefiting from maternity leave, I mean, from the maternity benefit if they are not working and they were having a partner. So we adopted a law that transposed the Directive 79, which eliminated the civil status criteria. And now women that are not working independent of their civil status, either they are married or not, they are receiving a maternity benefit that is calculated based on their partner or spouse income. And this is very important for this question because we have a high number of women that are not working and they are in a partnership relationship and they cannot benefit from the maternity leave allowance. Therefore, by removing this criteria, it really provides them with support in a difficult time. As well, as I mentioned about the Directive 41. So the spouses and partners that are pregnant, they can receive the maternity allowance based on the income of the independent workers, which is basically based if their spouse is an independent worker, then the woman can receive the maternity benefit independent if she's married or not. And this is also a measure where we expanded the maternity benefits to women and a lot of independent workers that we're having are specifically in rural areas. We've also established a childcare allowance to all children, independent if the parents are insured or not insured, up to the age of two. So each parent is receiving a childcare allowance of 1000 Moldovan lei for each child up to the age of two. And again. Many women that are not insured, which means they're not working, are receiving this allowance. I want to mention about Law 121 that we've included that ensures that the access to all of the services. Being them in the public sector, being them in the private sector. Is protected independent of the sex and gender orientation. And law number five from 2006 completely prohibits the discrimination on the criteria of sex in all spheres of life. And I also want to clarify one point regarding community mediators who provide information to communities and facilitate access to employment opportunities. And as of 1st of January 2026, there were 52 community mediators, 25 women and 27 men. All representatives of the Roma community. CEDAW · Chair [1:50:13]: Thank you very much. Is there any follow-up question? Yes, Ms. Toledo-Vazquez, go ahead. CEDAW · Committee Expert [1:50:23]: Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to the delegation for their replies. I wanted to ask a couple of things. First, I understand that there's a possibility for women in prison to remain in prison with small children. However, my question was more about whether you have considered the possibility of not applying deprivation of liberty to women who have responsibility to care for young children, looking particularly at the Bangkok rules as good practice. My second question was to ask whether from the Roma community mediators if they have any specific training in gender issues. Thank you. CEDAW · Chair [1:51:12]: Thank you. I give back the floor to the delegation. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [1:51:20]: For the first question, we will come back in a written form with more details. But for the second question, Roma community mediators, we are actively involving them in gender equality trainings that we are conducting together with development partners and also together with government authorities. CEDAW · Chair [1:51:58]: Thank you. With this, I can move now to the last part, part 4 of the Convention with Article 15 and 16, and I would like to give the floor to Mrs. Hong Mu for five minutes. And Mrs. Mu will be addressing you in Chinese, so you remain on the English channel for easy interpretation. Thank you. Please go ahead. CEDAW · Committee Expert [1:52:23]: Thank you, Madam. Honourable head of the Moldovan delegation. Friends, it's an honour to participate in today's dialogue and to speak on articles 15 and 16. Moldova legislation guarantees all citizens equal rights before the law and in family relations. The relevant laws and measures have played a positive role in protecting women's legitimate rights and interests. However, we note that in practice, women, particularly those facing multiple forms of discrimination, continue to encounter serious challenges in the enjoyment of equal rights. I have a few questions as follows to raise. One, regarding age of marriage, although the law sets the minimum legal age for marriage at 18, in practice, individuals aged 16 or above are permitted to marry under exceptional circumstances. Roma girls face particularly serious issues relating to family pressure and early marriage. My question is, when does the State Party intend to abolish the exception allowing marriage from the age of 16? Will the State Party respond to the call by the Committee on the Rights of the Child by developing a national strategy on child marriage and by raising public awareness particularly among the Romani community, regarding child marriage and its harmful effects. Two, regarding equal access to legal support due to patriarchal norms or complex notarial and judicial procedures, women, particularly Roma women, women with disabilities, rural women, widows, women in the Transnistria region, and women refugees and migrants, continue to face administrative and language-related barriers in accessing judicial remedy, legal aid, financial services, and in exercising their economic autonomy. My question is how to ensure vulnerable women are able to effectively and without discrimination exercise their legal capacity, access financial services, manage their property and make independent decisions while also receiving appropriate legal, administrative and community support. including through the simplification of notarial procedures, establishment of mechanisms to address potential violations committed by family or community members, three, regarding the rights of women in cohabiting relationships. As the State Party reported in its report, the phenomenon of cohabitation has been on the rise in recent years. In particular, women in the Roma community often find themselves in unregistered cohabiting relationships, thus lack economic security and legal protection with regard to property rights, inheritance rights, social protection and children's rights. My question is, what measures will be taken to ensure that women in unregistered cohabiting relationships, particularly Roma women, receive legal protection with regard to property division and inheritance, social protection, and child-rearing responsibilities? Four, regarding mandatory mediation in cases of domestic violence in divorce proceedings involving domestic violence, Mandatory mediation requirements and other legal or procedural barriers still exist, placing victims at risk of being forced to remain in abusive environments. My question is, will the State Party abolish the requirement for mandatory mediation in divorce proceedings involving domestic violence? to ensure that all women, particularly Roma women, women with disabilities and mothers of children with disabilities, have access to effective protection services and are able to safely leave abusive relationships. Five, regarding family planning service and forced abortions. It is understood that access to contraception and safe abortion services remains limited due to economic or geographic barriers in the state party. The unmet need for family planning stands at 26% in rural areas, compared with 15.5% in urban areas. There have also been cases of forced abortions and non-consensual contraceptive interventions against women with intellectual disabilities and mental illnesses. My questions are, will modern contraceptive methods, safe abortions be included in the coverage of the National Health Insurance Company, CNAM, thereby expanding access to free services? Will the State Party amend Articles 159 and 160 of the Penal Code to explicitly criminalize abortions and sterilization performed without a free, prior, and informed consent of the women concerned. Thank you. CEDAW · Chair [1:57:20]: Thank you very much, Mr. Mou. The floor is given back to the delegation. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [1:57:24]: I'm inviting the representative from the Ministry of Justice to respond. Republic of Moldova · Representative, Ministry of Justice [1:57:35]: Thank you. The Republic of Moldova continues to take measures to implement Article 15 of the Convention by recognition the equality of women and men before the law and guaranteeing equal legal capacity. The Civil Code prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in the recognition and exercise of civil rights, establishes the equality of parties to civil relationships and protects contract freedom and property rights. At the same time, the Code of Civil Procedure guaranteed the equality of persons before the court, regardless of sex. This provision provided the legal base for women to exercise their civil and property rights on an equal basis with men and for equal access to judicial protection. Regarding the marriage age of 16, it is important to note that it's not an absolute right of young people, but a strictly regulated measure. The general rule for marriage is the age of 18. To prevent abuses, the law requires the existence of valid grounds and the consent of the parents or guardianship authority. The existence of this exception in the law is based on a legal, social and human rights reason intended to provide a legal solution for crisis situation in young people's lives. Similar regulation exists in other European countries. In the same time, in order to punish any abuse, in July 2025, forced marriage was introduced into the criminal code. Also, I would like to mention that in order to ensure that women have equal right to inherit, in 2025, the Republic of Moldova has taken step to improve the legal framework in this area by adopting law number 251, which amend the provision of the civil code. The reform aim to strengthen the property rights of the surviving spouse and reduce the risk of losing rights to the family property following the death of a partner. The legislative changes are part of the Republic of Moldova's effort to ensure effective legal protection of women's property rights in accordance with the principle of equality. Thank you. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [1:59:54]: I also want to add that mediation has been prohibited in cases of domestic violence and right now we're not having it in the law. And right now I want to give the floor to the representative from the Agency of Interethnic Relations. Republic of Moldova · Representative, Agency for Interethnic Relations [2:00:13]: Good day, esteemed committee. I represent the Agency for Interethnic Relations. My name is Olga Pitojova. Moldova recognizes that early marriage can have serious consequences for the rights, education, health, and future opportunities of girls, including those belonging to Roma communities. At present, we do not have comprehensive systematically collected statistical data specifically on early marriages among Roma girls. This limits our ability to assess the scale of the phenomenon and identify the communities most affected. We recognize the need to improve data collection and inter-institutional cooperation while ensuring respect for personal data protection and children's rights. The previous national program for supporting the Roma population for 2022-2025 addressed the inclusion and protection of Roma children, including Roma girls, through measures related to education, healthcare, social protection, and the prevention of discrimination. However, it did not include a dedicated measure specifically targeting early marriages among Roma girls. This issue has now been explicitly addressed in the draft national program for supporting the Roma population for 2027-2030. The draft program has completed the public consultation process, including consultations with Roma civil society organizations, community mediators, and representatives of Roma women, and is currently undergoing review by the European Commission. In June 2026, the Roma Women's Platform ROMNI, in partnership with the Agency for Interethnic Relations, organized a roundtable on gender equality and the co-creation of inclusive public policies. This provided an additional opportunity for Roma women's representatives to formulate recommendations concerning the specific needs and vulnerabilities of Roma women and girls. The draft action plan includes a dedicated measure aimed at preventing early marriage in communities where such risks exist. For the period 2027-2030, the proposed measure envisages at least 40 information and counselling activities, reaching at least 300 parents and providing information and counselling to at least 300 Roma girls. It also establishes a targeting of referring at least 50 cases to specialised services for the prevention of early marriage and early pregnancy. According to the draft action plan, implementation is envisaged in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, local public authorities and development partners. Community mediators can also play an important supporting role by facilitating communication between Roma families, educational institutions, local authorities and level Relevant social and child protection services. Their involvement help identify potential risk, raise awareness, encourage school attendance, and facilitate access to appropriate assistance. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [2:03:19]: I also want to add that the official statistics show a declining trend in marriages. The number of marriages involving minors decreased from 247 in 2021 to 162 in 2025, a reduction of 34%. And their share of all registered marriages also decreased from 1.13% to 1.05%. As girls are disproportionately effective, preventing early marriage and protecting their rights remain important priorities, particularly to ensure their continued education and future opportunities. CEDAW · Chair [2:04:10]: Follow-up question, Madam. CEDAW · Committee Expert [2:04:19]: Follow-up question regarding early marriage. Just now, maybe I have not heard clearly. For what reason that early marriage or exception to early marriage cannot be abolished? For what reason? Now we are discussing the abolishing of the exceptions. What are the biggest barrier to the abolishing of the exceptions? I also be grateful if you can answer my question number five. Thank you. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [2:05:12]: The few exceptions that are in the law are related to pregnancy. If the parents, I mean, if the couple wants to get married and if the woman is pregnant and they want to get married and if they want to I mean, it's specifically for the protection of children. CEDAW · Chair [2:05:53]: Could you... CEDAW · Committee Expert [2:05:57]: My question number five regarding family planning and forced abortion, I still look forward to your answers. Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [2:06:16]: We will provide the answer in written form because if that's okay because we have I'm looking at the time as well apologies I have my I'm being told that the representative of the Ministry of Health wants to answer this question so apologies. Republic of Moldova · Representative, Ministry of Health [2:06:39]: I will try to answer your question. I want to say that contraceptives and medical abortion services are covered by the National Health Insurance Company in accordance with the National Health Insurance Framework. The Ministry of Health is taking measures to ensure equitable and non-discriminatory access to medical and sexual and reproductive health services for all women, including persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups. During 2024-2025, with the support of donors, the Ministry of Health equipped 22 2022 public primary health care institutions with standardized sets of medical equipment and furniture. This includes electrically adjustable gynecological examination chairs adapted to facilitate access for women with disabilities. These measures contribute to reducing physical barriers to accessing health services and to developing more accessible and inclusive services. Regarding data and the number, I spoke about the informed consent for the women with disability. CEDAW · Chair [2:08:07]: Thank you all very, very much. This now concludes the consideration of the seventh periodic report of the Republic of Moldova. Madam Head of Delegation, Excellency and members of the delegation, both in Geneva and online, thank you very, very, very much. It's quite intense, so many hours in a row, and we appreciate your engagement. I would like to thank the expert for the question, the comments, and the representative of the State Party for the responses and explanation provided. And I would like to ask you, Madam Head of Delegation, do you wish to make some concluding remarks? Republic of Moldova · Secretary of State [2:08:49]: Yes, thank you. First of all, I want to thank you all for your questions and for the constructive dialogue. I would like to emphasize that we have listened very carefully to all of the questions raised by the Committee. For us, these questions are not only part of the evaluation process, but they are also a valuable source of guidance for our country's future actions. Today's dialogue has highlighted both the progress that we achieved and the areas where further efforts are needed. In this context, I want to reaffirm our main priorities. First, effective implementation of legislation and strengthening institutional capacities including at the local level, to ensure that rights guaranteed by law lead to concrete results for women and girls. Second, adequate financing of gender equality policies and improved collection of data disaggregated by multiple characteristics to better inform our actions and monitor their impact. Third, improving access to healthcare services, including sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and exploring the opportunities offered by telemedicine to ensure access to safe medication abortion. Fourth, protecting the rights of women and girls facing multiple forms of discrimination, particularly women with disabilities, Roma women, rural women, migrant women, and refugees. Special attention will be given to accessible information and services. Fifth, strengthening the prevention of and response of violence against women through accessible specialized services, stronger cooperation between institutions, and more effective responses to sexual harassment and technology-facilitated violence. Six, promoting women's economic independence and meaningful participation in decision making, including by addressing gender stereotypes and reducing structural barriers. Distinguished members of this committee, we recognize that the main challenge is no longer only adopted legislation, but ensuring its consistent implementation and adequate resources. Thank you. CEDAW · Chair [2:11:09]: Thank you. Thank you very much. I would like, if you permit, for a few minutes before we resume in closed session, to have a photo of the group with you on this side. So please, Madame country rapporteur, your blue collar is needed on this. Stay in the room. We are not adjourning. We still have an okay?