UN Women Executive Board undertakes a field visit to Moldova and Ukraine to observe the work of UN Women at country level and reinforce its commitment to gender equality amid war and humanitarian crises

The UN Women Executive Board, the governing body responsible for providing intergovernmental support and overseeing operational activities of UN Women, conducted a first-time field visit to Moldova, Ukraine, and Poland from 14 – 24 May 2024. The mission aimed to assess the work of UN Women at the country level for advancing gender equality in alignment with UN Women’s regional and global goals amidst the challenging context of the region. The high level delegation comprised the ambassadors of Panama, Sweden and Cote D’Ivoire as well as the Deputy Permanent Representative Poland to the UN in New York. In Ukraine, the delegation was comprised of Sweden, Cote D’Ivoire and Poland.

During the first leg of the mission, from May 14th to the 18th, the Board visited Moldova, engaging with government officials, civil society representatives, local authorities, private sector partners, the UN country team, international partners and beneficiaries, to observe UN Women’s on-the-ground initiatives and their impact.

The Board’s itinerary included a visit to the first Regional Integrated Service for Victims of Sexual Violence in Ungheni, where they acknowledged its successful piloting since November 2023. Meetings with the representatives from the police, hospitals, and forensic sectors aimed to enhance violence prevention efforts. Additionally, discussions with central authorities, including Prime Minister Dorin Recean, Marina Morozova, deputy chair of the Parliament Committee on Social Protection, Health and Family, and Alexei Buzu, Minister of Labour and Social Protection, emphasized the strategic partnership with UN Women in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in Moldova.

The Prime Minister appreciated the UN Women’s support in promoting gender equality and developing programs aimed at the economic empowerment of women from Moldova. Furthermore, Minister Alexei Buzu expressed the need “to receive further support so that progress made on gender equality is irreversible and other achievements are gained faster.”

Furthermore, meetings with civil society organizations and local authorities addressed challenges in promoting gender equality, emphasizing UN Women’s efforts in empowering women with disabilities and Roma women and girls. The Board recognized UN Women’s support in implementing gender-responsive strategies, socio-economic inclusion of women refugees from Ukraine, and promoting women’s participation in conflict resolution processes. 

Discussions on the Women, Peace, and Security agenda with the Women’s Advisory Board emphasized gender-sensitive peacebuilding efforts supported by UN Women. 

“From the many meetings we had with national and local public authorities, women entrepreneurs, and civil society, we saw many active and dynamic women, agents of change who contributed to real progress in the field of women’s rights in the country. It is important now to uphold these achievements and to continue allowing women at all levels to take the lead and develop their full potential,” said H.E. Halley Christine Yapi Bah, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Côte d’Ivoire to the United Nations.

The mission extensively covered the realm of women’s economic empowerment. The Board interacted with over 30 women entrepreneurs from the Ungheni district and visited a local fair exhibiting women’s local products. The entrepreneurs shared their stories of building their businesses, thanks to the economic empowerment programmes supported by UN Women. “Thanks to these programmes, I’ve grown both personally and as an entrepreneur. I received a grant, learned how to properly build a business in Moldova, and found strength to develop a business that is not easy for a woman in our country,” mentioned Olesea Plăcintă, an agri-entrepreneur producing dairy products from sheep and goat milk, whose production site the Board visited.

The Executive Board also witnessed UN Women’s work in encouraging women’s participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics and IT. They visited the STEAM gymnasium from Chisinau, where UN Women fully equipped a physics lab, and convened with over 20 women from Moldova and Ukraine working in these fields and beneficiaries of various UN Women programmes. Anna Afanasova, an IT specialist from Ukraine, was granted six months of complimentary access to a co-working space. Reflecting on her experience, she emphasizes the value of networking and adaptability. “I appreciate all the networking opportunities and the experience I gained. I have learned to be flexible and adapt to new circumstances,” pointed out Anna Afanasova.

The mission extended to Ukraine from May 20th to the 22nd, focusing on understanding the repercussions of Russia’s war on women and girls, their needs, as well as UN Women’s support and role in promoting gender-responsive governance and advancing gender equality. Ukrainian women and women’s led organizations have played pivotal roles in humanitarian aid delivery, community support, armed resistance efforts, and economic revitalization. It also focused on observing the country’s gender equality agenda from the normative to the policy implementation level.

Discussions with government officials, including with the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy Kateryna Levchenko and Iryna Postolovska, Deputy Minister of Social Policy on European Integration, addressed key topics for gender governance such as mechanisms for ensuring gender equality, gender mainstreaming in Ukraine’s recovery and European integration efforts, initiatives combatting sexual violence related to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and implementation of the National Action Plan 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. 

H.E. Andreas von Uexküll, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations, stated that we need to support Ukraine in all international arenas. “We are aware of the challenges, difficulties, and tragedies you face daily, and how you have opened your homes to IDPs who are experiencing even greater hardships and have had to flee their homes. The Swedish people and the Swedish government are committed to supporting Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” said Ambassador von Uexküll.

Furthermore, discussions were conducted with Olena Kondratiuk, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament and Ukrainian members of the parliament on crucial matters such as advancing gender equality within the Parliament, ensuring the safety of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war in regions under Russian occupation, and implementing conventions aimed at addressing conflict-related sexual violence. The integration of gender perspectives across all recovery sectors was a key topic in dialogues with both government bodies and women’s civil society organizations. 

Additionally, beneficiaries of the UN Women-led programmes promoting women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship, as well as residents of Borodyanka and Bucha, areas formerly occupied by Russian forces, shared firsthand very touching accounts of survival and resilience.

Three thematic roundtables were convened, focusing on diverse subjects such as conflict-related sexual violence, women’s economic empowerment and leadership, and the challenges faced by vulnerable groups, including Roma women, HIV-positive women, internally displaced women, and rural women. These discussions highlighted the pressing needs, resilience, and the evolving roles of women in Ukraine’s transformative journey amid adversity. 

Sofia Burtak, founder of the Rural Women NGO Business Network, said that rural women do not have much space and are not represented on platforms where they can speak about their challenges. “Sixty-eight percent of the women in our network do not participate in any activities or programmes because most programs are urban. They also have a lot of fears, so we try to give them more protection, more knowledge, and economic rights, and encourage them to go into entrepreneurship. I believe that women can only be empowered if they’re economically independent,” mentioned Sofia Burtak. 

The final segment of the mission concluded in Poland on the 24th of May, where the Board engaged with Polish Authorities and UN organizations to understand Poland’s response to the Ukraine refugee crises and UN Women’s engagement and held discussions on promoting strengthened collaboration.

UN Women Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, who accompanied the Executive Board, highlighted UN Women’s normative work with parliamentary and Governmental bodies, emphasizing technical support for legislation on gender equality, women’s empowerment, prevention of violence against women, childcare services and increased women’s participation in leadership and politics. “It is important to underscore the significance of local-level engagement by supporting increased participation of women as local leaders. This is crucial because local leaders are closest to the communities and can genuinely respond to their needs,” stated Belén Sanz Luque. 

The comprehensive mission provided an opportunity for the Executive Board to witness first-hand UN Women’s implementation of its triple mandate, including its operational, normative and coordination roles, which were effectively leveraged to enhance the organization’s response at the country level. It also highlighted UN Women’s steadfast commitment to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Ukraine, amidst challenges posed by armed conflict and humanitarian crises.