On July 25, representatives of business associations and civil society organizations from the Republic of Moldova came together for the launch of the newly created Women’s Economic Empowerment Alliance. Through the Alliance, the members will join forces to ensure equal access for women and men to economic opportunities in the country.

The Alliance, created with the support of the Women and Girls Empowered Consortium (WAGE), in partnership with the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and the ​American Bar Association Rule of Law (ABA ROLI), aims to reduce gender inequalities in entrepreneurship and contribute to overcoming legal and societal barriers to the economic empowerment of women in the Republic of Moldova.

The Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment brings together representatives of business associations, women’s business associations and women’s civil society organizations from various regions of the country, including the Transnistria Region and the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia.

The Alliance developed the Women’s Legislative Agenda, which was launched during the event, to address many of these gaps, support the economic empowerment of women, and to create an enabling environment for women’s full participation in business and the economy in the Republic of Moldova. The policy paper addresses five major priorities designed to help create an inclusive business environment: tax facilities related to early childhood education (nursery and kindergarten); fiscal facilities for palliative care services, for care services for the elderly, and care services children with disabilities, and summer care services for school-age children; promoting fiscal facilities for micro-enterprises; raising awareness campaigns on combating discrimination in the field of work; raising awareness campaigns on combating harassment in the workplace. The Alliance will determine advocacy activities and actions to take based on the Legislative Agenda later this year.