09.02.2006 / 16:22 / GEN0386P

PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL CHANCES FOR WOMEN AND MEN LEGISLATED IN MOLDOVA

 

The Moldovan parliament legislated equal chances for men and women by passing a law in this regard in the final reading on Thursday, February 9.

 

The law guarantees the equality of genders and access of representatives of both genders to posts in the public system and private institutions in equal measure. A proposal of lawmakers to stipulate the proportion of at least 30 percent for women and 70 percent for men in electoral lists raised most of talks.

 

Stefan Secareanu, chairman of the human rights commission, said that this proportion is discrimination and cannot be accepted. "Women and men have the same rights and all doctrinarian, pro-European parties will include women in lists in the virtue of the principle of equal genders, not for being obliged by a law."

 

Communist deputy Galina Balmos backed this opinion, saying that the stipulation of a proportion of representation in the electoral lists or institutions is humiliating for women because they want and must be promoted on basis of individual skills, not only for being women.

 

Valentina Buliga, lawmaker of the Democratic Party, said that a proportion of at least 30 percent for women is needed in the lists of candidates. "We have a young democracy and the elimination of a clear proportion of representation from law would be inopportune. Men could need this provision in future in order to succeed to the leadership," Buliga added.

 

The proposal to specify the proportion of representation of every gender in the parliament was not supported by most of lawmakers.

 

The law was voted in the first version proposed by specialized commission with 65 votes pro and two votes against.

 

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