On the International Day of Rural Women, the women – trade unionists have submitted to the authorities a number of claims

The women – trade unionists from the rural area show their concern for social and economic situation in the country and urge the authorities to take concrete action to improve the living conditions of the women from villages. Statements to this effect were made at several meetings of the women from trade unions, organized last week marking the occasion of the International Day of Rural Women.

Thus, on Thursday, October 15, in the Anenii Noi city, the women – trade unionists from the region adopted a Statement, which was addressed to the Parliament, Government, and local government representatives from the Anenii Noi district, employers and civil society.

Daria Bostan, Chairman of the Intersectoral Territorial Council of Trade Unions from Anenii Noi district, said that, though it is said at all levels that women’s rights are part of human rights, the reality of the countryside looks completely different; the level of their life is getting worse day by day.

The women – trade unionists from the Anenii Noi asked to halt the increase in tariffs for gas and electricity, the urgent adoption of measures to offset the cost of medication, to increase the allowance at childbirth to 5000 lei, to establish an unique minimum wage at the subsistence level and to prevent the increase of health insurance contributions.

We note that the session was attended by the representatives of the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova (NTUCM), Tamara Mirovschi, head of the Organization, education and information department of the NTUCM and Ana Moldovanu, head of the Department of social and economic protection of the NTUCM. They communicated to those present about the activities and actions of NTUCM in protecting social and economic rights and interests of women in the country.

Another Statement was adopted Friday, October 16, by the women – trade unionists from Edinet district. Within the framework of a roundtable, they have expressed their concern about the problems of rural women referring to unfavorable working conditions, low wages, discrimination in the labor market, young people leaving the country and the massive negative impact of the informal economy.

Stela Ciobanu, President of the Intersectoral Territorial Council of Trade Unions from Edinet, stressed the importance of social dialogue in solving the existing problems and insisted to undertake all necessary actions to improve the situation of rural women.

The women – trade unionists from Edinet asked to increase the minimum wage and its indexation depending on the rate of inflation, undertaking of concrete actions to combat the informal economy, halting the increase in prices for essential goods, establishment of a strict control on the distribution of compensated medication, increase in 2016 of the expenditures for balneotherapeutic treatment.

Liuba Rotaru, Chairman of the Women Council within the framework of NTUCM, who attended the roundtable, praised the work of the women – trade unionists from the region, informed about the work of the Women Council within the framework of NTUCM, stressing the need to develop the social dialogue.

Also, in the context of marking the World Day of Rural Women, were organized activities in Ungheni, Falesti and Singerei.

The International Day of Rural Women was established in 1995 at the International Conference of Women in Beijing and is marked annually on 15 October.

According to the statistics, the women represent more than a half of the population of the Republic of Moldova and more than one million women live in rural areas.

Information Department of NTUCM