On 23 May 2024, in Chisinau, the Council of Europe hosted a round table discussion with representatives of Moldovan national authorities, civil society and international organisations to explore the protection provided by the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, known as the Istanbul Convention, for migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking women. The round table examined the findings of a recent Council of Europe study on the Republic of Moldova’s legal framework and its alignment with the provisions of the Istanbul Convention on protection of migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking women from violence.
The study identified areas where Moldovan law can be further strengthened, such as introducing explicit provisions to include all forms of gender-based violence as defined by the Istanbul Convention. It highlighted critical gaps in support services for victims and refuge spaces, recommends the creation of a multilingual domestic violence hotline, and identifies to difficulties in accessing temporary residence permits for victims. It also recommends improving data collection on the number of asylum-seeking women and their access to protection. Without screening of such data, it appears that support has never been granted to migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women.
Falk Lange, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, stressed that: “As a tool for preventing and combating all forms of violence against women, including domestic violence, the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence includes provisions specific to asylum-seeking and refugee women. Therefore, the relevance and use of this study lie in its contribution to fulfilling the commitments made by authorities following the ratification of the Istanbul Convention in 2022. This marks the first systematic assessment of Moldova’s implementation of the Convention’s provisions, in particular those related to gender asylum claims and non-refoulement.”
Daniela Misail-Nichitin, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, stated that: “The study and its recommendations offer practical and valuable insights, particularly for migrant and asylum-seeking women. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is committed to addressing the reservation on Article 59 of the Istanbul Convention, and the emphasised need for systematic training to enhance the capacity of Border Police officers in balancing state security and upholding fundamental human rights.”
This event was organised under the Council of Europe project, "Supporting the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in the Republic of Moldova”.
