Chisinau, Moldova, 27-28 June 2024 - The Moldovan National Agency for the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (ANPCV) is taking significant steps to improve data collection and analysis on violence against women. Fragmented data has long hindered evidence-based policymaking, prompting the ANPCV, with the support of the Council of Europe, to hold a round table for national authorities and a workshop aimed at creating a unified system for addressing this issue.

ANPCV Director General Viorica Țîmbalari emphasised the importance of international standards and collaboration. She highlighted the need to align methods with recommendations from the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) to develop effective and coordinated measures.

The workshop focused on Article 11 of the Istanbul Convention, which requires parties to collect data and conduct research on violence against women and domestic violence. Participants, including 16 agency collaborators, gained a deeper understanding of these requirements and explored their implementation in Moldova.

Biljana Brankovic, a Council of Europe consultant, facilitated both events, stressing the need for independent bodies to implement and evaluate policies. She emphasised the importance of considering both reported violence cases and data on the overall prevalence of violence in the population when developing laws and policies. She also presented examples of data analysis and research on violence against women from other countries.

The Compendium of National Indicators on violence against women and domestic violence is being elaborated with the support of the Council of Europe and is expected to be presented in September 2024.

These initiatives are part of the Council of Europe project, "Supporting the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in the Republic of Moldova”.