You don't have permissions to access this page Elena Neaga is the mayor of Balasesti commune in Singerei district that is located about 100 km away from Chisinau Elena got elected in 2019 and is not only the first female mayor in Balasesti since the independence of the Republic of Moldova but she is also the first young woman mayor many of locals were skeptical about a woman mayor but now most have radically changed their minds I believe that women are capable in any field Have you noticed how prosperous are countries where women are in charge They can change the world” – says Elena Elena worked for 5 years as a family doctor in her village she is still assisting the local fellow citizens with medical advices and assistance for free Elena shared: “I do medical consultations absolutely for free but I like my current position more than the previous one Now I can offer medical help if it is needed but my job now is to solve the problems of the locality I felt that as a mayor I could do much more than as a family doctor as she mobilized herself and the community to quickly respond to the urgent needs of citizens caused by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic “With the generous donation from one of the community families we managed to procure an ambulance for the locality Doctors had to transport patients in an ambulance that was in a deplorable condition the new ambulance serves 7 villages and over 10,000 people we created a Viber group (a popular calls and messaging app in Moldova) in which we discuss with the locals the problems of the community There are 239 members in the group from all over the locality” – she mentioned Although the pandemic brought a lot of unexpected challenges to Elena still in just one year as a mayor she managed to address specific issues related to citizens well-being and safety Elena improved the waste management system in the locality and jointly with her team and the citizens managed to eliminate a dump and to bring in the community a tractor that collects the solid waste She addressed women’s needs concerning safety in public spaces by  installing street lighting in some areas and prioritized the reparations of one of the kindergartens to ensure uninterrupted access to pre-school education highly important for children socialization and parent’s engagement in paid jobs in her 3rd mandate as mayor of Giurgiulesti village in Southern part of Moldova the locality where the only port in Moldova is located and transparency build trust among the citizens to the level that “they vote for you 3 mandates in a row” I came back from abroad where I have lived for 3 years I did not find any change in my locality and then I said that I could change something and I ran for mayor I had worked in school for 17 years” – tells Tatiana In Giurgiulesti there were not many women decision making positions she experienced at first hand all the gender stereotypes that were engrained in Moldovan communities and society were skeptical towards the idea that a woman would run for mayorship of the village the population got increasingly convinced that women are  capable managers and good leaders People in community realized that women perceive and treat differently the problems in the locality than men Tatiana managed to improve the local infrastructure and services Among the major undertakings were also the rehabilitation of the Health center which proved to be timely and highly important during the COVID-19 pandemic “the conditions in the Health center are very good and the center was also equipped with two additional high-performance devices for blood analysis this year we procured visors for this Center and from the local budget we also contributed to the opening of the COVID-19 section at the district hospital in Cahul procured sanitizers and provided the necessary protection equipment to kindergartens.” “I would like to see more women becoming mayors local councilors or try their luck in other fields Women are becoming more and more involved in various fields of activity the stereotypes that a woman should only stay in the kitchen are disappearing” – she mentions she is actively engaged in opening a museum in a framework of a school building from 1935 with the aim to preserving its authenticity but also promoting Moldovan cultural heritage located 125 km away from the capital and known by its women leaders Maria is at her fourth mandate in Sarata Veche and is the third women mayor in a row in this commune She shared with us her experience of building trusting relationship with citizens of her community “People are very open and there aren’t any communication barriers between us They can also come with some criticism that we appreciate and thus they also consider themselves appreciated Locals need to get involved to change something people were more skeptical towards open participatory governance now it is enough to give an announcement that the mayor is coming to visit and they are willing to talk about the problems of the locality”- shares Maria Maria worked in the mayor's office for 5 years she was aware of how things are going in her locality She says that “In rural areas more women are involved in decision-making processes Maria defies the gender stereotypes about women being less fit for public office because they cannot combine professional and private life or they are not as reliable as men would be Maria introduced consultations and participation of citizens in finding solutions to local problems problems with solid waste management and water supply were solved in the village of Sarata Veche “The most successful initiative is the project in which inhabitants have access to information We organized trainings that helped citizens to better understand how the local public administration works Following this training and consultations with locals All parents participated in the reparation process and today there are all the necessary conditions” – Maria said Maria hosted one of the virtual study visits for women mayors conducting their first mandates in a series that was organized by UN Women Moldova in partnership with Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM) and funded by Sweden These study visits aimed to share best practices in building resilience of communities led by women including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic “The COVID-19 pandemic impacted women disproportionally; 70% of women are engaged in the health sector; they are first line responders to the pandemic the unpaid care work of women increased substantively with the introduction of lockdown measures and closure of schools as well as the exposure to domestic violence National and local recovery policies following the pandemic need to take into account the disproportionate impact on women and men the different needs and priorities they have as well as the diverse challenge they face caused also by the existing patriarchal norms and gender stereotypes We at UN Women are glad to see that women in leadership are successfully defying those stereotypes they serve as excellent leaders in their communities who involve women and men in decision making by voicing the problems and priorities and by engaging them to jointly find the solutions which then result to be durable and sustainable” - says Dominika Stojanoska Elena,Tatiana and Maria took part in different UN Women programmes on supporting women’s leadership realized in partnership with the Embassy of Sweden and can represent successful examples or role models for women from rural areas young women or women from both rural and urban areas who are aspiring to get involved in politics Copyright © UN Women Tatiana meets daily with other Ukrainian refugees in Moldova to practice Nordic walking together Ukraine and took refuge with her relatives in Sîngerei She was born and raised in this small city Tatiana arrived alone in Sîngerei – her husband and son remain behind in Odesa but as the bombs kept hitting close to home her husband convinced her to travel to Moldova – a long trip of over 36 hours She is almost always at the head of the group This outdoor exercise reminds her of her daily walks with her dog back home This project is implemented by HelpAge with financial support from World Vision Ukraine Response Tatiana meets daily with other Ukrainian refugees to practice Nordic walking together They have been provided with necessary equipment such as walking sticks and exercise gear She believes this is a great opportunity to make friends and take care of her health ‘The refugees aren’t forgotten,’ Tatiana claims and an integral part of the local community as well.’ Tatiana’s biggest dream is to return to her family in Ukraine She speaks daily with them and is also able to visit at times Older people of Ukraine are in desperate need of humanitarian support +44 20 7278 7778 info@helpage.org Charity web design by Fat Beehive Gafencu was arrested by the communist authorities in 1941 and died 11 years later at Târgu Ocna Prison at the tender age of 31 He was dubbed “Saint of the Prisons” by theologian Nicolae Steinhardt for his “exemplary Christian conduct and devotion to those in suffering.” The monument in his honor was installed in front of the House of Culture in the city of Sîngerei The bust was blessed by His Grace Bishop Antonie of Bălți who expressed hope that the memorial will inspire the youth of Sîngerei to discover the beauty of the Orthodox faith The event was attended by local authorities and members of the Romanian Parliament 1921 in Sângerei and reposed in the Lord on February 18 a deputy in the Country Council from the Executive Committee of the Council of Moldovan Officers and Soldiers of Odessa who on March 27 voted for the Union of Bessarabia with Romania Vasile Gafencu was deported to Siberia by the Soviet occupation forces in the autumn of 1940 On the eve of the conclave that will begin on Wednesday to elect a new Pope The annual 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