Moldova: The National Women's Studies and Information Center

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Project Update

The National Women’s Studies and Informational Centre, now the Center “Partnership for Development”, published a Romanian adaptation of Our Bodies, Ourselves in 2002. The publisher of this edition is Litera Publishing House in Chisinau and support for this project came from a Soros Foundation “Women at Risk” grant.

The Foundation also provided funds for distribution to other women’s group in Moldova and, soon after publication, our partner provided free copies to every local and national nongovernment organizations across the country.

These groups are still using their copies to develop training curricula for women, raise awareness among female student populations on physiological and psychological aspects of their body, and provide counseling on a range of issues on and related to women’s health.

In 2002, with funding from the Soros Foundation, our partner translated and published a complementary volume to Our Bodies, Ourselves called Sacrificing Ourselves for Love.

If you would like more information about this project and explore ways you might get involved, please contact the OBOS Global Initiative staff.

Cover of the Romanian translation of Sacrifing Ourselves for Love

Meet Our Partner

The Center “Partnership for Development”, originally the National Women’s Studies and Information Center, was created 10 years ago, at a time when Moldova’s civil society was still young and there was absolutely no work being done on gender equality, discrimination and violence.

Established to fill a critical need, the organization has played a pivotal role in building and nurturing a women’s health and rights movement in the country; and by encouraging women to associate and advocate for their rights, they have developed an extensive network of local partners that was formally recognized in 2005 as the Alliance PasProGen. This network includes about 80 women’s groups.

In 2006, the organization became an institutional partner with the Soros Foundation in Moldova and Open Society Institute. This resulted in an exciting transition, from an information-and-training provider to an organization focused on public policy; from a grassroots resource to a think-tank on democracy.

Around this time, the organization’s name changed to Center “Partnership for Development” and they extended the mission to include education, legal and public policy analysis. They also became the first group to involve and train mass-media journalists and political parties, as well as monitor media discourse on gender equality. Staff members are “regulars” on talk-shows and parliamentary hearings. 

They are also a vital government resource and ally. Related “coups” include: membership on the National Equality Committee; partnerships with the Ministry of Social Protection on the National Plan on Gender Equality and the Ministry of Economy on a gender sensitive National Development Plan; outreach to local decision makers on the European Charter for Gender Equality; and developing a gender equality plan for the Chisinau municipality. They are also longstanding partners to agencies such as UNIFEM, UNDP, OSCE, Winrock International and Soros Foundation.

The secret to their success?

In their words: “The Uniqueness of CPD consists in successful fulfillment of its double role (as) a resource center for local NGOs and a think-tank that mainstreams gender issues in national public policies. This is due to the strong partnerships at the local, national and international level and highly professional and enthusiastic team.”

Other resources developed by the organization include: Appreciating Women’s Attitude towards Their Own Health (2000) - a survey conducted in collaboration with the Academy of Science and the State University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Nicolae Testemitanu"; Informative Bulletin (1999-2004) - a set of 20 issues on woman’s health; Informative Legal Magazine - published with the Center for Human Rights; and Thumbs-up Moms and Dads - a guide for parents on age-specific child health issues and the negative physical and psychological consequences of child labor.

Looking for a Copy?

The Romanian adaptation of Our Bodies, Ourselves and Sacrificing Ourselves for Love are out of print. However, both resources are available at the Center’s library, while the adaptation of Our Bodies, Ourselves can also be found at other non profit groups across the country.

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