Engaging men in household chores and in raising children, alongside women, was discussed in Chisinau during an event with baking bread aroma. This bread baking workshop for men, intended to promote gender equality, was organized by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) under ‘Together against Gender Stereotypes and Gender-Based Violence’ Regional Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UN Women and UNFPA Moldova.

Five men from Straseni, Falesti and Chisinau, with different social and family background, met for a quite an uncommon activity for them — to bake bread and discuss how to break down the stereotypes related to the traditional activities for men and women in the society and promote the image of a father engaged in the family. 

Alexandru Trohin is a wrestling trainer. He has a gym in Straseni, attended by over 100 children and adolescents, and he teaches them how to become engaged men in the future. Moreover, he encouraged his daughter, Alexandra, to practice wrestling as well, side by side with boys, and thus feel confident in herself and have equal chances.

‘Since we were children we saw families where the mother was at the kitchen, and the father was at the head of the table. Then I thought to myself that in my family everything would be different. I do not ask to be cooked for or to be served. I can also cook. I also think it is normal for a father to discuss with his daughter about age-related transformations or relations with boys. I am very open if it is my daughter’s choice to discuss this topics with me. I will always be there to share her emotions and fears’, said Alexandru.

When setting up the family, Ion and his wife decided to have 3 children and that they would offer them all the time they would need. Alina and Ion Andronache are an example of equal and unequivocal sharing of household and parental duties, which brings fulfillment and harmony in their family.

‘Stereotypes and gender roles have no place in our family. We have seen certain stereotypes in our family, at our mother and father, and decided that our newly established family there will be no stereotypes and gender roles. Why? Because sometimes the gender roles are the cause of family squabbles or even family breakdown. The more gender equality in the family — in raising and educating children, in doing the household chores — the less violence and grounds for violences in the family’, said Ion Andronache.

Sergiu Guzun is the director of Panilino company and used to be regarded as authoritarian, especially when he had to accept the employees’ requests for maternity leaves. But things have changed when he became a father. Now he is encouraging the engagement of men, both at work and at home, and made this part of Panilino’s organisational culture.

‘At Panilino we have several policies on employing women after maternity leaves. We also encourage men employees of Panilino to take paternity leaves, while couples working with us enjoy a flexible working schedule, so that both can grow professionally and do the household chores on equal terms’, underscored Sergiu Guzun.

In the Republic of  Moldova, according to surveys, 8 of 10 people believe that a man should be the bread earner, and a woman should do the household chores and take care of children, which sometimes results in conflicts of abuses. ‘Father is baking white bread’ workshop was organized in the framework of 16 Days against gender based violence campaign.

‘Together Against Gender Stereotypes and Gender-Based Violence’ Program, funded by the European Union and implemented by UN Women and UNFPA Moldova, supports gender equality, tackles perceptions about the roles of men and women in the family and in the society, and is meant to contribute to eliminating gender-based violence.