Orange Moldova continues to encourage working mothers and fathers with young children to combine family and work responsibilities. In addition to the existing facilities provided by Orange Moldova for employed parents with young children, the company has recently set up a space for childcare and breastfeeding.

The company implemented the initiative friendly to working mothers and fathers with the financial support of the United Nations Population Fund - UNFPA Moldova and the Government of Austria within a program to expand the opportunities for mothers and fathers to have the desired number of children without giving up their professional and personal aspirations.

The launch event of the family-friendly space was attended by representatives of UNFPA, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the administration of the Orange company, as well as company employees' parents and their children, including those benefiting from the remote work program.

"I work from home, and I also come to the office periodically. Thanks to this childcare and breastfeeding space, I will be able to come with my son whenever I need, knowing that my child feels good at the office and has all the necessary conditions. This motivates me one more time to continue working in this team", said a mother employed by the company.

The initiative is part of the UNFPA Demographic Resilience Programme aiming to support the countries in the region to develop demographic policies and programmes for people to respond to demographic changes, empower women and young couples to have the desired number of children and expand partnerships with the private sector in this regard.

"Orange Moldova is one of the champion companies that inspire through its innovative approach in creating family-friendly conditions at work, being also an example of sustainable investment in the private sector. By implementing policies and practices to support the unpaid caregiving responsibilities of all employees, the private sector supports women in achieving their career aspirations and men in the exercise of paternity responsibilities through a stronger engagement in child care”, underlined Nigina Abaszada, UNFPA Resident Representative.

"Developing initiatives that help our employees balance their work and family responsibilities are a priority for us. At the same time, we focus on changing behaviors and attitudes. We are grateful because we had the opportunity to participate in this project and to take from the experience of other companies and other countries in the field of family policies for reconciling work and family life. The Orange company is still open for collaboration and the establishment of innovative partnerships that contribute to a more inclusive and resilient society", said Olga Surugiu, General Director Orange Moldova.

The childcare and breastfeeding space was set up as part of the project competition "Granting Funds for the development of family-friendly initiatives", launched in the spring of this year, by UNFPA together with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova, in order to support companies for the development and setting up family-friendly spaces at the workplace. 

"This is the first project to implement family-friendly policies in the private sector. We are glad that together with UNFPA we were able to conceptually contribute to improving the working environment for mothers and fathers with young children working in these four companies, members of the Chamber. Through such initiatives, we will succeed in increasing the country's economic competitiveness, and people will stay to work in the country, alongside their families", said Igor Harea, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova.

In the spring of 2022, as part of the Family Friendly Workplace Initiatives Launch Ceremony, the private companies Orange Moldova, Panilino, Premier Energy Distribution and Asena Textil were co-financed by UNFPA with USD 5,000 each, and the companies doubled the contribution and initiated the arrangement of family-friendly spaces at the workplace.

The Orange Moldova company currently has over 1,500 employees, of which 47% are men and 53% are women, and is one of the four champion companies that have aligned themselves with family-friendly policies in the workplace in 2021-2022. In the spring of 2022, as part of a grant competition developed by UNFPA, Orange received co-financing of USD 5,000 to implement a family-friendly initiative for employees. The company doubled the contribution and created a family-friendly space at the workplace for several months, encouraging employed mothers and fathers to balance family with work life.

The ‘Expanding Choices: Gender-Responsive Family Policies for the Private Sector in the Western Balkans and Moldova’ project is implemented by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), with the support of the Austrian Development Agency, in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova.