A Memorandum of Cooperation between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) for 2023-2027 was signed on Friday, June 30, with the aim of further expand family-friendly workplace policies in the public and private sector from the Republic of Moldova.
Until now, with the support of UNFPA and CCI, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, five companies from the Republic of Moldova have become champions in implementation of family-friendly policies. Promoted in the Republic of Moldova as part of a regional project of UNFPA and the Government of Austria, the concept of family-friendly policies at the workplace supports employees with children to balance their family and professional life and provides more opportunities for families to fulfill career and reproductive aspirations.
„UNFPA studies show that in the Republic of Moldova people want to have 3 children, but in reality they have 1 child, maximum two. This happens for various reasons, including the reduced opportunities for women to be able to combine motherhood with professional duties. By investing in equal conditions for women and men at work and family-friendly policies, we support the choice for people's desired fertility and the country's demographic resilience”, said Nigina Abaszada, UNFPA Resident Representative in Moldova.
At the same time, Sergiu Harea, the President of the CCI, spoke about the importance of family-friendly policies for private and public sector companies.
„For the past decades, we have witnessed significant changes in our society, and the labor market is no exception. Work-life balance efforts are becoming more important and the needs of our employees are changing. It is proven that the success of a company is directly proportional to the motivation and loyalty of the employees it has. Such policies help company managers to retain employees and reap long-term benefits. I am glad to see that more and more companies in the Republic of Moldova invest in family-friendly conditions and take care of the well-being of their employees and their families”, said Sergiu Harea.
As part of the Memorandum of Collaboration between UNFPA and CCI, several activities will be organized in the following 5 years, that will expand family-friendly policies at the workplace. These include:
- Conducting an information campaign for the private sector regarding legislative changes in the field of family-friendly policies and the conditions for organizing alternative childcare spaces for children up to 3 years old within companies;
- Mentoring programs for 5 private companies to implement family-friendly initiatives at the workplace, according to recent legislative changes;
- Support in the development of the regulatory framework for the certification of private companies that develop family-friendly workplaces.
Currently, several private companies, including Orange Moldova, Panilino, Premier Energy, Linella and Asena-Textil, have already aligned themselves with family-friendly workplace policies and apply such measures.
Thanks to this, more than 9000 employees enjoy various opportunities created at the workplace, including: children's play areas, children's and family playground, breastfeeding area, father's club, informal communication sessions with employees on parental leave and others.
At the same time, this year, for the first time, CCI in partnership with UNFPA established the Family Friendly Workplaces category, as part of the annual Trademark of the Year competition, which is an additional motivation for companies to develop such business models. At this year's edition, 6 other companies obtained this award, namely Moldcell, Premier Energy, Coca-Cola Îmbuteliere Chișinau, Kaufland Moldova, FinComBank and EXIMBANK.
The partnership between UNFPA and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry is carried out within the UNFPA Country Program for the years 2023-2027, being part of the project „More Opportunities: Gender-Sensitive Family Policies for the Private Sector in the Western Balkans and the Republic of Moldova” carried out by UNFPA , with the support of the Austrian Development Agency, in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.
