The International Center La Strada celebrated 20 years of activity. On this occasion, an exhibition of informative materials, developed by “La Strada” within the projects and campaigns implemented since 2001, was launched today in the Square of the Monument of Stefan cel Mare.
The event is a time of gratitude, celebration and an opportunity to remind all of the progress and the values that underlie the activity of the organization:
We have created and maintain the Hotline for Safe Migration and Anti-Trafficking. Since 2009, we have been providing a well-functioning Trustline for Women and Girls, which has received over 20,000 calls. More than 500 women and 640 children who have gone through traumatic experiences of domestic violence or sexual abuse have benefited from the assistance of La Strada psychologists and lawyers. We have opened the first, in our country, Interviewing Room for child victim or witness of the crime. We have designed and implemented over 20 information and advocacy campaigns. We have contributed to the drafting and promotion of 10 laws, 5 national strategies and plans in our fields of activity. We educated 15 generations of volunteers, who became an important voice in promoting non-violence among the younger generation.
With congratulation messages, the event was attended by several guests of honor, including: Brett ROSE, Director of the Bureau of Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement, INL, USA Embassy in Chisinau, Vasile HAREA, Head of the Center for Combating Trafficking in Persons, Angela PRISĂCARU, Senior Consultant, General Education Directorate, Ministry of Education and Research, Lilia PASCAL, Head of the Direction Policies for ensuring gender equality, Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Nighina AZIZOV, Program Coordinator, Un Women Moldova.
The change in us can change things. How?
During November, La Strada team aims to review the progress achieved and the lessons learned over two decades, in the form of an anniversary campaign with the tagline Change in us can change things. The Executive Director of "La Strada", Elena BOTEZATU, explains the slogan:
La Strada has been and continues to be a leading organization in the field of protection and promotion of the rights of women and children who have suffered or are facing various forms of violence. But this status has been built through hard work, courage, perseverance, and lessons learned from our beneficiaries. Every service, every campaign, every draft law we have contributed to, has been inspired by the needs and expectations of the women and children we work for every day. They helped us to understand what was wrong, what needed to be changed. They have shaped our structure, approaches, and work tactics over time. They also judged us best and taught us what to correct in the opinions and attitudes of those on whom the well-being of women and children in difficulty depends. This campaign is, if you will, a tribute to the winners we have met along our way.
What's next?
The path taken by the organization would have been much more difficult without the support and contribution of development partners. La Strada team always felt by the shoulder of our colleagues from the civil society, especially the open collaboration and support of the National Coalition "Life without violence in the family".
La Strada continues this path and the development strategy for the coming years involves piloting and developing new services. We will try to diversify counseling services for women facing domestic violence and sexual violence. We will invest heavily in strengthening the school community's capacity to prevent and intervene in cases of online child abuse, but also in specialized training for professionals who investigate and prosecute cases of child online sexual exploitation and abuse. We will try to develop a new child sexual abuse reporting service. At the same time, we will continue to support the Government in developing the legal framework for the identification, referral and assistance of victims, as well as in the implementation of bilateral agreements for employment abroad of Moldovan citizens - under legal and safe conditions, says Elena BOTEZATU, La Strada Executive Director.