“Safety Starts in the Community”: Information Sessions in Alexandru Ioan Cuza and Zîrnești

A.O. Regional Center for Community Development continues its mobile information sessions “Safety Starts in the Community”, carried out within the project “Together for Safety: Social Cohesion and Prevention of Gender-Based Violence in the Cahul Region”.

This time, the activities reached the communities of Alexandru Ioan Cuza and Zîrnești, where discussions were held with schoolgirls on safety, the prevention of gender-based violence, support and solidarity within the community.

Discussions on safety and violence prevention

During the sessions, participants discussed the main forms of gender-based violence and how they can affect girls, women and the community as a whole.

Particular attention was given to recognising situations of risk and understanding that seeking help is an important step when a person experiences violence or feels unsafe.

The students also learned more about the institutions and organisations that can provide support, as well as the ways in which a person can be safely and confidentially referred to available services.

Community resources matter

Through group exercises and open discussions, participants identified the resources available at local level, as well as the people and institutions they can turn to in different situations.

The sessions also created a space where young participants could ask questions, discuss different examples and reflect on how each person can contribute to a safer and more supportive community.

For A.O. Regional Center for Community Development, such activities are important because they bring information closer to young women in the communities of Cahul district and create contexts in which issues related to violence, safety and support can be discussed in an accessible and responsible manner.

We thank the students from Alexandru Ioan Cuza and Zîrnești for their engagement and openness.

We also extend our thanks to the educational institutions in the two communities, as well as to the Cahul General Directorate of Education, for their support in organising the activities and for helping facilitate our team’s access to the communities.

The activities are part of the project “Together for Safety: Social Cohesion and Prevention of Gender-Based Violence in the Cahul Region”.

#CahulWithoutViolence.

These activities are organised by A.O. Regional Center for Community Development under the umbrella of the Platform for Gender Equality, with the support of Gender-Centru, and are part of a programme aimed at empowering women-led organisations in their efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. This initiative is supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and funded by the United Kingdom of Great Britain.