16th September 2026
Republic of Moldova: Submission to the CEDAW Committee on gender-based violence against women and girls
6 min read
- Amend Articles 171 and 132² of the Criminal Code so that rape and other sexual offences are defined by the absence of free and voluntary consent, in line with CEDAW General Recommendation No. 35 and Article 36 of the Istanbul Convention, without requiring proof of coercion, resistance or the victim’s inability to resist.
- Amend Article 14 of the Family Code to set 18 as the minimum age of marriage with no exceptions, and enforce the provisions on child and forced marriage.
- Amend Article 167 1 of the Criminal Code so that forced marriage covers all forms of coercion, including psychological, economic, family and social pressure, and remove the requirement to prove the perpetrator knew the victim was a child.
- Amend Articles 159 and 160 of the Criminal Code to criminalise abortion and sterilisation performed without prior, full, free and informed consent, with safeguards for women and girls with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities.
- Implement the new femicide provisions consistently, and collect and publish disaggregated data on femicide, sexual violence, digital violence and compensation so that the impact of recent reforms can be assessed.
- Provide mandatory, regular and specialised training on the prevention, identification, investigation, prosecution and adjudication of gender-based violence for police officers, prosecutors, judges, lawyers, health-care personnel, social workers and other professionals working with survivors.
- Integrate an intersectional perspective into all gender-based violence policies: guarantee Roma women’s access to justice and services, make shelters and justice procedures accessible to women with disabilities (including mothers with children with disabilities), and ensure refugee women can report violence without jeopardising their protection status or leading to other adverse consequences.