Donor: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Implementation period: January-December 2024

Implementers: Educational Centre PRO DIDACTICA

Target group: adolescents, young people, women, including Roma.

Objectives: to ensure the effective functioning of 7 static Safe Spaces in: Chisinau (State Technical University, dormitories no. 2, 8 and 9; City Centre of Young Naturalists; State University of Moldova, Roma Refugee Placement Centre, Testemițanu, 6); Criuleni, Vocational School; s. Costești, r. Ialoveni, Placement Centre for Roma refugees; Congaz, r. Comrat, Placement Centre for Roma refugees.

The key objectives of Safe Space are geared towards providing an environment where individuals can:

    1. communicate and socialise;
    2. receive social support;
    3. access multi-disciplinary response services to gender-based violence; obtain information on the prevention of gender-based violence as well as comprehensive sexuality education and menstrual hygiene.
  1. The Safe Spaces continues to offer activities focused on preventing gender-based violence, promoting gender equality and social equity. Activities geared towards the prevention of gender-based violence include information sessions on comprehensive sexuality education, risks of gender-based violence, available gender-based violence response/protection services and menstrual hygiene; awareness-raising sessions and recreational activities, including outdoor, cultural, creative, film and theatre evenings. Gender-based violence awareness sessions for adolescent girls and boys, young women and young men from refugee and host communities are accompanied by donations, as well as vouchers for the purchase of specific products. These actions will contribute to achieving UNFPA Goal 2 : The causes and factors that lead to gender-based violence are addressed through interventions to prevent the phenomenon. Indicator Objective 2.1.2: Number of people targeted by gender-based violence prevention initiatives. Target – 3380 people.
  2. The Safe Spaces provides multidisciplinary services in response to gender-based violence, including psychological first aid, basic counselling, individual counselling, referral to multisectoral services and non-specialised services. In addition, Safe Spaces will distribute menstrual hygiene products and vouchers to adolescent girls and young women for assistance in accessing comprehensive GBV and CSE prevention and response programmes. These activities will contribute to the achievement of UNFPA Goal 3: Survivors and people subjected to gender-based violence have effective access to comprehensive multisectoral response services. Indicator Target 3.1.1: Number of people referred to multisectoral GBV response services. Target – 690 people. Indicator Objective 3.2.1: Number of vouchers, cash and items distributed. Target – 200 sets of personal hygiene products.
  3. Hygienic products and items such as hairbrushes, flashlights, thermoses, towels will be distributed during comprehensive sexuality education sessions and gender-based violence prevention activities carried out by Safe Spaces with the participation of adolescent girls and boys, young women and men from refugee and host communities. The action will contribute to the achievement of UNFPA Goal 3: Survivors and people subjected to gender-based violence have effective access to comprehensive multisectoral response services. Indicator Objective 3.2.1: Number of vouchers, cash and items distributed. The partner will distribute 200 kits of personal hygiene products.

Also this year, activities carried out within the project include:

    • Summer camp for Ukrainian refugees aged 18-25, beneficiaries of Safe Spaces, during which the campaign Together for Peace and Unity will also take place;
    • Cultural event For a Better World. During the event, refugee teenagers and young people, including Roma, and their peers from the host communities will demonstrate the skills acquired during the activities offered by the two Safe Spaces COTN and Testemitanu 6;
    • Sports event in which both teenagers and young people from the refugee and host communities etc. will participate;
    • Training activities for Safe Spaces staff, focusing on comprehensive sexuality education and prevention of gender-based violence.