ADVANCE: Alleviating Domestic Violence in Moldova

To commemorate the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign in November 2012, young volunteers working with Winrock and its local partners organized a flash mob in a busy neighborhood of Cahul, a town of about 35,000 in southern Moldova. Female volunteers wore make-up resembling bruises and tears in order to draw attention to the issue, and male volunteers held signs with messages like “A real man never hits a woman.” Volunteers  distributed white ribbons and information about domestic violence services offered through the ADVANCE project, and members of the public engaged in discussion and wrote messages and signatures on a large banner. Many of the passersby stopped to speak with volunteers and share their own thoughts about the problem of domestic violence and how it affects their communities. The encouraging response from the community indicates that many are willing to take a stand against this problem.

On behalf of Winrock and our partners in the ADVANCE project, we thank donors for their generous support. To date we have raised almost $700 in just the first three months, thanks to individuals like you. Stay tuned for more updates!