Building Peaceful Democratic Culture: Women’s Debate Clubs in Moldova

Project period:

01.10.2026 - 30.09.2027

Granted amount:

500,000,- DKK

Total budget:

500,000,- DKK

Organization:

Kvinderådet

Partners:

Rețeaua Femeilor pentru Democrație "Women's Democracy Network” (WDN)

Pool:

Civilsamfundspuljen

Grant type:

Naboskab - Udviklingsindsatser

World goals:

Goal 5: Gender Equality

Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Efforts take place in:

Moldova

Resume

This 12-month pilot project aims to strengthen resilience and democratic participation among women in Chișinău, Moldova. The country faces a fragile security and information environment as a neighbour of Ukraine, with the unresolved Transnistrian conflict and ongoing misinformation from Russia contributing to polarisation and declining trust in democratic institutions. Women are particularly affected as they are facing structural barriers and limited access to safe spaces for dialogue. The project will establish structured women’s debate clubs to advance critical thinking, media literacy, and conflict-sensitive communication skills. Thirty women will be trained and supported to facilitate inclusive community dialogue activities. As an outcome, the women participants will increase their confidence and engagement in democratic processes, local dialogue will become more constructive and documented lessons from the project will inform a scalable sustainable model for future development.