November 7^th, 2018 – Council for preventing and eliminating discrimination and ensuring equality (Equality Council) has launched “Equal Rights in Rural Communities” awareness campaign.

First campaign activities have started in Gongaz helmet where Equality Council team organized training for 40 persons, such as teachers, educators, doctors, policemen, social workers, the city hall and the post office employees.

For the first time, all the participants have seen a video “Protect your rights, don’t accept to be discriminated”, which explains the process of how a complaint is received and analyzed in order to state a discriminatory case.

“According to Council’s data, it has been receiving annually 160 complaints and only 30% of complaints are received from the rural area. The main problem is not connected to the fact that discrimination doesn’t exist in the rural area, the main issue is that people are poorly informed about protection mechanisms against discrimination. That is the most important reason why we have launched Equal Rights in Rural Communities campaign together with our partners”, said Council’s member Evghenii Alexandrovich Goloscheapov.

In the helmet centre the Equality Stand was placed where local people interacted with Equality Council team and received informative materials, for example: Guide for petitioners adopted in 6 spoken languages, especially in Gagauz and Bulgarian, flyers for preventing discrimination in employment, booklets for raising awareness of tolerance, acknowledgment about diversity, and combating discriminatory deeds.

“Today I have known about the existence of the Council, which is able to help me if I become discriminated. I think, it’s important when public authorities make steps to become closer to people, because people aspire to be closer, as well”, said a local participant.

Vice-mayor of Congaz Helmet participated in the training for raising awareness of discrimination and underlined the crucial role of public authorities in running such events for citizens. “Local people should improve their knowledge about their right to non-discrimination and available institutions capable to help them. Discrimination exists in Gagauzia, we have to know how to deal it properly”, said Vice-mayor of Congaz.

Moreover, Council left free envelopes at the postal office for victims of discrimination and witness of discriminatory acts.

“Equal Rights in Rural Communities” awareness campaign is run from November 6^th to 30^th in the following regions Congaz (Gaguazia region), Tvardiţa (Taraclia region), Corlăteni (Raschani region), Sipoteni (Calarasi region), Slobozia Mare (Cahul region) and Vărzăreşti (Nisporeni region).

The primary goal is to inform society about its right to equality and about legal methods for protection against discrimination.

This campaign is launched by the Council for Preventing and Eliminating Discrimination and Ensuring Equality in partnership with the Institute Penal Reform with the support of the Program for the Financing of Human Rights Initiative / Change Projects. This program is carried out with the participation of the Institute for Penal Reform within the project “Strengthening the technical capacities of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights” financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and implemented by the United Nations Development Program