On Wednesday, 25 May 2022, the National Institute of Justice in partnership with the Council of Europe of Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP Program) launched a new distance learning course "Violence against Women and Domestic Violence" . The event is part of the Council of Europe project "Supporting the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in the Republic of Moldova ".
In the opening, William Massolin, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, and Ecaterina Popa, ad interim Director of the NIJ, highlighted the value of the course for improving the quality of the judicial response to violence against women and their access to justice. This course will be integrated into the training programs of the National Institute of Justice.
The experts of the Council of Europe - Sandra Veloy Mateu, Project Manager, Capacity Building and Cooperation Projects Unit, Gender Equality Division, Louise Hooper, co-author of the course, Emilia Cebotari, Senior Project Officer, - and HELP national tutors - Arina Țurcan, NIJ trainer, and Ecaterina Popa, HELP focal point, NIJ trainer. Furthermore, the experts and tutors described the HELP methodology and course content, the Istanbul Convention and the victim-centered approach, the challenges and solutions to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence in the Republic of Moldova, as well as the practical aspects of implementation of the e-course.
"Violence against women and domestic violence" is the 19th HELP course tutored at the national level by the National Institute of Justice, with 78 beneficiaries: judges, prosecutors, legal assistants, clerks, prosecutor's consultants, attorneys involved in state legal aid. During the period 25 - 25 July 2022, they will pass through seven interactive modules which, in addition to the international/European legal framework and case law governing the prevention and protection of women and girls against violence, also provide practical tools for dealing with such forms of violence. Based on the final test result, the beneficiaries of the training will receive HELP certificates.