Women in the Republic of Moldova’s justice system continue to face barriers affecting their access to some legal professions, career progression, working conditions and representation in leadership and decision-making positions, despite strong legal guarantees of equality. This was the central message of a round table that brought together legal professionals, representatives of self-governing and regulatory bodies, civil society organisations and international partners to discuss how to turn equal opportunities and career progression into practice.

The discussions were based on the findings of the Council of Europe Study on legal and institutional guarantees regarding access, protection and promotion of women in legal professions in the Republic of Moldova. The study provides an in-depth analysis of women’s participation in legal professions against European standards, assessing the legal framework, conditions of access and practice, equality of opportunity, and mechanisms for promotion and protection against discrimination.

The study shows that the Republic of Moldova has established a solid legal framework to ensure equality in legal professions. At the same time, it highlights a clear gap between formal provisions and their implementation in practice.

This gap is reflected in women’s uneven participation across legal professions. Although women represent a significant share of professionals in some areas, this does not translate into equal opportunities for career advancement or leadership.

Women now represent about 54% of judges in the Republic of Moldova, yet only 35% of courts are presided over by women. Their representation declines further in other areas: women make up around 32% of prosecutors and just 16% of chief prosecutors, while their share among lawyers has stagnated at 30%. This imbalance, particularly at leadership level, shows that despite strong legal guarantees and overall progress, equal opportunities in practice are not yet fully achieved.

Participants highlighted several persistent barriers to career advancement, including long and inflexible working hours, limited support for balancing work and family life, unclear promotion procedures, and the continued influence of stereotypes. Insufficient responses to discrimination and harassment were also identified as factors limiting equal opportunities.

These challenges were recognised as structural, requiring coordinated and sustained actions. Promoting gender equality was seen as essential to strengthening the quality, independence and public trust in the justice system, in line with European standards.

The round table concluded by outlining concrete priorities to improve equal opportunities in recruitment, promotion, leadership and working conditions, while emphasising the need for stronger cooperation across the sector.

The event was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the human rights compliant criminal justice system in the Republic of Moldova phase II”, which is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova for 2025-2028.