The "Empowering Young Women: sustainable livelihoods through tourism" initiative aims to support women at every stage of their careers in the sector, while also advancing several of the Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to gender equality, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. The project will also count on the support of Invest Moldova Agency, and the Moldova State University, with funding from the Estonian Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia.

Training the Trainers for a ripple effect

To kick off the initiative, a pilot tourism skills training session, led by nine pioneering female trainers and five rural women entrepreneurs was held in Puhoi (26-27 February). Covering a diverse curriculum from Tourist Safety and Security to Digital Literacy, this session marks the first of many, with plans to extend training to approximately 200 rural women across Moldova in April 2024.

UN Tourism's experts then worked with women identified as potential trainers in tourism skills and in advancing gender equality. The support focused on the significance of gender equality in tourism, global challenges women face in the sector, and reviewed best practices for women's empowerment. This strategy aims to cultivate a self-sustaining cycle of mentorship and growth among female trainers in Moldova, paving the way for enduring professional development.

Championing Gender Equality through expertise

Women are crucial to tourism sector, accounting for 54% of the global workforce. Nevertheless, gender inequality is still a real challenge, with 42% of women were working in the informal economy versus 32% of men, and women were paid 14.7% less on average than men. Education and capacity building programmes are key to transforming both the sector and women's future. Natalia Bayona, Executive Director of UN Tourism
Rural tourism is one of the priorities for the Ministry of Culture in Moldova. Training the capacities of 200 women in the field of tourism will contribute substantially to the development and consolidation of rural communities, the creation of new jobs, and promote new tourist destinations that will enhance potential of the Republic of Moldova as a destination. Andrei Chistol, State Secretary, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova
The pilot program, led by pioneering female trainers, exemplifies the immediate impact of this initiative, providing hands-on training to rural women entrepreneurs and paving the way for further expansion across the country. Moreover, the focus on championing gender equality within the tourism sector underscores the initiative's commitment to fostering inclusivity and diversity and this project showcasing the transformative potential of collaboration and concerted efforts.  Otilia Dandara, First Deputy Rector of Moldova State University

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About UN Tourism

The World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UN Tourism promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

Our Priorities

Mainstreaming tourism in the global agenda: Advocating the value of tourism as a driver of socio-economic growth and development, its inclusion as a priority in national and international policies and the need to create a level playing field for the sector to develop and prosper.

Promoting sustainable tourism development: Supporting sustainable tourism policies and practices: policies which make optimal use of environmental resources, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities and provide socio-economic benefits for all.

Fostering knowledge, education and capacity building: Supporting countries to assess and address their needs in education and training, as well as providing networks for knowledge creation and exchange.

Improving tourism competitiveness: Improving UN Tourism Members' competitiveness through knowledge creation and exchange, human resources development and the promotion of excellence in areas such as policy planning, statistics and market trends, sustainable tourism development, marketing and promotion, product development and risk and crisis management.

Advancing tourism's contribution to poverty reduction and development: Maximizing the contribution of tourism to poverty reduction and achieving the SDGs by making tourism work as a tool for development and promoting the inclusion of tourism in the development agenda.

Building partnerships: Engaging with the private sector, regional and local tourism organizations, academia and research institutions, civil society and the UN system to build a more sustainable, responsible and competitive tourism sector.

Our Structure

Members: An intergovernmental organization, UN Tourism has 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members, 2 Observers and over 500 Affiliate Members.

Organs: The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Organization. The Executive Council take all measures, in consultation with the Secretary-General, for the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the General Assembly and reports to the Assembly.

Secretariat: UN Tourism headquarters are based in Madrid, Spain. The Secretariat is led by the Secretary-General and organized into departments covering issues such as sustainability, education, tourism trends and marketing, sustainable development, statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), destination management, ethics and risk and crisis management. The Technical Cooperation and Silk Road Department carries out development projects in over 100 countries worldwide, while the Regional Departments for Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East serve as the link between UN Tourism and its 160 Member States. The Affiliate Members Department represents UN Tourism's 500 plus Affiliate members.

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