World Vision leads dialogue to help strengthen child protection in media and education in Moldova

Chisinau, Moldova – World Vision organized a dialogue between school representatives and local media to address the critical issue of protecting children’s rights in the media. The event brought together 90 participants, including educators, psycho-pedagogical experts, school administrators, and journalists.

The discussion was led by national experts: Angela Cara, PhD in Pedagogy, Senior Research Worker in General Pedagogics; Mariana Ianachevici – Ave Copiii CEO, who soon will start as a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) for the mandate 2025-2029; Virginia Rusnac, director of Republican Center for Educational Psychological Assistance ; and Iulia Drozdov, CRIC Coordinator Child Protection Program. 

“The dialogue has created connections between child protection specialists and media actors and highlighted the importance of respecting children’s rights and mitigating the risks of misinformation,” said Vera Gurievschi, moderator of the dialogue, and World Vision’s Education in Emergency Specialist. 

The event provided a platform for exchanging best practices, identifying challenges in child protection related to media representation, and addressing gaps in legislation. Participants examined the role of schools in promoting child rights education and the responsibility of the media in raising awareness and advocating for children’s rights. Experts proposed strategies for strengthening collaboration among schools, media, communities, and local organizations to better protect children.

Recommendations from the discussion will be compiled and submitted to the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova, advocating for legislative change to enhance child rights protections in the media and educational institutions.

“We hope that this dialogue will become a real bridge of cooperation between child protection institutions and the media, thus contributing to the respect of children’s rights and to the reduction of risks in this field,” added Gurievschi. 

This initiative was part of the Plan International-led project, “Empowering Schools: Child Protection and Safeguarding for Children and Adolescents from Moldova and Ukraine,” funded by the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC).

World Vision Ukraine Crisis Response has reached over 427,000 people in Moldova, including Ukrainian refugees and hosting communities with protection, mental health, livelihoods, cash and vouchers, basic needs, and education programs.

Story by Laurentia Jora, Advocacy & Communications Manager I Photos by World Vision's Operations team