Good morning,
Distinguished guests, friends, and most importantly, the women and girls who brought this initiative to life.
Standing here today, I am reminded of a simple but profound truth: autonomy is not something to be given; it is something that inherently belongs to each of us. And yet, history has often treated women and girls differently—as though their choices, their bodies, and their futures could be dictated by others. This initiative has been about confronting that mindset and challenging the structures that still cling to it.
Over the past months, we’ve seen women and adolescent girls stepping forward with strength and imagination, not waiting for permission to lead but doing so because it is their right. We’ve seen you push boundaries and tackle challenges in ways that defy the limits society has too often imposed. And we’ve seen something else—how solidarity among women and girls can dismantle the harmful narratives that have persisted for too long.
What strikes me most is the role adolescents have played in this work. Adolescence is a time of questioning and discovery—a time when young people often challenge conventions and resist conformity. This nonconformity, this insistence on imagining a better world, is something we should celebrate and protect. When adolescent girls use their voices, they are not just speaking for themselves—they are reshaping what is possible for all of us.
This program has proven that when we recognize the full humanity of women and girls—their ability to make decisions, to lead, to create change—we don’t just help individuals; we shift entire societies. The local initiatives that you designed were not cookie-cutter solutions but deeply rooted responses to the realities you face. From raising awareness about violence to creating avenues for dialogue and healing, you showed that progress starts when women and girls are trusted to know what they need, and supported in pursuing it.
But let’s not sugarcoat the challenges. There are still spaces where women are treated as less than fully human, as though their rights and autonomy are negotiable or secondary. There are still barriers—legal, cultural, and economic—that undermine their ability to live freely and fully. And there are still biases that devalue the contributions of adolescent girls, despite the clarity and urgency they bring to the table.
This is why our work must go beyond celebration. It must be rooted in a deep, ongoing commitment to ensure that no woman or girl is ever treated as property, as an afterthought, or as less deserving of dignity. It means integrating adolescent girls into every space where decisions are made, not as tokens but as essential participants. It means challenging outdated systems that hold back progress—not just for women but for everyone.
I will say it again: when women and girls claim their autonomy, we all benefit. They bring perspectives that challenge complacency, spark innovation, and push us towards fairness and equity. Their insistence on their full humanity reminds us of what is possible when we move beyond the narrow definitions of roles and worth that have shaped us for far too long.
I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the partners and donors whose support has made this project possible. My sincere thanks go to the Association of Independent Press for their dedicated efforts in advancing prevention initiatives to protect girls, boys, and women in Moldova. I also extend my appreciation to the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Development Bank (KfW), and the European Union (ECHO) for their continuous and invaluable support, which enables us to carry forward this important work.
So today, as we close this chapter, I ask you to carry forward what we’ve built here—not as a project that has ended but as a movement that must grow. Let’s create spaces where adolescent girls can ask hard questions and disrupt the status quo. Let’s ensure that women’s autonomy is never treated as optional or conditional. And let’s keep listening, learning, and standing together, knowing that the fight for autonomy is one we cannot afford to lose.
Thank you.
