Many studies have shown how concrete improvements in achieving gender equality in the public and private life of a country contribute to a faster and more sustainable economic and democratic development. Although domestic violence and human trafcking afect both men and women and all sectors of society, regardless of sex, age, ethnic or religious afliation, they disproportionately afect women in Moldova. One fourth of Moldovan women are victims of domestic violence; 80 to 90% of these victims end up being trafcked, mostly for sexual exploitation. Both phenomena are recognized as criminal ofences in domestic and international law. In Moldova, the rights to life, physical and mental integrity, the freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment or treatment, and other rights and obligations are guaranteed by the Constitution and other laws, including on combating trafcking, family violence, and the protection of victims and witnesses.