The new national program on gender equality for 2010- 2015 approved by the Government envisions a more active involvement of the women in the political, economic and social life of the country, Info-Prim Neo reports. Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Family Valentina Buliga said a specific situation was created in Moldova during the last few years. The number of women in the national legislative body has increased after the July 29, 2009 elections. The women now make up 24.75% of the MPs. At the same time, the number of women holding executive positions has decreased. Currently, only one Ministry is headed by a woman. At the local level, the female mayors constitute 17.9% of the mayors. Moldova is among the top 20 countries in the world by gender quality, according to the second Global Gender Gap Report released by the World Economic Forum. “Even if we have legislation guaranteeing gender equality, we encounter problems in implementing it. We witness discrimination on the grounds of gender on the labor market, in the social protection system and other areas, especially as regards the promotion of women to executive positions,” Buliga said. She also said that the new program was formulated in accordance with the European standards. It includes two plans of action in eight areas of activity. The first plan covers the period between 2010 and 2012, while the second - the period between 2013 and 2015. After the first plan of action is implemented, there will be prepared a report on how the mechanisms for implementing the planned measures work. Valentina Buliga stressed that Moldova, as a member of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), at the ministerial meeting of this organization in July 2010, will present a report on the implementation of the eight Millennium Development Goals during 2008 – 2010. The third goal is to promote gender equality and empower women.