OUR PHILOSOPHY

We believe that violence – particularly gender-related violence in the form of rape, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence – is intolerable. Violence cannot be blamed on poverty or alcoholism; violence is rooted in the values of a patriarchal society based on power and domination.

We believe that the victims of verbal, sexual, emotional, social, or physical abuse deserve healthy, safe alternatives, and we are committed to providing them.

We are working not only for legislative and policy reform but genuine cultural change, as well. As Romania moves toward admission into the European Union, laws are continuously revised and the governmental bureaucracy constantly restructured. These “top-down” reforms are extremely important but until all Romanians believe that women and men are truly equal, that abuse of any kind is unacceptable, and that these new laws are worth enforcing, gender equality will remain a farce.

Because ARPGE is comprised largely of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, the legacy of Peace Corps runs strong in our thinking and in our work.

Our membership, leadership, and target audiences include women and men of all races, religions, and political affiliations.

American-Romanian Partnership for Gender Equality
P.O. Box 34374, Washington DC 20043