Beyond recognition

Women’s rights cannot be suspended due to the uncertain status of a territory. This study examines how they can be protected in unrecognized entities, with Transnistria as a case study. The aim is to identify the mechanisms – legal, institutional, and societal – through which gender equality and protection from gender-based violence may be advanced despite the absence of international recognition. The study employs a qualitative methodology combining legal doctrinal analysis, case study research, policy analysis and the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA), drawing on reports, secondary sources, and expert interviews. The findings show that although constitutional guarantees exist, systemic barriers persist, and the lack of a dedicated genderequality framework leaves women dependent on civil society initiatives and international engagement. The paper concludes that coordinated action – linking legal reform, cross-border cooperation and sustained support for local advocacy – is essential for strengthening women’s rights in Transnistria and other unrecognized entities

Action (physics) · Civil society · Human rights · International Action · International human rights law · International law · Gender, Security, and Conflict · International Human Rights and Reproductive Law · Post-Soviet Geopolitical Dynamics

• Women's Human Rights

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• The role of the European court of human rights in changing gender norms in Turkey

  Open Access•Tuba Inal•Turkish Studies•2019

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