Gender aspects of border and security management in focus of OSCE regional workshop in Turkmenistan

An OSCE-organized regional workshop on gender mainstreaming in border management, held in a blended format, took place on 23 and 24 November 2023 in Ashgabat. The workshop brought together, online and in-person, officials from the five Central Asian countries’ border security and management agencies.

The Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, a member of the Mejlis (Parliament) of Turkmenistan, Ambassador of Germany to Turkmenistan, Ambassador of Norway to Turkmenistan (based in Oslo), Permanent Representative of Poland to the OSCE and the OSCE Senior Advisor on Gender Issues, made opening speeches.

In his video address at the opening of the regional event, John MacGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, said: “By including meaningfully different perspectives and different peoples in designing and implementing national border management strategies, border agencies can achieve formidable   operational effectiveness and greater security.”

“I would like to stress the role of women service personnel in advocating a gender balance in the security sector, acting as a role model in society and inspiring girls and young women to seek careers in the security sector,” added MacGregor. “Furthermore, stories told by women service personnel generate a positive impact on youth, who make up a significant portion of the population in Central Asia.”

The regional event stimulated discussions conducive to addressing issues related to achieving a gender balance in border management. The workshop familiarized participants with best practices from the OSCE participating States across the Central Asian region and beyond in promoting a multi-stakeholder and cross-sectoral approach to gender mainstreaming in the security sector. In addition, considering the ever-increasing movement of people across the border, the event presented a gender-sensitive approach to combating trafficking in human beings when crossing the border.

Representatives from the five Central Asian countries presented their respective countries’ active gender-oriented national policy, reflected in all national programs of social and economic development. The event pooled together leading subject matter experts from the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, OSCE Secretariat's Gender Issues Programme, Border Security and Management Unit, Action Against Terrorism Unit, and OSCE Border Management Staff College.

The regional workshop is organized within the framework of the Centre’s extrabudgetary multi-donor project “Strengthening State Border Service Capacities of Turkmenistan” and supported financially by the Government of Poland.