On International Women’s Day, OSCE officials call for strengthening women’s participation in all areas of public life

VIENNA/WARSAW, 8 March 2018 – Increased efforts are needed to advance women’s leadership and participation in public life if we are to achieve gender equality, say senior officials of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Gender Melanne Verveer, and Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir stressed that there is a need to create a level playing field for women so that they have an equal chance to succeed.

The OSCE officials noted that despite women’s proven abilities as leaders and agents of change, they are underrepresented in managerial and senior professional positions, whether in elected office, the civil service, the private sector or academia.

OSCE Secretary General Greminger said: “The role of women as effective leaders, particularly in decision-making, is crucial for the effectiveness of our democracies, for the prosperity of our societies, and for peace and stability in our region.”

The lack of opportunities for women to participate in decision-making and leading positions include challenges such as gender-insensitive party culture and a lack of political will among those selecting and appointing positions to include women and the general difficulties that women face in combining family and career roles.

Special Representative on Gender Verveer noted that achieving gender equality is a societal responsibility that should fully engage men as well as women. “Ensuring women’s rights and increasing the focus on women’s meaningful participation at all levels is essential to make our societies more inclusive and resilient and to remove existing constraints and barriers to sustainable development.” 

The three officials stressed that gender equality is an indispensable prerequisite for inclusive peace, sustainable economic development and democratic governance.

“In the OSCE, we recognize that all efforts to manage conflict and to establish long-term stability and peace require the inclusion of women and men on an equal basis,” ODIHR Director Gísladóttir said. “Research tells us that gender equality is a better indicator of a state’s peacefulness than other factors such as democracy, religion, or gross domestic product.”