Equal rights and opportunities for women and men are essential to peace, stability, democracy and sustainable economic and environmental development. The OSCE actively pursues this agenda across its entire region.
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Many factors can affect security and stability, often across borders, population segments or the OSCE’s three dimensions.
Gender equality has increasingly been found to be directly correlated with the state of security and stability in a society. States that have lower levels of gender inequality are less likely to resort to the use of force, for example. On the other hand, where conflict persists, gender equality is often eroded. In other words, gender equality is a marker of peace and security. Consequently, the OSCE recognizes that equal rights and opportunities for women and men are essential to peace, democracy and sustainable economic and environmental development.
Building on our comprehensive and co-operative approach to security, we work on strategies to tackle the issue head-on.
The OSCE is taking a strong stance on gender equality. Not only is gender mainstreamed into all our programmes, projects and activities, but we also run a whole gamut of activities to promote the meaningful participation of women in public and political life. This includes supporting the role of women in peace efforts and security institutions; initiatives to promote non-discriminatory laws and policies and increase women’s participation in politics and electoral processes; and addressing imbalances by promoting gender-responsive socio-economic and environmental policies. We also work with our participating States on action to combat violence against women and support victims and survivors of such crimes.
Our institutions, field operations and offices bring to the task expert skills and knowledge to develop tailor-made solutions for each challenge.
All OSCE offices and institutions have incorporated the commitments on gender equality into their work programmes and their own structures. While the team working under the Secretariat’s Programme for Gender Issues has an umbrella function over this entire work area and develops the operational tools, guidelines and training materials to support staff members and stakeholders in integrating a gender perspective into their activities. 
Other OSCE bodies have mandates to tackle more specific gender-related tasks. This includes the fight against gender-based violence, which is an important work area for the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and the gender element in relation to economic empowerment and environmental security, a focus of the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities.
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office has also appointed a Special Representative on Gender.
Bringing gender equality to the OSCE and its activities
Most field operations also work with their host countries on initiatives that aim at fostering men’s and women’s equal rights and opportunities and preventing discrimination in public and political life.
Initiatives funded by individual states and organizations
Upcoming conferences, meetings and training events
Ukraine
Bundestag, Berlin
Warsaw, Poland
Online
Official OSCE documents, publications, guidelines and other resource material
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Reports, studies and analyses for policymakers, researchers and all those interested in this field of our work
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Practice-oriented manuals, guides, handbooks and recommendations for policymakers and practitioners working in this field
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Read up on the OSCE, our people on the ground and our work

source