Equal political participation of persons with disabilities, youth and women focus of OSCE/ODIHR forum in Bishkek
Ensuring equal access to decision-making for persons with disabilities, youth and women was the focus of an event co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and other partners in Bishkek on 12 December 2017.
Over 50 members of political party youth wings and women’s networks, representatives of civil society and disabled people’s organizations, parliamentarians and experts from international organizations took part in the event, including 30 women and 25 men.
The forum identified challenges and opportunities for ensuring equal participation in political life by all members of society. Participants noted the need for increased co-operation to create more inclusive and representative democratic institutions, and developed recommendations in this field for Kyrgyzstan.
“Close co-operation between elected officials, political parties and civil society organizations representing various groups is crucial, as it allows governments to make more informed decisions and develop policies for the benefit of all members of their societies,” said Anete Erdmane, Associate Democratic Governance Officer at ODIHR.
“The opportunity for all to participate in the decision-making process and have access to equal and inclusive representation is one of the key pillars of democracy,” said Kahramon Sanginov, Acting Senior Human Dimension Officer at the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek. “We welcome today’s forum and are ready to continue supporting the Kyrgyz Republic in promoting broader participation in political and public life.”
The forum was organized together with the International Republican Institute, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, and the Legal Prosperity Foundation. It is part of ODIHR’s Our Right to Participate project, aiming to promote the participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life.