Tackling discrimination and intolerance against women and girls is vital to ensure our common security, OSCE leaders say

VIENNA, 24 June 2024 – Despite progress made in some areas, levels of intolerance and discrimination remain high and pervasive in many parts of the OSCE region with a particularly negative impact on women and girls, corroding democracy and jeopardising our common security, and undermining gender equality, OSCE leaders said as a two-day meetingon tolerance and non-discrimination and gender equality started today. 

The event brings together representatives of OSCE states, international organizations, and civil society to discuss the need to build equal and inclusive societies based on gender equality and combat discrimination across the region, providing a platform to discuss the progress made in implementing OSCE commitments and exploring the negative impact of intolerance and discrimination, particularly on women and girls.

Chair-in-Office Minister Ian Borg has consistently emphasized, “While we celebrate progress, we acknowledge that intolerance and discrimination continue to undermine human security across the OSCE region, severely limiting the rights and freedoms of women, girls, and vulnerable communities. This is why Malta’s Chairpersonship of the OSCE is adopting an inclusive approach by mainstreaming gender, fully recognizing that the empowerment of women is not just our moral duty but also crucial for creating more peaceful, sustainable, and inclusive societies.”  

Participants will focus on three separate but interconnected themes. The first is the impact of intolerance and discrimination on women and girls as well as the role of women in promoting tolerance and good practices in this area. The second will focus on the challenges faced specifically by women and girls from vulnerable communities, giving participants the opportunity to exchange good practices and discuss ways of adapting successful strategies for use in different countries and situations. The final theme of the conference is the need to mainstream gender in order to respond effectively to hate crimes.

Women and girls with minority backgrounds such as Roma and Sinti are disproportionately affected by intolerance and discrimination, for example through limited access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. This does not only perpetuate inequality, but also raises serious concerns for their safety. Participants will therefore discuss good practices and effective strategies to combat hatred, including the use of technology and social media to promote balanced and positive narratives.

“Hatred is insidious and does not just affect one community or group, but the whole of society,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. “Women and girls are particularly affected, but all too often their voices are excluded, stopping them from making a vital contribution to building more tolerant and inclusive societies for all. Greater efforts must be made to ensure they can play an equal role to men and boys, helping to create more stable and just societies across the OSCE region.”

Combating intolerance in all its forms is a key task for all, from governments, through civil society and religious or belief communities, to international organisations. States do not only have primary responsibility for safeguarding people from all forms of intolerance and discrimination, but also need to ensure that their rights are respected in practice.

All OSCE states have unequivocally condemned intolerance and have committed to combating discrimination, intolerance and hate as an integral aspect of the OSCE concept of comprehensive security.  They have also recognised the need to develop programmes to increase tolerance and raise public awareness of that intolerance and hatred are unacceptable and a risk to social cohesion. The full range of ODIHR resources on countering intolerance, discrimination and hate crime are available here.

Supplementary Human Dimension Meetings are a platform for OSCE states and institutions, as well as international organizations and civil society, to exchange views and good practices in order to find common solutions for the challenges facing societies across the region. Today’s discussion is the third and final SHDM of 2024.