Experts discuss ways to improve training of police and judiciary to fight violence against women and girls in South-Eastern Europe

Improving the effectiveness of training in the police and justice sector to prevent and combat violence against women and girls, with a focus on South-Eastern Europe, was the topic of an online expert roundtable discussion on 11 and 12 November 2021.

The event was organized by the OSCE Gender Issues Programme as part of the “Women and Men Innovating and Networking for Gender Equality” (WIN) project. Representatives of national authorities, civil society, academia, international organizations and OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation took part in the event.

Participants discussed the findings of an OSCE-implemented mapping of South-Eastern European training curricula in the police and justice sector on violence against women and girls. They also shared good practices from other regions regarding police and justice training curricula.

Opening the discussion, OSCE Senior Advisor on Gender Equality Amarsanaa Darisuren said: “The OSCE is committed to eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls. We conducted this mapping through the WIN project in response to the clear need for additional tools to better support women and girls who experience gender-based violence.”

The mapping follows a recommendation of the 2019 OSCE-led Survey on the Well-being and Safety of Women, which found that only seven per cent of women experiencing current partner violence in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe contacted the police and that the majority of women did not expect an adequate response. 

Participants of the roundtable discussion concluded that combating violence against women and girls needs to be a top priority of police and judiciary training curricula. They stressed the importance of a multi-sectoral approach and impact-based evaluations of the training.  

The mapping and the expert discussion of its findings provide a critical baseline and will guide the work of OSCE executive structures to prevent and combat violence against women and girls, not only in South-Eastern Europe but also across the OSCE sub-regions.  

The extra-budgetary OSCE WIN project aims to advance gender equality as a prerequisite for achieving and maintaining stable, prosperous and peaceful societies in the OSCE area.