Only in unity we can stop the war and build a safe world for everyone – message from Liliana Palihovici, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Gender

CHISINAU, 8 March 2022 - The realm of peace that we have lived in for the last decades in Europe is at risk. Russian aggression against Ukraine is leaving millions of hearts scarred and people losing their lives.

I condemn this war, together with thousands of refugee women from Ukraine that I have met these past few days in the Republic of Moldova.  This madness needs to be stopped now!

Not so long ago, we all regarded the COVID-19 pandemic as the major challenge we had to overcome. We sincerely hoped that together we could help women overcome the devastating effects of the pandemic, which have had a negative impact on their social and economic security. Tragically, the war in Ukraine has taken the security of women in Ukraine to disastrous levels, forcing them to leave behind their homes, their husbands, brothers and fathers, in search for a safer place where they can find shelter and protect their children.  

Wars are not often started by women, however, in all cases, women carry the burden and live the consequences. The thousands of women and children I have met in the refugee shelters across the Republic of Moldova are proof of that. So are the survivors of war who have found refuge in Poland, Romania and other countries.

I have seen immeasurable pain and despair in the eyes of refugee women from Kyiv, Kherson, Odessa, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia. All of us share the hope that this ordeal will soon be over. Together with many people of good faith, we have offered refugees warm meals, medical care, clothes, a safe place to sleep, and words of encouragement. That we can do. What we can’t do though is to give them assurance that the war will soon be over and that they will be able to see their families, friends, and neighbours again. 

Yet, I firmly believe that the leaders of the OSCE participating States can do it. They need to act quickly and decisively in order to ensure effective negotiations to restore peace in the region. The international community must continue to act in unity, mobilizing all resources and efforts in the name of peace. They must assist the people suffering from the scourge of war and the aftermath of such horrible events.

On International Women's Day, the best reward for the women of the world would be to stop this pointless war. This would signal that the right to a safe life for all women and men can be restored. Today, when war is a threat to the life and security of all, women's voices must be heard and taken into account.