OSCE Special Representative and Senior Gender Adviser visit Romania

BUCHAREST, 22 November 2022 – Enhancing efforts to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda and assessing the situation of Ukrainian women refugees was at the centre of a two-day visit to Romania by Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Gender, Liliana Palihovici, and OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues, Lara Scarpitta. 

In Bucharest, they visited  the Support Center, where they met Ukrainian women refuges and held discussion with Cosmina Simiean Nicolescu the General Director of the General Directorate for Social Assistance and Marian Ursan, the President of the Carousel Association that is managing the Support Center.

“This Centre proves once more that through good communication we can enhance the society's receptiveness and solidarity with Ukrainians who fled the country because of the war. I appreciate the partnership of authorities of Bucharest municipality and Carousel Association in providing assistance and doing it with the full respect for human dignity of all 39 women and children that are housed in this Centre,” Special Representative Palihovici said. 

With the aim of sharing best practices in providing support for Ukrainian women refugees, Special Representative Palihovici and Senior Adviser Scarpitta also held meetings with the high-level officials, including the representatives of the Prime Minister Chancellery, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, and the Romanian Border Police.

Gender-inclusive peace-making and gender equality were focus of discussion with representatives of the Commission for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in the Chamber of Deputies.

“This visit was an important opportunity to discuss the short- and long term strategies to address the needs of Ukrainian refugees, most of which are women, children and people with vulnerabilities. I commend the efforts of the national authorities in Romania to mainstream gender in border management, humanitarian responses and protect the survivors of gender-based violence and trafficking in human beings,” OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues Scarpitta said.

”I was impressed by the efforts of civil society to provide safe and dignified spaces for the most vulnerable. The joint work of state institutions and civil society is critical and deserves full support,” she stressed.  

Special Representative Palihovici and Senior Gender Adviser Scarpitta emphasized the significance of keeping gender equality high on the political agenda of OSCE participating States, as well as enhancing capacities, sharing recommendations for further action, and collecting the best practices for increasing women’s political participation.