OSCE Gender Champions Award celebrates staff advancing gender equality

The OSCE held its sixth Gender Champions Award ceremony today at the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, celebrating staff members and projects that have made outstanding contributions to promoting gender equality and empowering women across the Organization.

On behalf of the OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, Ambassador Hatun Demirer, Director of the Office of the Secretary General, praised the winners for their achievements.

“Gender equality must remain at the heart of every multilateral effort to build global peace and security. The OSCE needs to continue to leading by example. This award is testament of the unwavering commitment and dedication of our staff to turn the commitments of our participating States into impactful and meaningful actions,” Ambassador Demirer said.

The 2025 OSCE Gender Champions Award recognized significant contributions in advancing gender equality in three categories: Staff Member, Gender Focal Point and Project Awards.

Siegfried Woeber, Senior Economic and Environmental Officer, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities received the Staff Member Award.

Paloma Madrigal, Associate Project Officer, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media received the Gender Focal Point Award.

Office of the Co-ordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities, Giulia Manconi, Emomali Mirzoev, Raquel Moya Martinez, Anja Stanisavljevic, received the Project Award for their project “Promoting Women's Economic Empowerment in the Energy Sector in Central Asia”.

OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Boshko Stankovski and Dhurata Kryeziu, for the project “Declaration on Violence against Women in Public and Political Life in Kosovo”.