Press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

VIENNA, 8 March 2011 - The following is a press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on 8 March. The views expressed in this press release do not necessarily reflect those of the OSCE Chairmanship, nor of all OSCE participating States.

100^th Women’s Day a reminder of work needed to improve gender equality

COPENHAGEN, 8 March 2011 – As the world marks the 100^th celebration of International Women’s Day, parliaments should play a leading role to improve gender equality in politics and public policy, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou said today.

“It has never been enough for us to proclaim the values of gender equality,” President Efthymiou said. “We must act to ensure our laws, political practices, and economic policies all reflect these values of equal opportunity.”

The Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on Gender Issues, Dr. Hedy Fry (Canada), recently laid out her agenda for improving gender balance within the OSCE and its participating States. She pointed to the need to increase political representation of women and conduct gender-based analysis of proposed legislation to be sure new laws are viewed through the lens of all those affected.

“The overall goal of gender equality is not just equality of representation, but also equality of opportunity for women to participate fully in the economic, social, political and cultural life of their communities,” Special Rep. Fry said.