Gender responsive short-term visa policies: Practices and recommendations for the OSCE region
When
Where
Organized by
This event will present ODIHR’s policy brief ‘Gender responsive short-term visa policies’ to attendees from OSCE participating states as well as regional and international organizations. The aim is to inspire discussion and raise awareness of the need for relevant policymakers to take a gender perspective when developing and revising visa policies.
Topics
The event’s two sessions will explore:
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Visas, migration and gender equality
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Presentation of the brief on gender responsive visa policies in the OSCE region
The sessions will feature experts who conducted the research for ODIHR’s policy brief and representatives of international organizations focused on migration and gender equality.
There will be a discussion after the sessions.
Registration
To register, please click the following link: https://odihr-pl.zoom.us/j/85708459857?pwd=QmRqTVptelBPMXV2VUNadnV1S1FLQT09
Questions can also be addressed to the Migration/Freedom of Movement Unit, to either:
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Sofia Botzios, Migration, Freedom of Movement and Human Contact Adviser (sofia.botzios@odihr.pl)
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Anne-Katrin Lother, Consultant (anne.lother@odihr.pl)
Background
Facilitating the development of ‘human contacts’ is one of the core commitments of the OSCE. In the Helsinki Final Act, OSCE participating States emphasized “[…] the development of contacts to be an important element in the strengthening of friendly relations and trust among peoples […]” and committed to removing obstacles to enable this. The removal of obstacles includes the introduction of visa-free regimes or measures to make it easier for people to obtain visas (where visas are still in place) in order to travel and to therefore access opportunities in other countries. Such opportunities include visiting family and or friends, or pursuing cultural, educational or economic opportunities for short periods of time.
The OSCE Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality (2004) tasks ODIHR with building local capacity and expertise on gender issues, as well as supporting participating States in complying with international instruments for gender equality. As outlined in the Moscow document 1991, paragraph 40, “full and true equality between men and women is a fundamental aspect of a just and democratic society based on the rule of law.”
Potential gender inequalities that may arise in a person’s ability to access visas or challenge visa denials is an issue that requires analysis and action by policymakers in participating States and by regional organizations. The aim is to achieve policy changes that address these gaps and advance gender equality.
ODIHR has developed a policy brief in 2019 to assess the gender responsiveness of short-term visa policies in the OSCE region. This policy brief, as well as relevant updates, will be presented at the event.