Gender equality conferences

The conferences provide a platform to assess progress achieved, exchange good practices, and identify ways to further integrate gender equality into the OSCE’s work and policies.

The 2004 Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality aims to mainstream gender equality across all dimensions of the OSCE’s activities. Held on a regular basis since 2014, the Gender Equality Conferences support this goal by fostering structured discussion, encouraging more systematic implementation of the Action Plan, and promoting targeted activities in priority areas related to gender equality within the OSCE’s three dimensions of security. These areas include, among others, women’s participation in the security sector, women’s economic empowerment, and women’s political and public participation.

The conferences typically open with a high-level panel discussion, followed by thematic working sessions covering each of the three security dimensions, institutional mechanisms, and emerging issues related to gender equality.

Conference participants examine both progress made and remaining gaps in the implementation of the Action Plan, and put forward recommendations and future-oriented solutions. The conferences also offer space to explore opportunities for institutional development within the OSCE to further strengthen gender mainstreaming across all its structures.

Participants usually include representatives from OSCE institutions and field operations working on gender equality, as well as national stakeholders from governments, civil society organizations, and academia.