Involve women in politics and peace efforts in Ukraine, urges OSCE Senior Gender Adviser on Kyiv visit

KYIV, 12 September 2014 – More can be done to enhance women’s participation in political life and in giving them a role in reconciliation and peace efforts in Ukraine, said the OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues, Ambassador Miroslava Beham, as she concluded a five-day visit to Kyiv.

During her trip, Beham met with representatives of government, civil society and international organizations to discuss OSCE commitments on gender equality and enhancing co-operation in this area. Her programme included meetings with officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Social Policy; Internal Affairs, and Defence, the Security Services of Ukraine as well as women parliamentarians, the Ombudsperson and the Presidential Envoy for the Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict in the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions.

In light of the upcoming parliamentary elections, many interlocutors noted with concern that Ukraine currently has one of the lowest shares of women parliamentarians in the OSCE region, less than ten per cent.

"The low representation of women in Ukraine’s parliament does not reflect the fact that women make up more than half of the population in Ukraine,” said Beham. “Women are an essential component to strengthening the country's ongoing reform process. It would be a loss for Ukrainian society not to utilize women's potential in its aspirations to create a stable and prosperous future. Therefore it is the responsibility of political parties and their leaders to provide women with equal opportunities to be included in electoral lists."

Beham noted the interest of both governmental and civil society representatives in the commitments outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and the need to gender mainstream the efforts relating to Security Sector Reform. Interlocutors agreed a national strategy was needed to ensure women’s inclusion in shaping future structures for reconciliation and peace.

The Senior Adviser also stressed the importance of implementing the existing National Gender Action Plan to support the development of positive practices that bring prosperity to both women and men.

In her meeting with Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, they agreed on the need and benefits of including women in the peace and reconciliation efforts in Ukraine.

“Women’s enhanced participation in the peace and wider political process is key to achieving security and stability in Ukraine,” said Apakan. “We need to acknowledge the essential contributions women make to the democratic process in the country.”

Beham’s visit to Kyiv was organized in co-operation with the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.