Q&A: What is the Generation Equality Forum and what does it mean for the OSCE?

Q&A: What is the Generation Equality Forum and what does it mean for the OSCE?

The Generation Equality Forum is the largest global gathering on gender equality since the landmark “Fourth World Conference on Women” in Beijing in 1995. The Forum aims to generate urgent action and accountability for gender equality, and to accelerate the implementation of the commitments made in Beijing. It is convened by UN Women and co-hosted by France and Mexico in partnership with youth and civil society.

How is the OSCE involved?

The OSCE has pledged to take concrete actions on Gender Based Violence, Economic Justice and Rights and Technology and Innovation - three of the six Action Coalitions launched at the Forum. ODIHR has independently joined the Action Coalitions on Gender-Based Violence and on Feminist Movements and Leadership. The Action Coalitions are partnerships that have set specific targets for action in the next five years. In addition, the OSCE executive structures and ODIHR have joined the Women Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (WPSHA) Compact, also launched at the Forum. The WPSHA Compact aims to mobilize an inter-generational, inclusive movement for action to implement existing commitments on women, peace and security, and gender equality in humanitarian action.

What will the OSCE do under the Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence?

The OSCE will implement activities in all areas of the Organization’s mandates and provide basic and specialized training to its programmatic staff to prevent and combat violence against women and girls in all areas of its work, including in trafficking in human beings. This will be done in line with international standards including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (DEVAW) and the Palermo Protocol.

What will the OSCE do under the Action Coalition on Technology and Innovation for Gender Equality?

The OSCE will contribute to closing the gender digital gap by 2026, by ensuring that 80% of its technology and innovation projects, programmes and activities are fully gender mainstreamed. It will provide capacity-building to participating States to strengthen legal and policy frameworks that combat violence faced by women and girls through digital technologies.

What will the OSCE do under the Action Coalition on Economic Justice and Rights?

The OSCE will recommend policy and legal frameworks that ensure women’s access to the labour market with special attention on State-sponsored maternal, child and elderly care services and promote an enabling business environment for women entrepreneurs, including access to credit and fiscal incentives as well as legal and other support services. It will also support policies and services in the social and economic sphere, which address the specific needs of women in vulnerable situations and from socially marginalized groups.

What is the OSCE’s role in the WPSHA Compact?

The OSCE is a Catalytic Member, meaning that it provides advisory, advocacy and political support to the Compact's Board. Catalytic members have demonstrated strong commitment and support for the goals and objectives of the Compact and work towards increasing efforts to reduce the gaps between the aspirations and concrete actions on women, peace and security and humanitarian action. 

As part of joining the WPSHA Compact the OSCE has presented specific targets for action from 2021 to 2026 focusing on the two priority areas “Women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and inclusion of gender-related provisions in peace processes” and “Women’s leadership and full, equal and meaningful participation across peace, security and humanitarian sectors”. This will include bringing together women mediators and peacebuilders, and partnering with women’s networks to advance their leadership.

For more information on the OSCE and Generation Equality please contact the OSCE Gender Issues Programme at equality@osce.org.