2024 Annual Progress Report On the implementation of the OSCE 2004 Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality

2024 Annual Progress Report On the implementation of the OSCE 2004 Action Plan on the Promotion of Gender Equality

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Contents

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 05 FOREWORD BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL 06 KEY SUCCESSES FOR 2024 08 THE WAY FORWARD 14 INTRODUCTION 16

Chapter 1: Promoting gender equality in the OSCE

1.1 Progress towards gender parity 18 1.2 Recruitment practices 20 1.3 Leadership and people management 22 1.4 Standards of conduct, ethics and professional working environment 23 1.5 Internal mechanisms for advancing gender equality and mainstreaming 23

Chapter 2: Promoting gender equality in participating States

2.1 Ensuring non-discriminatory legal and policy frameworks 28 2.2 Preventing and combating violence against women and girls 30 2.3 Ensuring equal opportunity for women to participate in political and public life 42 2.4 Strengthening women’s participation in conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict reconstruction 47 2.5 Promoting equal opportunities for women in the economic sphere 58 2.6 Building national mechanisms for the advancement of women 66

Meet our Gender Equality Champions of 2024 68 Publications 70

Annual Progress Report | Content 3 Acronyms and Abbreviations

AI Artificial intelligence OSCE Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe ATU Action against Terrorism Unit OSR/CTHB Office of the Special Representative BiH Bosnia and Herzegovina and Co-ordinator for Combating BSMU Border Security and Management Trafficking in Human Beings Unit P/CVERLT Preventing and countering violent CHANGE Capitalizing on the Human Dimension extremism and radicalization that Mandate to Advance Gender Equality lead to terrorism CPC Conflict Prevention Centre PSEA Prevention of Sexual Exploitation CSO Civil Society Organization and Abuse CSW Commission on the Status of Women RFoM Representative on Freedom of the DA Dialogue Academy for Young Women Media

DEIB Diversity Equity Inclusion SALW Small arms and light weapons (with a focus on Belonging) SEA Sexual exploitation and abuse DHoM Deputy Head of Mission DHR Department of Human Resources SEE South-Eastern Europe

DRR Disaster risk reduction SGBV Sexual and gender-based violence ExB Extra-budgetary SI Staff Instruction GAP Gender Action Plan SOP Standard Operating Procedure GBV Gender-based Violence GFPs Gender Focal Points SPMU Strategic Police Matters Unit

GIP Gender Issues Programme TAHCLE Training against Hate Crime for Law Enforcement GRB Gender-responsive budgeting GRL Gender-responsive leadership TNTD Transnational Threats Department

GWG Gender working group ToT Training of Trainers HCNM High Commissioner on National Minorities UB Unified Budget

HoM Head of Mission VAW Violence against Women ICAN International Civil Society WAVE Women Against Violence Europe Action Network MP Member of Parliament WIN WIN for Women and Men: Strengthening Comprehensive OCEEA Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Security through Innovating and Economic and Environmental Networking for Gender Equality Activities ODIHR Office for Democratic Institutions and WPON Women Police Officers Network Human Rights in South East Europe

OMiK OSCE Mission in Kosovo WPS Women, Peace and Security

Annual Progress Report | Acronyms and Abbreviations 5 Foreword

For over two decades, the that durable peace and stability 2004 Gender Action Plan has can only flourish when women been the OSCE’s foundational and men equally shape conflict roadmap on our common path prevention, peacebuilding, and towards gender equality. It decision-making. acknowledges that women’s full and equal participation in This year, as we commemorate the political, economic, and social 25th anniversary of United Nations Security spheres is not only a fundamental Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, we are called human right but also a vital pillar to reflect deeply on the indispensable underpinning sustainable peace contribution of women in peacebuilding and and security. conflict resolution. UNSCR 1325 set a global benchmark for women’s meaningful inclusion in peace and security efforts - a standard This vision is embedded that remains urgently relevant and pressing within the OSCE’s concept today. of comprehensive security - In the past year under the leadership of my encompassing politico-military, predecessor Helga Maria Schmid, whom economic-environmental, and I thank for spearheading and multiplying OSCE’s efforts on gender equality, the human dimensions — recognizing OSCE has reaffirmed its commitment to

6 Annual Progress Report | Foreword  Foreword

transforming these principles into tangible These realities demand of us a renewed progress – both within the Organization and commitment and collective effort. It is only by across the OSCE region. The Secretariat strong cooperation and determination that and field operations supported participating we can protect past gains and accelerate States in strengthening women’s participation progress towards true gender equality. Let in peace processes, promoting economic us embrace this moment to strengthen our empowerment, and intensify efforts to commitment and foster our collaboration. combat gender-based violence. Within the Together, with shared purpose and solidarity, Organization, we have advanced towards we have the power—and the responsibility— gender parity and cultivated an inclusive and to create a more equitable, peaceful future respectful workplace culture. for all. As the Secretary General of the OSCE, I reaffirm that gender equality is and will Despite these important achievements, the remain my top priority. road ahead remains fraught with challenges. We are witnessing a worrying backslide in women’s rights accompanied by an increase in misogyny and discrimination. Women continue to be underrepresented in peacebuilding efforts and decision-making roles. New and alarming threats, including surges in online violence, sexual harassment, and femicide, are undermining not only women’s safety and dignity but also the Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu very fabric of our collective peace and OSCE Secretary General security efforts.

Annual Progress Report | Foreword 7 Key successes for 2024

The opening of the second edition of the Women’s Peace Leadership Programme with the former OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid, Vienna, Austria, April 2024.

Leveraging Mediators’ women under the WIN project (Women & Men Innovating & Networking for Gender Networks and OSCE wide Equality). Moreover, with GIP support, several expertise to implement the participating States have been active in Women, Peace and Security developing National Action Plans as key tool agenda to implement WPS commitments.

Over the last years, the OSCE has launched Second edition of the Women’s Peace several initiatives and networks to further the Leadership Programme implementation of the commitments under the Women, Peace and Security agenda Another cohort of women completed the (WPS) and throughout 2024 the OSCE second edition of the Women’s Peace Networking Platform for Women Leaders Leadership Programme in November 2024. including Peacebuilders and Mediators has Participants were also invited to high-level continued to be a catalyst for promoting meetings with decision-makers, such as the women’s active participation in peace Munich Security Conference 2024. and security efforts. A number of activities (More on page 55.) were launched aimed at empowering and supporting women peacebuilders and conflict resolution experts including through targeted mentoring programme for young

8 Annual Progress Report | Key Successes for 2024  “Confidence was the most Progress made on developing and challenging issue for me. supporting National Action Plans I was scared I would not fit (NAPs) this programme. Listening to higher-level people and their A broad array of activities in the OSCE region translated into concrete steps forward in experience as young, combined advancing the implementation of UNSCR with the three days with peace 1325 on Women, Peace and Security leaders—I felt that everyone (WPS) and the associated National Action goes through some challenges. Plans (NAPs). A pioneering workshop in I feel much more confident— Central Asia, driven by the GIP, opened new in my daily work I feel more doors for support on developing NAPs in confident sharing my ideas.” the region. In Ukraine, a new partnership Participant of the 2024 Programme edition between the OSCE and the Women Information Consultative Center resulted in nearly two dozen safety audits to assess the security situation of women and girls. “The fact that my activism is An initiative in Kyrgyzstan, spearheaded by now associated with the OSCE the OSCE Secretariat with the Programme has helped my profile. While my Office in Bishkek and the local civil society work remains the same—now organization (CSO) Search for Common the recognition is there.” Ground helped advance the development Participant of the 2024 Programme edition of a NAP on Youth, with a particular focus on promoting the participation of young Promoting women’s leadership and women. Capacity-building in Kazakhstan gender responsive humanitarian and Tajikistan focused on gender in actions in Ukraine peacekeeping and in humanitarian mine action, respectively, while in Albania, with In partnership with the State Emergency the facilitation of the OSCE Presence, the Service of Ukraine (SESU), the OSCE/GIP Women, Peace, and Security Working Group under the WIN Project continued in 2024 reconvened to support the implementation of with two online and two in-person training the Second NAP on UNSCR 1325. (More on sessions of SESU staff, including 54 women. page 56.) This brought the total number of trainees under the programme since its inception to 236. (More on page 53.)

Altogether, the OSCE executive structures held some 56 training initiatives on gender- based violence throughout the Organization’s entire region, with target groups ranging from security and judiciary personnel to government and civil society representatives. Interviews with participants of the SESU training are available online: www.osce.org/ secretariat/563112

Annual Progress Report | Key Successes for 2024 9 Investing In Young Women Prishtinë/Priština and Belgrade to become active agents of change. Through a dynamic and Intergenerational blend of leadership, mediation and dialogue Exchanges training modules, the DA equips participants with the skills, confidence and networks Young Women for Peace Initiative needed to contribute meaningfully and (YW4P) in its second year collaboratively to peacebuilding efforts across the region. Together, DA and the DA Network The YW4P, part of the Networking Platform of Alumnae illustrate what it means to invest for Women Leaders, including Peacebuilders in sustainable, lasting peace by empowering and Mediators, entered its second year of the next generation of women leaders to implementation. In 2024 the Young Women challenge existing barriers and shape a more For Peace: Empowering Central Asian inclusive future for the region. Young Women Initiative was launched, with the financial support of the European Tackling all forms of violence Union. More about the programme here: against women and girls Young Women 4 Peace: empowering new generations to lead change and promote ‘#NoExcuse’: OSCE Secretariat’s stability in Central Asia | OSCE 16 Days campaign 2024 focuses on online violence 2024 Geneva Peace Week: panel on women as agents of change One of the most prominent and successful OSCE communication campaigns every year, A panel discussion on Pathways to Peace: the Days of Activism against Gender-Based Empowering Young Women as Agents of Violence highlighted in 2024 the growing Change, held at the 2024 Geneva Peace problem of online violence against women Week, brought to the fore the important role and girls (VAWG). During the campaign, 31 women and young people play in peace content pieces were published across four and security efforts. The event, organized by OSCE social media accounts, resulting in the OSCE together with the Geneva Centre 299,137 impressions, 4,359 engagements, for Security Policy, Women in International and 43,064 video views. Security Italy and the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network, focused on the barriers young women often face, including societal “Online violence against norms, discrimination and the limitation women and girls is a violation of resources, usually exacerbated during of their fundamental rights. conflict and war. Details on the panel: www.osce.org/secretariat/576712 Although often invisible, it leaves a very real and 10 Years of the Dialogue Academy: negative impact on women and Empowering the Next Generation of girls, causing psychological Women Leaders harm, threatening safety, silences them and deepens the Marking its 10th anniversary, the OSCE Dialogue Academy for Young Women (DA) digital gender gap.” continues to be recognized as a flagship collaborative initiative by the OSCE Mission Ian Borg, OSCE Chair-in-Office 2024, in Kosovo (OMiK) and the OSCE Mission to Deputy Prime Minister and Serbia (OMiS). Over the past decade, the Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and DA has empowered 230 young women from Trade of Malta

10 Annual Progress Report | Key Successes for 2024 While the OSCE field operations ran a violence against women (VAW). Both events plethora of events to support the 16 broke new ground in building connections Days, the theme specifically tied in with a between the WRCs and the WAVE network, film screening organized by the Gender addressing a long-standing gap—there had Issues Programme team together with been no platform for Central Asian activists the Representative on Freedom of the and WAVE members to meet and exchange Media/#SOFJO project on online violence experiences previously. against women journalists and the delegations of Belgium and Germany. The Partnership with UNFPA to map film #FatUglySlut–Online Abuse Against domestic violence perpetrator Women, screened on 10 December, was programmes followed by a panel discussion with a film director, EIGE representative and a woman A new partnership between the OSCE journalist from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the United Nations Population Fund’s Dalija Hasanbegović. (More on the 16 Days (UNFPA) Regional Office for Eastern Europe campaign 2024 on page 32.) and Central Asia led to the joint report Mapping of programmes for perpetrators of Addressing gender-based violence, domestic violence in Central Asia, the first of particularly in war and conflict settings its kind in the region.

Throughout the year, several activities, from Initiative to draft first-ever Kosovo1 Ukraine to Kazakhstan and Bosnia and Assembly declaration on violence Herzegovina, brought to the fore the issue against women politicians accepted of gender-based violence and the role of women and girls in war and conflict. OMiK’s Gender Equality Working Group (More on page 31.) initiated discussions on drafting the first-ever Declaration of the Kosovo Assembly on the Central Asian women activists speak elimination of violence against women in up at largest civil society event on politics. The initiative was accepted by 66 VAW members of the Assembly and is expected to be rolled out in 2025 at the local level. Following the 2024 Women’s Resource Centres Networking Conference in Almaty, where members of the WIN project’s implementing partner Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE) spoke on sustainable and effective networking, five Central Asian women-activists and representatives of Women’s Resource Centres (WRCs) were invited to take part in WAVE’s annual conference, the largest civil society event working on the elimination of

1 All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this Report should be understood in compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244.

Annual Progress Report | Key Successes for 2024 11 Promoting women’s Eliminating discrimination access to natural resources against women in political and environmental and public life decision-making First gender audit process in Albania “No Woman’s Land” - The OSCE Presence in Albania and gender, corruption and natural ODIHR introduced the first-ever gender resource access audit process in the country to shed light on the participation of women and men The international, OSCE-led event No in administrative and legislative functions, woman’s land: Unpacking the nexus and key for making substantial changes in the finding solutions on gender, corruption and country’s decision-making processes. access to natural resources, held in New York on the margins of the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women First-ever parliamentary gender plan (CSW68) in March, put the spotlight on the in Kyrgyzstan relations between gender and corruption in the context of access to natural resources. Kyrgyzstan’s parliament approved its first- A new OSCE publication was also launched ever parliamentary gender plan in 2024, on the issue: Gender and corruption in the developed with OSCE support. The plan access to natural resources: Preliminary aims to institutionalize gender-sensitive findings. (More on page 59.) approaches in the legislative framework,

Participants of the 2nd cohort of OSCE Women’s Peace Leadership Programme, Vienna, November 2024.

12 Annual Progress Report | Key Successes for 2024 ensuring gender equality is embedded in the border and law enforcement agencies. Next country’s decision-making processes. The steps are expected to be taken in early 2025. OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek provided expert support to help draft the plan. Making the working environment safer for women First-of-its-kind regional network of women in border and law and more inclusive enforcement agencies set to be created in Central Asia Mentoring Programme for Women at the OSCE re-started An initiative by the GIP, CPC and BSMU In 2024, the Department of Human put into motion the preparations for the Resources re-launched the Mentoring creation of the first-ever regional women’s Programme for Women, after a two-year network in border and law enforcement hiatus. Throughout the year, the initiative agencies in Central Asia. A total of 30 female supported 56 women mentees from across representatives of state authorities and law the OSCE region in their professional enforcement from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, development. The structured, one-year Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan programme pairs mentees with mentors of both genders, with the aim to improve developed a concept and workplan for development perspectives and retention of the network, which is aimed at aimed at women in the OSCE. promoting gender equality and strengthening women’s representation in the region’s

OSCE Senior Advisor on Gender Issues Dr Lara Scarpitta and Director of CPC Kate Fearon meeting the participants of the II Women Peace Leadership Programme, Vienna, Austria, November 2024.

Annual Progress Report | Key Successes for 2024 13 The way forward

In 2025, the OSCE celebrates the 50th year of its founding. At this momentous time, the core values to which the Organization’s 57 participating States have subscribed, remain as relevant and central to democratic progress as ever.

Moving ahead on gender equality and the promotion of women’s rights in the OSCE region is a core part of the participating States’ commitments and the Organization has made great strides on these issues over the last decades. However, much remains to be done and mainstreaming gender into all the Organization’s structures, activities, projects and programmes will continue to be a central challenge. In future years, specific focus will need to be put on the following areas:

Continue investing in women’s on Women, Peace and Security in leadership and participation in political, 2025 needs to be utilized to renew the OSCE’s commitment and help speed up social and economic life the implementation of the WPS agenda across the OSCE region, galvanizing the While the OSCE region overall has seen engagement of each participating States in far-reaching improvements in women’s full this arena. It also provides an occasion to and equal participation in political life and increase the visibility of the WPS agenda and decision-making, full gender equality is still to further expand the OSCE’s partnerships, lacking and discrimination remains pervasive. nationally and internationally, to push ahead Continue investing in women’s leadership with incorporating gender perspectives across all spectrum of policies and actions into all peace and security efforts, including remains essential to dismantle existing conflict prevention, peacekeeping and barriers and provide women full access to peacebuilding. decision-making.

Leverage the 25th anniversary of Promote women’s economic UNSCR 1325 to turn the Women, empowerment through digital tools Peace and Security from commitments Many doors have been opened to women to into impactful actions become successful entrepreneurs by using digital technologies and platforms, a trend The celebration of a quarter of a century that must continue unabated and even be of activities to implement UNSCR 1325 accelerated across the OSCE region. Women

14 Annual Progress Report | The Way Forward must be given enhanced and wider access Support gender-sensitive conflict to digital tools, provided support to develop prevention and resolution their skills, and helped to gain access to the marketplace and the broader digital Gender perspectives must become a more economy. At the same time, OSCE efforts to crucial component of one of the OSCE’s educate women on the many pitfalls of digital core mandates: conflict prevention and engagement must continue, in particular resolution. Whether in conflict analysis, those that relate to threats emanating from mediation or peacebuilding initiatives—the online violence, sexual harassment and Organization must address the needs of all abuse, and the heightened risk of human genders and therefore implement gender- trafficking. sensitive approaches in its conflict-cycle activities, from conflict prevention to crisis Recognize and address the management and post-conflict rehabilitation. intersection between gender inequality and corruption Redouble efforts to fight gender-based violence and support survivors There is ample evidence that corruption exacerbates gender disparities and The last decade has seen an increased increases, or at least perpetuates, social focus on gender-based violence (GBV) in inequalities in the access to health and all its forms across the OSCE region. And education services, resources and income yet, more can be done to combat this distribution. Corruption is also related to egregious human rights violation, which not the abuse of power for discrimination or only manifests itself in the real world—most deprivation of people of their rights. heinously in the form of femicide—but also The OSCE must ensure that anti-corruption online. The OSCE must continue its work measures are gender-sensitive, promoting to develop and implement comprehensive gender-sensitive reporting mechanisms, strategies to prevent and respond to all and implementing measures to prevent forms of GBV, with a particular attention put and address corruption while considering on the rising threats of online violence against its gendered impacts. It needs to also women and the urgent need to combat continue to strive for stronger women’s femicide through co-ordinated legal, social participation in anti-corruption initiatives in and security measures. its participating States. Pay more attention to women with Acknowledge the disproportionate disability and engage youth for gender impact on women of climate change equality The effects of climate change have a While women from majority groups are stronger impact on women and girls in generally at the centre of equality and society, leading to increased poverty, empowerment drives, the OSCE has a hunger, and vulnerability to displacement, special responsibility, under its human violence, and other risks. This is particularly dimension umbrella, to focus on women true for women and girls living in rural and from other groups, including those with marginalized communities. The OSCE disabilities, with its activities. Another, often is called upon to promote the effective under-represented actor in civil society action participation of women in decision-making that can play an important role in bringing processes on climate change prevention, gender equality initiatives to the fore are mitigation and adaptation. youth initiatives, whose involvement in public and political life are crucial for democratic development across the board.

Annual Progress Report | The Way Forward 15 Introduction

Entering the third decade since its adoption, the OSCE’s 2004 Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality (GAP) has lost nothing of its relevance for the achievement of full gender equality for women and girls across the OSCE region.

Gender equality is a cornerstone of the OSCE comprehensive approach to security and essential to achieve peace, security and stability. The GAP lays out the pathway for OSCE participating States as well as OSCE Executive Structures to mainstream gender and advance gender equality and women’s rights in their policies, programmes and actions.

Despite the geopolitical challenges the cent female representation in 2024. A OSCE and other multilateral international new Staff Instruction also helped achieve organizations are facing, and the impact more balanced gender representation in these have on individual governments and the recruitment process. Moreover, the societies, the implementation of the GAP has Secretary General’s Interoffice Memorandum continued unabated in 2024 and reached on extrabudgetary project development has a number of important milestones, both in introduced a minimum Gender Marker 2 terms of achieving gender balance within for all projects developed in the Secretariat OSCE’s own bodies and in implementing the to ensure that a gender perspective is GAP in the field through its programmes and effectively integrated in project planning and projects. implementation.

This report delivers an assessment of the Externally, significant effort was made to progress made in 2024 in implementing support the implementation of the Women, the GAP. Peace and Security agenda (WPS) in the OSCE region. Progress was made on Internally, 2024 saw a continued steady developing and supporting participating increase of women employed by the States’ National Action Plans (NAPs), OSCE in all categories, with a notable rise and the Gender Issues Programme team among senior management positions. An spearheaded a pioneering workshop in important role in this was played by the Central Asia to support the development of participating States, whose proactive stance NAPs in the region. Other activities under the in advancing more women candidates for WPS agenda included the launch of the 2nd seconded positions translated into better Edition of the Women’s Peace Leadership hiring rates of women. The OSCE Junior Programme under The OSCE Networking Professional Programme achieved 82 per Platforms for Women Leaders, including

16 Annual Progress Report | Introduction Peacebuilders and Mediators as well as the operations, with activities ranging from film OSCE Young Women for Peace Initiative in screenings to public speeches, from debate partnership with the EU. The 10th edition tournaments to even a pub quiz, bringing in of the Dialogue Academy as well as safety completely new audiences into the debate. audits to assess the security situation of women and girls and training on gender in The many activities that marked 2024 as yet peacekeeping and humanitarian-mine action another year of successful action for gender were among the additional prominent actions equality and against gender-based violence to support the WPS agenda. and discrimination are reflected in the following pages of this report. Another highlight of the year was, yet again, the OSCE Secretariat’s 16 Days campaign It shows that concerted and determined organized by the Gender Issues Programme, action can result in change—politically, which focused, under the title ‘#NoExcuse’, institutionally, of the legal contexts and for on online violence. It was a very prominent the societies living under the umbrella of the and successful communication campaign OSCE. and showcased how pertinent the central issue—online violence against women and The Organization continues to deliver, girls—has become in the last years in the coming up with innovative approaches, new OSCE region. The campaign was rolled ideas and impactful projects, benefitting all out also by the OSCE institutions and field members of society within the OSCE region.

Young Women for Peace Initiative in-person meeting, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, April 2024. Annual Progress Report | The way forward 17 Chapter 1

Promoting gender equality in the OSCE The GAP addresses not only gender equality as part of the OSCE’s work programme in its region but also as part of its own structure, staff and operations. Aside from gender parity in terms of the number of male and female staff employed, it specifically singles out also the working environment prevailing in the Organization, ethical standards and accountability measures. As in previous years, the OSCE made considerable efforts in 2024 to improve the situation in all these areas.

1.1 Progress towards gender parity

The Organization continued in 2024 to The participating States’ role in advancing push for the steady implementation of the more women candidates for seconded 2019 Gender Parity Strategy, which aims positions is not negligible; the Department to achieve gender parity across all staff of Human Resources (DHR) continued to categories by 2026. This consistent drive to observe in 2024 low nomination rates by promote a professional, inclusive, equitable the States for senior management fixed- and safe work environment in the OSCE term staff positions (S-4 level, Deputy Head resulted in the continued steady increase of Mission, Head of Mission), although of women employed by the OSCE in all viewed from a multi-year perspective the categories. This rise was particularly notable numbers are slowly improving. In 2024, in senior management positions, a result that women only constituted 19.2 per cent of can be attributed, among other things, to an such nominations, while representing 41 increased percentage of women applying for per cent of all secondee nominations in the internal contracted positions, representing year. Aside from the role the States play, a total of 46.3 per cent in 2024. At the another barrier to gender parity in seconded senior management level, this translated positions is the lack of family-related benefits into 44 per cent (seven in absolute numbers) in secondee compensation packages, with for contracted and 56 per cent (nine) for few participating States offering them to their seconded positions. secondees.

18 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 1 Table 1: Share of women in the different staff categories in the previous five years. Source: Department of Human Resources

Table 2: Trend and share of all international staff by gender in the preceding 20 years, excluding the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Source: Department of Human Resources

At the same time, other professional twice as many women staff members as men programmes sustained their success. The (15 versus six), although men are dominant OSCE Junior Professional Programme in the Office’s management.The Office for achieved 82 per cent female representation Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in 2024, which contributes to helping women (ODIHR) recruited fewer senior staff in 2024 candidates launch themselves into female (one recruitment process versus five in 2023, leadership roles. More women also applied with one woman recruited versus three), for internships, thereby strengthening gender which upped the percentage of recruited balance across all levels of the Organization. women among all candidates hired for senior In the Representative on Freedom of the posts from 60 to 100 per cent, while the Media’s (RFoM) Office, there are more than overall number decreased by 66 per cent.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 1 19 1.2 Recruitment practices It introduced special measures for decisions on the change of deadlines, readvertisement In 2024, a new Staff Instruction prepared and cancelation of vacancy notices, e.g., the ground for important changes in terms if one gender represents less than 20 per of gender representation in recruitment cent of all applicants meeting the eligibility processes, which came into force in autumn criteria. These changes aim at reinforcing the and is expected to deliver its full impact principles outlined in Staff Regulation 3.01 to in future years. Interviewing procedures attain gender balance in the OSCE. across the board in the OSCE—both in headquarters offices and the field— DHR continued to ensure a 50 per cent continued to implement gender balance representation in all interview panels and that principles. Gender representation in many gender balance is embedded at every stage, offices changed only slightly, especially from drafting inclusive vacancy notices to among senior management. Where changes gender-balanced short- and longlists. Thanks were notable, they were often a result of to its active talent acquisition work, the more active recruitment drives in 2023. number of women recruited for senior-level positions increased in 2024 by 71 per cent Staff Instruction No. 17/rev2 on Standard compared to 2023. Recruitment and Selection Procedures entered into effect on 1 September 2024.

GENDER / YEAR OF RECRUITMENT 2022 2023 2024 TOTAL Female 8 7 12 27 Male 15 6 21 42 Total 23 13 33 69

Table 3: Number of women recruited for senior-level positions in 2024. Source: Department of Human Resources

Both ODIHR and RFoM ran each only same staff assigned to it as in 2023: out of one recruitment process in 2024 for a 11 positions—one vacant—five are occupied senior post, both resulting in the hire of a by women (at P- and S-level). female candidate. In the OSCE Secretariat, the female director of the Department of In Astana, the OSCE Programme Office Management and Finance was succeeded ran two senior-level recruitment processes, by another woman, leaving the staffing and both were filled by men as no women balance within senior managerial functions candidates were equally qualified. The unchanged. OIO hired one senior evaluation gender breakdown of candidates, however, officer, which brought 50/50 gender reflects a disbalance in the number of balance to OIO’s Evaluation Section. The applicants for posts, with 446 women Transnational Threat Department (TNTD) applying for those versus only 365 men. This hired a female candidate to head its Border is in stark contrast to the more balanced Security and Management Unit. TNTD’s application numbers for consultancies hired Cyber/ICT Security Team, meanwhile, is under Special Service Agreements (SSAs), gender balanced with three women and for which 95 men and 94 women applied. three men on its staff. The OSCE’s Support In Ashgabat, the Centre hired a female Programme for Ukraine continued with the candidate as Economic and Environmental

20 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 1 Dimension Officer, an S-2 senior-level 36.1 per cent (13) held by women, were position (her predecessor was also a reduced to 33 positions, with 42.4 per cent woman). A fixed-term G-5 level post went (14) held by women. Out of 28 fixed-term also to a woman, as did two short-term G-5 staff recruited in 2024 (both international level positions. The Centre also recruited 92 and local), half were men and half women experts under SSAs, of whom 52 were male (14/14). and 40 female. In contrast, no new women were recruited With three male and two female senior staff for senior-level positions by the Presence in members, the management level in the office Albania and the Mission to Skopje in 2024. of the Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan The Presence ran only one recruitment was gender-balanced in 2024 but the office process at senior management level noted that G-category staff continued to (hiring one man), while the balance in the be slanted towards men for such jobs as composition of its seconded positions security guard or driver, while most cleaner remained unchanged (eight men, four jobs were occupied by women, with little women). However, Skopje noted an increase deviation in both cases. In Tajikistan, many of women working in S-3 level positions senior management positions, vacated in in 2024, since a vacancy among the six 2022-2023, could only be filled in 2024, S-3 staff members was filled by a woman increasing the number of women in such (changing the numbers to four men, two positions from one to three. women). In Montenegro, a new Head of Mission and Deputy Head of Mission The only notable change in South-Eastern were hired—both men. The Mission to Europe on gender representation was Montenegro hired a female extrabudgetary observed in the Mission in Kosovo, where (ExB) project officer, and the Mission to a decrease in the number of management Serbia recruited three women to National positions also resulted in a higher Professional positions. percentage of women among senior staff: 36 management positions in 2023, out of which

Annual Progress Report | The way forward 21 1.3 Leadership and people A trend carried over from previous years management continued to grow in 2024, namely that of staff utilizing the flexibility afforded by An important move forward to fully implement Staff Instruction No. 27/rev2 related to the 2004 GAP was recorded in 2024 with teleworking. DHR reported that an average the pool of certified OSCE gender trainers of 90 per cent of female staff—versus 79 supported through the OSCE Gender Issues per cent in 2023—from across all OSCE Programme (GIP)/WIN project, increasing to executive structures used this facility, a total of nearly 100 staff members—result including 95 per cent of women working of four completed rounds of train-the-trainer at the Secretariat (83 per cent in 2023). workshops delivered by the GIP. Based on Among men, the numbers are lower but WIN training material, a second round of the also experienced an increase: an average of joint OSCE-EU training on gender took place 62 per cent across the OSCE (53 per cent in January, with a third in planning for 2025. in 2023), with 82 per cent working at the In October, also under the GIP, a series of Secretariat (76 per cent in 2023). consultations between gender advisors and gender focal points from EU and OSCE The statistics probes the question of missions on the sharing of experiences in gender-based proximity bias due to more monitoring missions were held. men working in the office and more women working from home or an alternate site.

STAFF NUMBERS USING TELEWORKING IN OVERALL SECRETARIAT 2024 Men 766 199 Active men in this period 1,239 242 In % 62% 82% Women 1,131 312 Active women in this period 1,259 327 In % 90% 95% Table 4: Number of staff using teleworking in 2024. Source: Department of Human Resources

DHR also renewed a tender for the OSCE’s Institution with zero contributions paid. This health insurance scheme, including was an important step for staff since these new requirements that provide female accrued months now qualify for retirement personnel with better and extended benefits insurance, thereby directly combating old- and services, including 100 per cent age poverty and addressing gender-based reimbursement of maternity care, home discrimination. Further afield, in Uzbekistan, delivery and midwife visit expenses. the office of the Project Co-ordinator introduced a new statement addressing A few field offices also noted improvements sexual exploitation and abuse in its template for staff, namely an innovation by the used to hire personnel on SSA contracts— Presence in Albania, implemented together testimony to the office’s efforts to hire with DHR, that allowed for registration consultants on a gender-sensitive basis. periods of special leave without pay in connection with maternity leave be included in the records of Albania’s Social Insurance

22 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 1 1.4 Standards of conduct, 1.5 Internal mechanisms for ethics and professional working advancing gender equality and environment mainstreaming

November 2024 marked a full year The OSCE’s internal mechanisms and tools of e-learning being completed on the to advance gender considerations in its Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse operations and programmes are very broad. (PSEA) Staff Instruction in the OSCE. In the They include not only focal points, working Secretariat, two new PSEA focal points were groups and networks, but also action assigned and a ‘Coffee Briefing’ held to plans, guidance material and a great array explain their role in the Organization to staff, of training offerings. Every OSCE executive attended not only in-person by Vienna-based Structure uses individual work and action staff but also online by field-based personnel. plans that direct its activities in advancing Aside from heightening awareness of the gender equality and mainstreaming. issue and changing attitudes, these actions on PSEA fostered a ‘speak-up’ culture In nearly all OSCE offices, whether in the among OSCE officials and non-staff, giving field operations, institutions or Secretariat them room to report violations in good faith departments, the Organization has assigned and without fear of reprisal. Gender Focal Points (GFPs), who provide strategic advice to management and OIO’s Investigation Unit held a workshop for support their colleagues in their gender 12 Secretariat staff—six women, six men— mainstreaming efforts. At the end of 2024, on how to investigate allegations of violations out of 127 (main and alternate) GFPs, 29 of a professional working environment. The per cent were men, a slight increase from three-day training event included gender- 2023. As in previous years, many GFPs specific considerations in performing these worked in the human dimension or on cross- investigations. OIO’s Audit Unit introduced a dimensional issues and included senior staff new resource on unconscious gender bias members (S-4/P-5 levels and above) serving and the persistent, systemic biases faced by as main and alternate GFPs. women, helping to increase awareness of implicit biases and their impact on workplace The GIP, together with the OSCE Conflict dynamics, decision-making and overall Prevention Centre’s (CPC) Programming inclusivity. and Evaluation Support Unit, co-ordinated the drafting of an Interoffice Memorandum The office of the Project Co-ordinator in (IOM) for developing extrabudgetary Uzbekistan held an all-staff workshop on projects in the OSCE Secretariat. Among creating an enabling and gender-responsive other things, the IOM introduced a Project office culture. The Mission to Serbia Concept Note, the preparation of which is highlighted that internal awareness-raising aimed to facilitate a strategic discussion at efforts resulted in more gender-sensitive an early stage of development, including on language being employed in Mission its ambition to address gender issues. This communications and official documents. is meant to ensure that Secretariat projects Committed to creating a more inclusive are developed with Gender Marker 2 which and equitable operational environment, the guarantees that a gender perspectice is Mission also ensured that gender-sensitive effectively taken into account in the planning security and accessibility measures were and implementation of projects. considered in the planning of its events.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 1 23 ODIHR’s Gender Working Group (GWG), project cycle management and monitoring which brings together the Office’s GFPs from and evaluation, which were all gender- across all departments and units, focused in mainstreamed and included components 2024 on strengthening the Office’s gender on gender analysis and sensitivity. The impact by enhancing synergies between Department of Management and Finance different thematic areas through fostering continued its work on combating trafficking further co-ordination between departments, in human beings and forced labour in supply as well as on supporting opportunities for chains in all is forms. The Office of Internal mutual learning that ultimately support Oversight (OIO) included a specific evaluation the implementation of the GFPs’ gender question related to gender in its thematic mainstreaming mandate. At the High independent evaluations and stressed the Commissioner on National Minorities’ systematic integration of gender equality in (HCNM) office, two GFPs started preparing its internal audit assignments. for potential in-house gender training by first conducting a needs assessment that Under the GIP/WIN project, the fourth WIN shed light on the HCNM’s specific capacity- Academy training-of-trainers took place in building needs, as well as on obstacles and Tirana, Albania in May. The training aimed challenges in mainstreaming gender in the to deliver transformative training modules, High Commissioner’s work. The RFoM’s creating a roster of trainers trained on gender Office ran several events that included a equality and comprehensive security. The gender focus, for example together with sessions were based on WIN Academy the GIP team a film screening and panel materials, including 12 training modules discussion on Fighting Online Violence and training materials on gender equality Against Women and Girls, as well as round in the context of comprehensive security, table that looked, among other issues, into combined with a facilitator’s manual. The gendered disinformation. resources are intended to provide OSCE staff across functions and offices with the In the Secretariat, the Conflict Prevention knowledge and capacity necessary to more Centre held eight training events on systematically integrate a gender perspective

ODIHR capacity-building session on combating trafficking in human beings, 2024.

24 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 1 into their work. More than 80 OSCE staff In Ashgabat, an international staff member and external experts have taken part in this was appointed as GFP, with a local staff initiative to date. member as alternate. In September, the Centre approved a Gender Equality Strategy The Transnational Threats Department’s and Gender Mainstreaming Action Plan Action against Terrorism Unit (ATU) organized (GAP) for 2024–2026 and followed up in quarterly staff meetings dedicated to a December with gender equality training for gender-specific topic, hosted either by a OSCE staff in the country. staff member of the Unit or an external speaker, and regularly including a discussion The Programme Office in Bishkek approved to encourage learning and peer discussion a new Gender Strategy for 2024–2028, on gender in thematic areas related to ATU’s developed by its GWG, and ran a series of work. Topics included gender and foreign gender equality training events throughout terrorist fighters, violent misogyny and violent the year, notably in context of comprehensive extremism, and gender and the intersection security and in politics. In Dushanbe, between artificial intelligence and terrorism. the Programme Office approved a new Gender Strategy and associated Action The GFP network in the field operations Plan for the period 2024–2026. The Office continued to expand and be active in 2024. also specifically focused on the significant In Ukraine, under the OSCE’s ExB Support underrepresentation of women in the politico- Programme (SPU), the Gender Focal military dimension in Tajikistan, incorporating Point Group ran a comprehensive training into their train-the-trainer and border programme, focusing among other issues security training courses the OSCE’s Gender on gender terminology, intersectional gender and Security Toolkit (Tool 6 on Border approach, socially ascribed attitudes and Management and Gender). behaviours, and the country’s traditional and changing gender roles. In Albania, the OSCE Presence’s GWG supported the development of a new Gender Strategy for 2025–2027 and the Annual

The fourth WIN Academy training-of-trainers for 30 OSCE staff in Tirana, Albania, May 2024.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 1 25 Action Plan 2025, introducing a gender including in its external programmatic work. checklist as an annex for new ExB and The Mission to Serbia established a Unified Budget (UB) projects. The Mission working group in March to monitor the to Bosnia and Herzegovina established a implementation of its current GAP and co-ordination group on GBV, which at times conducted a comprehensive monitoring also addresses wider gender equality issues. and evaluation process for the new GAP In 2024, it developed Mission positions 2024–2025. The Mission’s Gender Focal on the draft Laws on Eliminating Violence Point Network (GFPN) convened a working against Women of Federation of Bosnia and group to specifically look into a recent Herzegovina and Republika Srpska and on Constitutional Court decision to suspend femicide as a separate criminal act, among certain provisions of Serbia’s Gender Equality other issues. Law and to analyse the legal framework, assess the constitutionality review process, The Mission in Kosovo’s Gender Equality and examine its potential implications for Working Group (GEWG) contributed to Serbia and the Mission’s activities. the development of sub-legislation for the new Kosovo Violence against Women/ In Skopje, the Mission operationalized a Domestic Violence law and supported the robust gender governance framework by Kosovo Police with the implementation of its adopting new Terms of Reference for its Gender Agenda 2024–2028 and its Action Gender Co-ordination Mechanisms. This Plan. Throughout the year, the Mission institutional upgrade equips the Mission’s conducted both general and targeted training leadership with clearly defined structures and courses on gender equality, including the mandates to advance a whole-of-Mission, WIN training, for Mission staff and specific gender-responsive approach across internal beneficiaries. These efforts significantly operations and external programming. The strengthened gender mainstreaming across restructured framework, anchored by two projects and institutional frameworks, task forces (on gender equality and on

Training for Psychologists at the Women Resources Centre, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, August 2024.

26 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 1  countering VAWG, respectively), reinforced the Mission’s capacity to co-ordinate, monitor and deliver on gender commitments.

In Moldova, the Mission established a GWG, which developed a Gender Roadmap to better mainstream gender in the Mission’s operations.

Gender Mainstreaming Levels Across Active ExB Projects with a Gender Marker (2020–2024)

0% 63% 33% 4% 4% 56% 29% 10% 2% 53% 38% 7% 2% 51% 40% 8% 2% 51% 40% 8%

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

No Mainstreaming Limited Mainstreaming

Fully Mainstreamed Targeted Projects

Table 5: Gender Mainstreaming levels across ExB Projects (2020-2024) _______________________

1 The total number of active ExB projects as of 14 August 2025 was 214.* This number includes projects for which the Gender Marker was marked as ‘Not Applicable’. However, data for such projects has been excluded from the calculations and only projects with an assigned Gender Marker (G0–G3) are shown in the breakdown.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 1 27 Chapter 2

Promoting gender equality in participating States The GAP stipulates that gender mainstreaming is a way of contributing to achieve comprehensive security. Some of the key pointsof this are to foster non-discriminatory legal and policy frameworks; to prevent and combat violence against women and girls; to ensure that they have equal opportunities to participate in political and public life; to encourage their participation in conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict reconstruction; and to promote that they have access to equal economic opportunities. The OSCE delivered on all these points in the course of 2024.

2.1 Ensuring non-discriminatory legal and policy frameworks ODIHR also provided capacity-building and technical assistance on combating Both ODIHR and the OSCE’s field operations trafficking in human beings to participating were active in this area, helping to strengthen States to strengthen their National Referral anti-discriminatory laws and policies and Mechanisms, including to ensure that these further anchoring gender equality in legal take into account specific impacts of this frameworks as well as in real life in the crime on different genders and related victim Organization’s region. needs. Capacity-building activities also targeted civil society organizations working As part of its mandate to work with with Ukrainian refugees to enhance their lawmakers on mainstreaming gender and abilities to identify presumed trafficking diversity, ODIHR provided gender- and victims amid refugee flows, with a particular diversity-specific considerations in 22 out of focus on women and girls as the biggest 26 legal reviews and assessment, thereby group among displaced people. contributing to legislation free from direct and indirect discrimination. In Montenegro, On the ground, OSCE field operations the Office provided lawmakers with a actively pursued a broad variety of report containing recommendations on projects to strengthen gender equality mainstreaming gender and diversity at each and non-discrimination in the respective stage of the legislative process. ODIHR also countries’ legal and policy frameworks. In provided an opinion paper on two organic Turkmenistan, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat laws of Georgia, on Amending the Election organized a training programme on legislative Code and on Political Unions of Citizens reforms to address domestic violence in Relation to Gender Quotas. ODIHR’s (DV) in the country, designed to provide a Opinion was used by stakeholders to inform comprehensive overview of legal frameworks the debate on the topics in the legislation and best practices in OSCE participating and advocating for temporary special States and internationally. Further north, in measures to accelerate women’s political Kazakhstan, the OSCE Programme Office representation in the country. in Astana organized online training for social workers, medical specialists and law

28 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 practitioners (29 women, three men) on the several very violent femicides in 2023, the rights of persons with disabilities affected by OSCE Mission offered legislative support sexual and GBV, focusing on accessibility to the entity of the Federation of Bosnia to healthcare, social and legal services, as and Herzegovina by bringing practitioners well as on how to apply immediate victim- together to examine a new draft Law on centred assistance and referral mechanisms Domestic Violence and Violence against to survivors of this crime. Women to replace the law in force since 2013, improving its provisions. In a The Programme Office in Bishkek and related initiative, the Mission’s ExB project Kyrgyzstan’s parliament organized a round Addressing Security and Safety Risks of table on political participation and leadership Illegal Possession, Misuse and Trafficking of of women in the country, attended by SALW and Their Ammunition in Bosnia and 28 parliamentary staff, representatives of Herzegovina strengthened inter-institutional government offices and women activists collaboration on reviewing the firearms from Chui province (24 women, four men). legislation and GBV. The Mission partnered The Office also provided expert support to with women police associations to train support amending the country’s law On state officers and donated ICT equipment to guarantees for equal rights and opportunities improve GBV case record-keeping. A Gender for women and men. Together with ODIHR, Equality Monitoring Framework was also the Office held a train-the-trainer workshop developed as an outcome of this activity. in Warsaw in May for members of the Kyrgyz Building on this foundation the Mission Association of Women in the Security Sector, also played a key role in combating harmful focusing on policing and human rights in legislative initiatives aimed at restricting the the framework of the Women, Peace and operations of civil society organizations in the Security agenda. entity of Republika Srpska, including some that are active in gender mainstreaming and In Dushanbe, the Programme Office the prevention of GBV. supported a government working group in Tajikistan in its efforts to harmonize the The Mission to Montenegro analysed country’s normative framework with anti- seven primary school textbooks to identify discrimination legislation, in particular the gender stereotypes in them. The findings Equality Law adopted in 2022. To help were taken on board by UNICEF and the the country’s Commissioner for Human country’s Ministry of Education, Science and Rights raise public awareness of the Law, Innovation as input for a new strategy for its anti-discrimination mechanism and the educational reform. The Mission also worked Ombudsperson’s role in its implementation, with the government to include gender the Office also ran a series of information mainstreaming into its mid-term work plan, sessions. which previously had been ‘gender-blind’.

In Uzbekistan, the Project Co-ordinator In Serbia, the OSCE Mission advanced assisted the country’s Children’s Rights gender-sensitive law-making by supporting Ombudsperson with the development a comprehensive revision of the country’s of special operating procedures for law Gender Equality Strategy 2021–2030, enforcement practitioners working with aligning it with national legislation and victims of child abuse and trafficking in international commitments. To enhance human beings. gender-sensitive judicial processes, the Mission trained 101 public prosecutors and In South-Eastern Europe, a strong focus prosecutorial assistants (59 women, 42 of the OSCE field operations was put on men) on clear, precise, and well-reasoned action against DV and VAWG. In Bosnia indictments. and Herzegovina, a country shaken by

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 29 In North Macedonia, the Mission to gender-sensitive legal reasoning, integrating Skopje supported the country’s first- gender mainstreaming as an argumentation ever Participatory Gender Audits of two strategy in amicus curiae submissions independent national bodies—the State (referencing a person or group who is Commission for Prevention of Corruption not a party to an action but has a strong and the Commission for Prevention and interest in the matter). As a result, the Protection from Discrimination—applying Constitutional Court of Ukraine adopted a the International Labour Organization’s gender-sensitive constitutional terminology methodology. These Audits catalysed toolkit, ensuring inclusive legal interpretation. institutional change by embedding gender- Another initiative focused on the Free Legal sensitive approaches into anti-corruption and Aid system in Ukraine, helping embed anti-discrimination frameworks. The Mission’s gender-sensitive approaches in the system’s engagement positioned both bodies as policies and operational procedures, thereby regional pioneers in integrating gender improving access to justice for women and equality into core governance mandates, marginalized groups. with tailored Action Plans under development to drive sustainable implementation. The 2.2 Preventing and combating Mission also implemented the ExB project violence against women and girls Assisting the National Authorities of the Republic of North Macedonia to Decrease In the 2004 Action Plan, the OSCE the Risk of Weapon Proliferation and Misuse participating States recognized2 that negative of SALW, which enabled gender-inclusive gender stereotypes contributed to the infrastructure improvements within the Police persistence of violence against women and Canine Unit, and supported the recruitment called for more action to not only overcome of the first female canine handlers. such stereotypes but also to prevent and combat all forms of GBV. They tasked all Through its ExB Support Programme for OSCE executive structures with a broad Ukraine, the OSCE trained constitutional array of initiatives to act against this crime, justice stakeholders in the country on including legislative initiatives, support for _______________________

2 2004 OSCE Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality, 44. (c). https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/7/d/23295.pdf

Kristina Shikova and her K9 partner Ada. The photo was taken as part of the SALW activities in North Macedonia on contributing to the successful recruitment of the Unit’s first female canine handlers. (Photo credit: OSCE/Annie Engstroem).

30 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 institution-building, awareness-raising and WRCs to address the most immediate training. In 2024, the OSCE delivered across challenges in supporting survivors of gender- the board on these taskings, both on the based violence. ground and centrally in the Secretariat and the institutions. The GIP continued co- The GIP team also supported exchanges ordinating work on the issue across the between women-led CSOs in Ukraine on Secretariat, through programmatic activities addressing GBV in conflict (see sidebar on and awareness-raising campaigns. A special page 35). In addition, two publications were role in this context is reserved every year launched, the Proposed Minimum standards for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender- and Components of the Training Curricula for Based Violence public information campaign Police and Judicial Training on VAWG and co-ordinated by the GIP, which in 2024 again Mapping of programmes for perpetrators of ranked among the topmost-viewed OSCE domestic violence in Central Asia (see Annex campaigns. (Find more on this campaign in for download links). The former publication the sidebar on pages 32 & 33.) introduces minimum standards based on a mapping on police and justice sector The GIP continued its work in Central Asia, training curricula on VAWG in South-Eastern facilitating support to women resource Europe, that offer OSCE-wide guidance centres and organizing, in May, the for policymakers and training institutions to third Networking and Capacity-Building enhance the effectiveness of VAWG training Conference for Women Resource Centres for law enforcement and the judiciary. It is (WRCs) and Civil Society Organizations aimed to serve as guidance for all upcoming (CSOs) in Almaty, Kazakhstan. This event OSCE training on the issue in the region. built upon the outcomes of previous The latter presents the result of a mapping exchanges held in Dushanbe in 2022 and exercise on perpetrator programmes in Tashkent in 2023. Organized under the WIN Central Asia, highlighting good practices and project, the event was designed to facilitate areas for improvement. knowledge exchange among WRCs, CSOs and other stakeholders in Central Asia. It aimed to consolidate achievements, address existing gaps and provide resources to

The third Networking and Capacity-Building Conference for Women Resource Centres (WRCs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Almaty, Kazakhstan, May 2024.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 31 Again one of most prominent OSCE public information campaigns of the year With 299,137 social media impressions, 4,359 engagements and 43,064 video views, the 16 Days campaign of 2024 again ranked at the top of most successful OSCE media campaigns. A specific focus was put by the Gender Issues Programme team—who organized and co-ordinated the campaign—on online violence against women and girls, threading the catchphrase ‘#NoExcuse’ into all the OSCE’s activities.

A total of 31 content pieces were published governments, educators and online platforms on four OSCE social media channels (X in creating a safer digital space. (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn), including video messages, banners ODIHR developed its campaign with a and news articles. The focus: empowering series of social media posts and flew, for women and girls by raising awareness, the first time ever, an orange flag outside its promoting safety and emphasizing the need Miodowa premises, complemented by a new to amplify women’s voices, uphold consent, plaque affixed to the railings that provides provide support and encourage reporting. information to passers-by on the aim of the More information on the ‘#NoExcuse’ campaign. campaign: www.osce.org/secretariat/583651 The Parliamentary Assembly’s Special On 10 December, the Gender Issues Representative on Gender Issues, Dr. Hedy Programme, together with the RFoM and Fry (MP Canada), also joined the campaign the delegations of Belgium and Germany, on social media and issued a press release, organized a film screening of #FatUglySlut – expressing her deep concern over the Online Abuse Against Women, followed by a alarming rate of GBV worldwide. panel discussion featuring women journalists, politicians and experts on the topic who The campaign was rolled out with equal provided valuable insights on combating enthusiasm by the OSCE field operations, online misogyny and addressing the role of which organized a plethora of activities

32 Annual Progress Report | 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence highlighting the topic and engaging parliament and the signing of a Declaration stakeholders across the board: conferences, of Intent to counter violence against young training sessions, public speeches, social women and girls, endorsed by the country’s media campaigns and video messages first woman President; and even a pub quiz reaching hundreds, often thousands of for men in Kosovo, to coax them to think people—to name but a few of the ideas about GBV through self-reflection rather the staff in the field came up with. Some than a top-down, ‘preaching’ approach— of the most notable initiatives were a truly “flipping the script” on the way how ‘Human Rights Cup’ debate tournament engagement on gender issues can be in Bishkek; a very successful social media approached from a fresh point of view. campaign in Montenegro with renowned athletes addressing boys and young men; the first 16 Days campaign event organized independently by the North Macedonia

Social media campaign visuals from the OSCE 2024 16 Days of Activism Campaign focused on raising awareness on online violence, November 2024.

Annual Progress Report | 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence 33 The Strategic Police Matters Unit (SPMU), and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism part of the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational (P/CVERLT): Addressing challenges in the Threats Department, trained more than ‘digital information disorder’. Understanding 1,100 police cadets from South-Eastern the Linkages between Gender, Violent Europe in fighting GBV, applying a victim- Misogyny and Violent Extremism. In post- centred approach. The training programme training surveys, the participants of the involved participants from Bosnia and course demonstrated that they had gained Herzegovina, Montenegro and North a deeper understanding of the link between Macedonia. Aside from presentations by gender and violent extremism, learning police officers, prosecutors and psychiatrists, about concepts and obtaining insights into the programme included creative global and local efforts to counter violent elements illustrating the impact and severe extremism. In addition, the ATU organized a consequences violence has in real life. training-of-trainers for 17 participants from Uzbekistan from law enforcement and judicial The greatest impression institutions to strengthen their understanding on me was how serious the on how integrating human rights improves investigation outcomes and addresses the consequences of violence are. role of gender stereotypes as barriers to effective investigations. A participant of the OSCE training for police cadets Jointly with the GIP/WIN project, the ATU continued to work with a team of experts Together with the SPMU, the Office of the to enhance the OSCE’s evidence base on Special Representative and Co-ordinator violent misogynistic and gendered narratives for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings used by violent extremists online, with a view (CTHB) organized an event to highlight the to provide actionable recommendations to victim-offender overlap and the application P/CVERLT government and non-government of the non-punishment principle in human stakeholders. It is planned that the final trafficking cases involving women who have research product, scheduled for release in committed crimes in the context of their 2025, will include recommendations that exploitation. The event took place on the detail possible entry points for P/CVERLT margins of the OSCE High-level international professionals on what the results mean for conference on strengthening criminal justice their practical prevention work. responses to and detection of trafficking in human beings amid refugee flows from Continuing its longstanding work on the Ukraine, held in June 2024. The High-level Safety of Female Journalists Online (#SOFJO) conference, attended by over 110 criminal initiative in 2024, the RFoM throughout the justice stakeholders from countries hosting year presented and promoted the Guidelines significant numbers of refugees fleeing for Monitoring Online Violence Against Ukraine—mostly women and children— Female Journalists at various forums and to underscored among other issues the need a range of stakeholders involved in the safety for regional and inter-agency co-operation of female journalists, including journalist across the board to tackle trafficking-related organizations, newsrooms, law enforcement crime involving Ukrainian refugees, such as agencies, academic circles, parliamentarians sexual and labour exploitation, and forced and civil society organizations. The criminality. Guidelines are a landmark publication issued in 2023 by the Representative, compiling The ATU, in co-operation with the Mission key indicators and metrics that signal an to Skopje, organized a multi-stakeholder escalation of online violence against women training course in Skopje in November, on journalists. Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism

34 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 As a result of ODIHR’s work with prison and in war, ensuring ethical coverage that does correctional officials and National Human not reinforce stereotypes or retraumatize Rights Institutions and National Preventive survivors. This was the topic at an OSCE- Mechanisms (NPMs) on preventing and supported special panel, held during a addressing sexual and gender-based conference in September on investigative violence (SGBV) in places of deprivation journalism in Kyiv. Under the ExB Support of liberty, the Polish NPM revised the Programme for Ukraine, the OSCE also held checklist used during its monitoring visits a series of events on GBV in the country, to incorporate SGBV questions. It also including an awareness event specifically for reported that ODIHR’s training enhanced the staff members and training for judges and focus on the situation of women prisoners legal professionals on gender-sensitive case and increased visits to women’s prisons. management of GBV, including cases arising The Serbian NPM reported ongoing use from war-related violence. Recommendations of ODIHR’s Practical Guide on SGBV in were also submitted to the Free Legal Aid detention monitoring to inform their work and system to expand services for women in review their operating arrangements. occupied territories and abroad, addressing survivors’ needs. ODIHR, assisted by the Mission to Skopje, also piloted a new training course in North To provide victims with a more effective and Macedonia, where 49 members of the trauma-informed response, the OSCE trained country’s parliament and parliamentary staff hotline personnel in Ukraine on how to (39 women, ten men) learned about the better handle calls related to DV and child definition, standards, responses, strategies protection. Under the same project, it also and measures to prevent and address organized a series of training events for violence against women in politics, based social service providers to strengthen their on ODIHR’s Addressing Violence against ability to offer psychosocial support to GBV Women in Politics In the OSCE Region survivors, focusing on trauma-informed care toolkit. and community-based assistance.

As part of its ExB Support Programme for In Central Asia, there was a notable increase Ukraine, the OSCE trained 171 criminal of activities by the OSCE field operations justice stakeholders (91 men, 80 women) on focusing on the perpetrators of DV. This conflict-related sexual violence and ensured directly responded to the first regional that the X Lviv Criminal Justice Forum, held mapping of such perpetrators in the region, in September, included a session on war- under a joint project undertaken by the GIP related GBV, equipping law enforcement in partnership with the UNFPA’s Regional with tools to investigate and prosecute Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. such cases in conflict settings. The OSCE Methodology for this exercise—the first of also trained ten female Free Legal Aid its kind in Central Asia—was based on a representatives from nine regions of Ukraine combination of desk reviews and interviews on gender-sensitive legal practices at the V with key stakeholders in each of the five Annual Forum of Women Lawyers in Lviv in countries in the region. June. The event was attended by 200 female human rights defenders and focused on war- In Astana, the Programme Office co- related gender justice. organized in November a regional conference titled Domestic Violence Counteraction Another project in Ukraine, held in Systems in Central Asia: Correctional partnership with Ukraine’s Commission on Programmes for Aggressors, which was Journalistic Ethics and the NGO Women in attended by parliamentarians, government Media, aimed at providing journalists with representatives, international organizations practical recommendations on reporting GBV and NGOs, as well as experts and

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 35 academics from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, expert—provided physiological consultations Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The event, held to 98 such perpetrators (all men) from Chui, in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Issyk-Kul, Naryn and Talas provinces. Foundation and the Union of Crisis Centres of Kazakhstan, served as a platform to share Other OSCE activities in Central Asia in best practices, exchange experiences and 2024 focused on the support for victims develop a unified regional strategy to combat of DV and of trafficking in human beings. DV, tailored to the specific sociocultural In Ashgabat, a dedicated hotline was set contexts of each participating country. up by the OSCE Centre’s implementing partner, the NGO Keyik Okara, which In Kyrgyzstan, the country’s President signed provided legal and psychological assistance, into law amendments of the legislation as well as consultations, to victims of DV. on domestic, sexual and gender-based Over six months—from August to January violence on 7 August 2024, introducing 2025—87 people received legal assistance several improvements and updating the and 120 obtained psychological support. country’s Standard Correctional Programme. A total of 673 calls were fielded, including The Programme Office in Bishkek, working 73 related to DV, three to sexual violence, with UNODC and the EU, supported a two to religious violence and five to social group visit of six representatives (three violence. Assistance also came in the form of women, three men) of relevant government shelter for the most vulnerable—women and offices to the Landau Prevention Centre in children—while the OSCE and its partner Germany in December, where they learned negotiated solutions for them with the about the implementation of a perpetrators relevant local authorities. programme, interagency co-operation in addressing GBV, and other important The Programme Office in Astana, in tandem aspects of combating and addressing GBV. with the aforementioned regional conference on DV, supported a study visit of six key The Programme Office in Bishkek also national responders from Kazakhstan to continued supporting the work with the South Palatinate Intervention Center perpetrators of DV. In 2024, trained in Germany, where they obtained insights instructors—supervised by a subject-matter into evidence-based practices, including

Regional conference on combating domestic violence in Central Asia, featuring representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, Almaty, 25 November 2024.

36 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 cognitive-based therapy and operational In Tajikistan, the Programme Office in strategies, and explored advanced risk Dushanbe organized training for 15 teaching management tools, such as the Ontario staff (eight men, seven women) of the Domestic Assault Risk Assessment or the Ministry of Internal Affairs Academy on Danger Assessment Score. victim-centred handling of DV cases, as well as a series of train-the-trainer events, held in The Programme Office in Bishkek organized co-operation with the Committee for Women a series of seminars in Chui, Issyk-Kul, Naryn and Family Affairs, which provided 231 civil and Talas provinces in May and June for 123 servants and professionals (185 women, regional representatives (62 women, 61 men) 46 men) the necessary competencies to from various government offices, all involved raise awareness and themselves deliver in the implementation of the correctional training on gender equality and DV case programme. In addition, the Office worked management. The Ministry’s working group again with a grassroots network of 28 on the issue, supported by the OSCE, Women Initiative Groups, holding a training also discussed recommendations for the event to strengthen the fundraising skills of police on how to respond to DV. Previous network’s leadership. such recommendations contributed to the establishment by the Ministry of two new From October to November, the 2024 Gender-Sensitive Police Units and helped Central Asian Youth Forum took place in increase the number of processed DV cases Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, focused on the gender by eight per cent (from 2,162 in 2023 to dimensions of trafficking in human beings. 2,336 in 2024). The 13 Women’s Resource The Programme Office in Bishkek focused Centres (WRCs) across the country, with its activities on professional development to support from the Programme Office, strengthen interagency efforts in assisting provided assistance to 1,265 survivors of trafficking victims. A total of 20 participants DV (1,141 women, 124 men), conducted (11 women, 9 men) received tailor-made 3,657 (3,280 women, 377 men) legal and training focused on promoting gender- 3,604 (3,237 women, 367 men) psychosocial sensitive approaches to support and consultations, successfully resolving 90 rehabilitation. per cent of the legal and 94 per cent of the psychosocial cases. The WRCs also held

Participants of the 2024 Central Asian Youth Forum on Combating Human Trafficking, 28 October 2024, Issyk-Kul (Photo credit: OSCE/Aida Almazbekova).

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 37 696 awareness sessions, reaching 15,559 seven public hearings on the draft Law on community members. Youth, ensuring diverse representation, including young women and non-majority The Mission in Kosovo and the Presence in communities, and contributed to the Albania jointly organized a meeting between development of five sub-legal acts, as well as Dragash/Dragaš and Kukës municipalities to organized a workshop to engage the youth improve the DV response by the municipality sector on the draft by-laws. structures. The initiative not only established a non-formal channel of communication In July, the Mission in Kosovo released a DV between members of the two municipalities’ trial monitoring report that highlights systemic Co-ordinated Referral Mechanisms for issues in the adjudication of DV cases, Domestic Violence but also helped identify violating fair trial principles and human rights what can and needs to be done in terms of standards. After the report’s publication, joint intervention for the affected women. the Mission facilitated six regional round tables with judges, prosecutors and defence In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Mission attorneys to develop solutions on the issues recognized in 2024 that there was a need raised. To strengthen the Kosovo Police for a more professional response by service victim-centred approach to assist women providers and effective referrals by social and children affected by GBV, the Mission service professionals. Consequently, it trained 322 police officers, including 186 developed an accredited training programme women, on newly enacted Violence against for members of this profession, equipping Women/Domestic Violence and Gender- them with tools and expertise to more based Violence standards. It also trained effectively address cases of DV and provide some 140 members of local Municipal Co- adequate victim support. Some 30 social ordination Mechanisms Against Domestic service staff were trained during the year. Violence from six municipalities, leading Working with the country’s institutions, the to several municipalities drawing up local Mission supported four committees of both policies to tackle violence against women. houses of the Parliament of the Federation In November, as part of its continued of Bosnia and Herzegovina in holding three programmatic support to the Kosovo thematic sessions on DV. All three sessions Assembly Women Committee Chairs, the resulted in draft recommendations adopted Mission facilitated discussions that led to by the committees, and recommendations the drafting of the first-ever Declaration on from the first and second sessions adopted the Elimination of Violence Against Women by the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia in Politics, which was endorsed by 66 and Herzegovina. MPs, representing both the position and opposition groups, including non-majority The Mission in Kosovo continued to support representatives. The Declaration is expected the authorities in shaping transformative to be rolled out at the local level ahead of the policies, including drafting gender-sensitive 2025 local elections. legislation and providing targeted capacity- building on violence against women for key In Montenegro, the introduction of a stakeholders. It helped the Ministry of Justice simulated criminal procedure for VAWG, draft sub-legal acts operationalizing the specifically targeting stalking of women legislation on VAW, DV and GBV, including journalists, has been translated by the OSCE regulations on Municipal Co-ordination Mission to a hands-on training module Mechanisms on Domestic Violence, the first for representatives of the judiciary. Some violence against women SOS helpline, and 18 judges and prosecutors (14 women, the establishment of the Kosovo Secretariat four men) from the high and basic courts/ on Preventing and Combating Violence prosecutor’s offices, along with police officers Against Women. The Mission also organized and support staff from NGO shelters, took

38 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 part in such training in 2024. To support In Skopje, the Mission sponsored a baseline women survivors of violence, the Mission study to evaluate the processing of DV and collaborated with the NGO SOS Helpline GBV cases across key institutions, revealing Nikšić to provide occupational therapy and critical gaps in the response to these crimes concrete professional skill development in and leading to actionable recommendations greenhouses run by shelters for victims. aimed at improving institutional co-ordination and efficiency. It also continued to work with In Serbia, the Mission, together with the youth at the local level, engaging secondary country’s Supreme Prosecutor’s Office, school students and teachers in efforts to updating the guidelines on the non- prevent GBV, including in cyberspace. punishment principle, ensuring that victims— primarily women—are not penalized for crimes committed under coercion. It also trained 113 prosecutors and misdemeanour judges (83 women, 30 men) on applying the principle and facilitated a series of round tables on the Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence for a total of 83 legal professionals (58 women, 25 men) to discuss challenges and legislative improvements. The Mission also supported the holding of the Second Regional Femicide Forum and the Victimology Society’s Annual Conference, the first of which gathered 62 regional experts (58 women, 4 men) to discuss establishing a femicide watch, criminalizing femicide, and improving accountability mechanisms; while the second was attended by 91 professionals in the field (85 women, 6 men) and addressed victim rights and best practices in victim assistance.

Head of OSCE Mission to BiH speaking at the joint session of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) parliamentary committees focused on on institutional responses to domestic and gender-based violence and the role of the law enforcement and justice sectors, 2024.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 39 GBV and women’s role in war and conflict During the Geneva Peace Week 2023, the OSCE partnered with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, Women in International Security Italy and the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network to organize a panel discussion on empowering young women as agents of change in the context of peace and security.

In Ukraine, the WIN project’s interventions humanitarian response and peacebuilding, targeted, among other issues, also the while in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the enhanced protection and response to VAWG Mission supported a variety of anti-terrorism in wartime and post-conflict settings. ODIHR activities that also included discussions on conducted research aiming at strengthening the procedural and substantive challenges National Referral Mechanisms on Countering in cases involving women’s recruitment, Trafficking in Human Beings, with a particular radicalization and involvement in conflict focus on women and children who are fleeing zones. Key takeaways included the conflict zones. importance of integrating gender-sensitive approaches in evidence collection, victim Under the ExB Support Programme for protection and rehabilitation efforts. Ukraine, the OSCE’s partner, the X Lviv Criminal Justice Forum, included a session on war-related GBV. During the Conference on Investigative Journalism in Ukraine in September, a special panel delivered practical recommendations to journalists on reporting GBV in war. In Astana, the Programme Office hosted an international conference in December that examined women’s roles in conflict prevention,

40 Annual Progress Report | 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence The high-level panel of the side event on Empowering Young Women as Agents of Change in the framework of Geneva Peace Week with former Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, 15 October 2024.

Dr. Lara Scarpitta, OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues, addressing the high-level panel at Geneva Peace Week, 15 October 2024.

Annual Progress Report | 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence 41 2.3 Ensuring equal opportunity for 2024 and conducted a gender audit of the women to participate in political National Assembly of Serbia, assisted by the Mission to Serbia. The Office also launched and public life gender audits of the parliaments of Albania and Latvia and carried out gender audits The OSCE continued its active support and projects for five parliamentary political for women in political and public life both parties in Denmark and Montenegro. ODIHR, through targeted initiatives and activities together with the Mission to Skopje, also driven by the Organization’s institutions helped the parliament of North Macedonia and operations in the field. The OSCE to develop its new Gender Action Plan, Secretariat continued supporting the covering the period 2025–2027. OSCE participating States in implementing their gender-related commitments in all In its election-related work, ODIHR three dimensions of security. In 2024, all continued to strive to achieve gender parity three Chairs of the Forum for Security Co- across all facets of its election observation operation (FSC) prioritized the importance activities, with ever-growing attention to the of the implementation of the Women, Peace participation of women in the composition of and Security Agenda and UNSCR 1325, its missions. It deployed more women than with several Security Dialogues dedicated men in both analyst positions and mission to this topic. The CPC continued supporting management (51.5 per cent). the FSC with gender-disaggregated data. In This inclusivity strengthens the quality of 2024, on average 31 per cent women and ODIHR’s observation work and enhances 69 per cent men participated in the FSC’s the effectiveness of the assistance plenary meetings. The panellists providing ODIHR provides to participating States in expertise for the Security Dialogues and FSC implementing recommendations following Chair’s side events in 2024 were comprised election observation. The 15 final reports of 46 per cent women and 54 per cent men. published in 2024 included 24 gender-related recommendations on how to improve the ODIHR, capitalizing on its mandate, participation of women in political and public completed a gender equality assessment life. of the National Assembly of Slovenia in

ODIHR capacity-building session on combating trafficking in human beings, 2024.

42 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 As part of its capacity-building work, ODIHR for women journalists online so they are not held the CHANGE self-advocacy training for intimidated into self-censorship or to even Roma women and feminist activists from leave the profession altogether. Ukraine in April, which helped participants to learn more about self-advocacy and Moving the focus to the OSCE’s work in how to strengthen their stand in public and the field, the ExB Support Programme for political life. Ukraine helped strengthen media standards and media literacy by giving assistance to The event, attended by Roma women the Commission of Journalistic Ethics (CJE), advocates from Ukraine, empowered them which in 2024 endorsed a new policy that to engage in meaningful dialogue with sets standards for gender-sensitive reporting authorities and other stakeholders through by the media, the Gender Equality Policy in effective and strategic advocacy, ultimately Media Content. aiming to combat gender inequality. In Albania, the Presence supported the To mark International Women’s Day 2024, reactivation of an ad hoc working group on the HCNM teamed up with the OSCE gender and women in decision-making as Chairpersonship, RFoM, ODIHR and the a platform for supporting and promoting OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to host gender equality and women’s empowerment an expert meeting and conference on the in decision-making roles. As part of a project gender aspects of surveillance and human to enhance the human and institutional rights within the broader context of the capacity of the Albanian parliament, to OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security. improve its inclusiveness, oversight and accountability practices, and to promote Meanwhile, the RFoM continued working youth and gender perspectives in the on its Safety of Female Journalist Online legislative process, the Presence, in co- (SOFJO) and Healthy Online Information operation with ODIHR, introduced the first Spaces / SAIFE projects (the latter extended gender audit in Albania. The audit report, in 2024 as the ‘SAIFE Renewed’ project), expected to be finalized in early 2025, will with the goal to promote a healthy online also establish Albania as the first country information space and a safer environment in the region to produce data on gender

Regional Central Asia Safety of Journalist Event, Beyond the Headlines: Protecting Journalist to Advance Media Freedom, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 26-27 June 2024.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 43 mainstreaming in senior management of seven local women politicians for the levels and women members of parliament February 2025 parliamentary elections. The participation. Mission’s support for the Kosovo Assembly also including the organization of a high- In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Mission level conference led by women MPs, which focused its attention on a project leading mobilized 66 out of 120 members of the to a greater inclusion of Roma women Assembly to sign the Declaration on Violence in national representative bodies, as well Against Women in Politics and Public Life, a as on an initiative to review the influence landmark policy facilitated by the OSCE that of male politicians on gender equality. guides joint efforts to create a safer and more The Mission also held an expert meeting, inclusive political environment for women. together with ODIHR and all OSCE field operations in South-Eastern Europe, that In Montenegro, the OSCE Mission co- brought together close to 80 participants hosted with local partners an international who discussed the role of male politicians conference on the role of gender quotas in as actors in strengthening gender equality political and social structures, at which the and addressing all forms of violence against participants adopted a draft Declaration women. on Equal Political Participation of Women, setting the stage for future action. The The Mission in Kosovo conducted an conference also ignited a dialogue on the eight-month long women capacity- need to amend the country’s Law on the building programme, the EmPOWER Election of Councillors and Members of Local Women Politicians Programme, Parliament, with a focus on ensuring long- involving 37 local women politicians, term gender balance. eight of whom were directly mentored by Women Committee Chairs as part of the The Mission to Serbia trained eight gender Mission’s programmatic support of the equality commissioners at the University Kosovo Assembly’s female MPs, thereby of Belgrade on discrimination prevention, enhancing their leadership, advocacy and developed 300 informational leaflets, and governance skills. These efforts resulted supported the Summer School ‘Law and in the professional growth and nomination Gender’. The Mission also organized,

International Day of the Girl Child Conference, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, October 2024.

44 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 together with ODIHR, a participatory gender also active in training various constituents audit workshop for members of parliament in Kyrgyzstan on gender roles in politics, and parliamentary staff (14 women, 12 men) including (together with UNICEF) running an to evaluate gender equality mechanisms in awareness-raising event for high-school girls the National Assembly. from around Bishkek, empowering the young women to aspire for future leadership and The Mission to Skopje supported decision-making positions. North Macedonia’s parliament with the implementation of its Gender Action Plan, The Programme Office in Dushanbe held a including by organizing a high-profile plenary training course on gender mainstreaming, session on International Women’s Day election campaigning and political that focused on MPs’ role in advancing communication, as well as leadership, for gender equality. Together with ODIHR, the women politicians from all registered political Mission also delivered a capacity-building parties in the country. It also co-organized workshop for MPs and parliamentary staff a round table dedicated to the International on hate speech and violence against women Day of the Girl Child in October and in politics, equipping them with tools to continued its awareness-raising campaign foster a safer and more inclusive political on the prevention of violent extremism and environment. radicalization that lead to terrorism across the northern region of Tajikistan. Focusing on The Centre in Ashgabat focused on economic-environmental activities, the Office strengthening gender mainstreaming in trained water management professionals (25 the electoral process by training media women, six men) from the Syrdarya Women professionals on gender-related aspects Basin’s Forum. in elections. In Astana, the Programme Office organized a conference on advancing women’s political participation and leadership in decision-making processes. In Kyrgyzstan, the parliament adopted its first-ever gender plan in October, developed with expert support from the OSCE. The Office was

Training on Addressing Violence Against Women in Politics, Skopje, North Macedonia, 29–30 October 2024.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 45 Malborë Qerimi during her apprenticeship at the Lipjan/Lipljan municipality, 1 August 2024.

“Grit and determination”: How a woman overcame her disability to make a difference At 15, a car accident changed Malborë future leaders represent the diverse people Qerimi’s world forever: she was left with they serve. This programme is helping to limited mobility. But she refused to let that shape young leaders with their own unique define her future. With grit and determination, strengths and stories like Malborë’s, and she regained her independence and pursued that’s important to our municipality.” Ms her dream of making a difference. An Qerimi’s story is not only about one young apprenticeship programme by the OSCE woman—it’s about how opening one door Mission in Kosovo allowed her to work can help shape a more inclusive system. in the General Administration Section of the Lipjan/Lipljan municipality, where she quickly proved that young women with disabilities are not just beneficiaries—they can be changemakers. She streamlined resident requests and impressed municipal leadership so much that the mayor extended her apprenticeship beyond the OSCE programme’s duration. “The wish and strong will to ‘become somebody’ can really make you achieve the impossible,” Ms Qerimi says. Diamant Bytyqi, Deputy Mayor of Lipjan/ Lipljan, chimes in: “We need to empower all parts of our communities and ensure our

46 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 2.4 Strengthening women’s Their recommendations were shared with participation in conflict prevention, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and integrated into OSCE’s advocacy for gender- crisis management and responsive reconstruction. Additionally, post-conflict reconstruction the GIP collaborates with the Office of the Government Commissioner on Gender A central point in this work area, highlighted Equality Policy of Ukraine to support gender- prominently in the 2004 Action Plan, is the sensitive recovery and reconstruction efforts. OSCE’s role in supporting the implementation of United Nations Security Council In alignment with the agreement between resolution (UNSCR) 1325, by supporting its the GIP and the State Emergency Service of participating States with the development Ukraine (SESU)—continuing the partnership of National Action Plans, enabling women that commenced in 2023—the WIN Project to become more integrated into the security organized a series of capacity-building sector, and strengthening their role in activities aiming to enhance the SESU’s conflict prevention, crisis management and ability to deliver inclusive, effective and post-conflict reconstruction. The OSCE gender-aware humanitarian assistance Action Plan explicitly emphasizes women (see also sidebar on page 53). Under the empowerment as an essential factor for WIN project, the GIP team also partnered comprehensive security and calls on all with the Kyiv-based Women Information OSCE executive structures to develop Consultative Center to run activities in activities to support it. support of the country’s NAP. This included nearly two dozen safety audits undertaken in In May 2024, ahead of the recovery and government-controlled communities in seven reconstruction conference on Ukraine in of the country’s regions. Berlin, the GIP team, under the leadership of the Secretary General, organized a The GIP continued to work on the consultation with Ukrainian women leaders implementation of the Women, Peace and from the WIN project-supported Networking Security agenda, strengthening notably the Platform. The meeting focused on their vision networks established under the Women’s for recovery and reconstruction planning. Peace Leadership Programme. Another

OSCE WIN Project’s workshop on women’s leadership in humanitarian response in partnership with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU), 2024.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 47 cohort of women leaders completed the The Department also organized a training Programme in 2024, the second edition event on Gendered Aspects of Cross-Border of which again offered the participants Crimes and Gender-Responsive Border tailor-made opportunities for increased Security and Management, which targeted professional visibility, better career first- and second-line officers from OSCE opportunities, stronger professional Mediterranean participating and partner networks, and improved self-confidence in States, who learned more about the nexus the realm of peacebuilding. (For more on between organized transnational crimes and these GIP/WIN activities, see sidebar on gender. In addition, they were introduced page 55). to gender-sensitive and trauma-informative interviewing techniques to improve the Under the GIP/WIN project, the third identification of victims and potential exchange between women from Ukraine and perpetrators of cross-border crimes. Bosnia and Herzegovina, coupled with online activities, was organized, on the topic of In line with UNSCR 1325 on Women, enhancing protection and response to VAWG Peace and Security and UNSCR 2242— in conflict. In 2024, discussions in this area which stresses the importance of women’s focused on sustaining long-term support leadership and participation in preventing for GBV survivors, ensuring inclusivity and and countering violent extremism and adopting a needs-based approach. OSCE terrorism—the ATU continued to worked with experts shared gender-inclusive justice the GIP’s WIN project on the running of two strategies and the integration of GBV women professionals networks that focus on considerations into Ukraine’s recovery and preventing and countering violent extremism reconstruction efforts. and radicalization that lead to terrorism, specifically in Central Asia and South-Eastern In addition, in collaboration with Women Europe. The networks meet regularly online, Against Violence Europe (WAVE), WIN both regionally and jointly, to discuss relevant supported a series of training events in thematic issues and challenges, and engage Ukraine, based on the training manual in common brainstorming. In October, the on preventing and responding to GBV ATU and the WIN project team organized in conflict and post-conflict settings. an in-person meeting for more than 70 Specialized training sessions empowered participants from the networks. women’s organizations and stakeholders to strengthen trauma-informed, survivor-centred The Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE responses, foster collaboration and address Economic and Environmental Activities the evolving risks of GBV. (OCEEA) continued to incorporate gender perspectives in water governance and the The OSCE’s Transnational Threats participation of women in conflict prevention Department (TNTD) and the UN organized and water management at all levels, with the Second Meeting of the Central Asia a focus on Central Asia. As part of the Regional Expert Council (REC) on the third phase of its project Women, Water Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Returnees Management and Conflict Prevention, the in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in November. The OCEEA provided support to the Women in event was attended by 40 participants and Water Management Network in Central Asia focused on civil society-led rehabilitation and Afghanistan. The Network provides a programmes, exploring how gender and age- community of practice for women water sensitive considerations can be integrated experts engaged in different aspects into the REC’s initiatives. The REC aims of transboundary water co-operation to consolidate expertise in prosecution, processes in these two geographical areas. rehabilitation and reintegration efforts across The overall mission of the Network has Central Asia of returning foreign fighters. positive implications for lowering tensions

48 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 in a comprehensive security approach and with a special focus on the diverse roles strengthens regional dialogue in the region. women play in drug trafficking, from victims to couriers, recruiters and managers. More In March, in the framework of this project, than 100 events were held in all provinces the OSCE co-convened the Women in of the country, with a participation by Water Diplomacy Network Second Global women of 50 per cent. The Office also Network Forum in Vienna, which was supported a series of seminars in the cities attended by over 80 diplomats engaged of Bishkek, Osh and Kadamjai, organized in water management issues from nearly by the Ministry of Interior and the Kyrgyz 50 countries, including those working on Association of Women in the Security Sector Women in Water Diplomacy Networks in the for police officers, focusing on peacebuilding Nile Basin, the Orange-Senqu Basin, Central processes, the rule of law, human rights Asia and Afghanistan, and the Americas. The and the role of police in UN peacekeeping participants discussed water governance operations. Under the WPS agenda, the challenges and how to transition from conflict Programme Office in Bishkek focused on to co-operation in this field. environmental governance and decision- making in the context of broader peace and In Turkmenistan, the main activity by the security agendas, for example in the area of Centre in Ashgabat was on building the sustainable water management and the role capacity of law enforcement and security women play in this sensitive area that also officials in countering transnational threats has wider security connotations. related to organized crime and terrorism. A total of 40 participants, 11 of them women, In Tajikistan, the Programme Office in took part in three-day training events in the Dushanbe held a workshop for a newly cities of Turkmenbashy and Mary. Further established working group tasked with north, in Kazakhstan, the Programme Office developing a national action plan on gender in Astana hosted an international conference and diversity in mine action. The event not on the role of women in ensuring peace and only covered national strategic documents on security, which specifically looked at the the issue but also international commitments systemic barriers to women’s leadership in under UNSCR 1325 and the UN’s Gender- political and public life, exploring legislative Responsive Peacekeeping Operations frameworks to protect women and children, policy and helped participants learn how and integrating gender-responsive policies to mainstream gender and diversity in mine in the security sector. The Programme action programmes. As part of its disaster Office also supported the Kazakhstan risk reduction and management activities, Peace Operations Centre (KAZCENT) with the Programme Office held 30 awareness- delivering its first ever training course on raising sessions across Shahriston, Devashtij gender aspects in peacekeeping operations and Istaravshan districts on gender inclusivity for 17 military officers (seven women, ten in disaster preparedness and mitigation men) from Kazakhstan and other invited strategies, as well as first aid in emergencies. countries (Jordan, Nigeria, and Tunisia). Key Other activities in Tajikistan included ten topics included human rights, countering women empowerment and gender equality sexual exploitation and abuse, addressing awareness-raising sessions across Tajikistan GBV in peacekeeping, understanding gender held by the OSCE-trained members of equality frameworks and masculinities in the OSCE Youth Network, reaching 283 international security, and advancing the participants (192 women, 91 men); a cultural WPS agenda in peacekeeping systems. day dedicated to gender awareness for 32 women and youth (18 women, 14 men); Throughout the year, the Programme Office and a round table in recognition of the in Bishkek helped the Ministry of Interior run International Day of the Girl Child. a country-wide national anti-drug campaign,

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 49 Within its WPS agenda, the Project Co- on youth, peace and security. In the same ordinator in Uzbekistan held a leadership month, the Presence held the third youth talk training course in Tashkent for women on WPS, together with its Youth Advisory in the judiciary and law enforcement. A Group. The discussion addressed the role total of 27 participants from these sectors of boys and men in advancing the WPS attended, including from the Supreme agenda. Court and General Prosecutor’s Office. To promote further implementation of the NAP Meanwhile, the Mission to Bosnia and on WPS at the local level, the Co-ordinator Herzegovina facilitated a cross-entity held a roundtable meeting in Termez, workshop in the town of Zvornik in near the border with Afghanistan, for 28 September, bringing together youth representatives (25 women, three men) of NGOs from the area to talk about GBV judicial bodies, law enforcement agencies and community security. The participants and non-governmental organizations. committed to closer collaboration among community institutions to address GBV Over in South-Eastern Europe, the Presence more effectively and already planned some in Albania teamed up with the country’s joint initiatives, such as a cross-entity youth National Cyber Security Authority (AKSK) to camp, awareness-raising film screenings in increase the number of women working on rural communities and informal educational cyber/ICT security. They ran a workshop on activities for women and girls. women empowerment in ICT/cyber security and a ‘Regional Cybercamp’, putting the In partnership with the OSCE Mission to emphasis on gender and breaking the myths Serbia, the Mission in Kosovo hosted the that ICT/cyber security and technology 10th edition of the Dialogue Academy, are reserved for male professionals. bringing together 24 young women from Collaborating with UN Women, the Presence Prishtinë/Priština and Belgrade for a also contributed to the Women, Peace transformative ten-day knowledge exchange and Security Week in November, a national in building bridges and driving social change. conference divided into three parallel The two Missions also strengthened the sessions, on women in uniform, the role of capacities of the 230-strong Dialogue civil society under the WPS agenda, and Academy Network of Alumnae (DANA), with

Deputy Head of OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Cornelia Taylor, and prominent women from Prishtinë/Priština and Belgrade discuss women’s role in the political sphere at the 2024 Dialogue Academy for Young Women, Gorizia/Nova Gorica, 19 October 2024.

50 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 alumnae shaping the DANA Roadmap 2024– In Montenegro, the OSCE Mission could 2027 and advancing women’s leadership in register an increase of women police officers reconciliation and policy advocacy. from 12 per cent in 2020 to 15 per cent in 2024, the result of a media campaign The Mission in Kosovo also drove a number to encourage young women and youth to of impactful community activities, raising pursue careers in policing. The Mission’s such issues as property and inheritance annual public perception survey of the rights for women and men and the unique country’s police revealed a steady increase challenges faced by women from non- in recognition among those polled that majority groups. In addition, workshops men and women are equally capable of with students and teachers, alongside performing police work, up from 81.2 per collaborations with local women’s groups, cent in 2023 to 82.7 per cent in 2024. have sparked essential conversations on Another OSCE initiative in the country, GBV, women’s access to legal rights and on trafficking in human beings, provided the economic empowerment of women 43 police and border police officers, and girls. The Mission delivered a five-day prosecutors, judges and social workers with training on public dialogue facilitation for training on the application of a victim-centred women from four areas in Kosovo and approach in interviewing potential trafficking continued its support for the Association of victims, including a set of gender-sensitive Women in Kosovo Police to help increase questions. the participation of women in the Kosovo Police, which in 2024 remained below 15 To strengthen gender-responsive policing, per cent. Support included capacity-building the Mission to Serbia supported the Women activities for Association members and Police Officers Network through a regional assistance for them to participate in the workshop on effective communication for Global Conference on Gender Equality in 31 women police officers, a seminar on Police held in Montenegro in March, and a gender-responsive security policies for the visit to the women’s section of the police in Ministry of Interior’s Gender Focal Points, North Macedonia. and participation in the Global Conference on Gender Equality in Police. To improve gender-inclusive emergency and disaster

Association of Women in Kosovo Police (AWKP) two-day workshop on revising their Development Strategy and Action Plan for 2022–2024, 20 September 2024, Prishtinë/Priština.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 51 risk reduction management, the Mission also policies. The OSCE also engaged a gender held a seminar for 40 Ministry employees (25 expert to conduct interviews with key women, 15 men) and equipped 15 gender state and non-state mine action operators, focal points of the Ministry with tools to analysing gender perspectives in their work. integrate gender perspectives into security The findings will inform media publications sector planning. on gender mainstreaming in mine action, ensuring greater public awareness of The Mission to Skopje continued to help gendered risks and challenges in demining advance women’s role in local peace and efforts. Another project involved incorporating security by promoting their participation in a gender component into a training course municipal governance and supporting the on internal conflict management in public institutionalization of the Gender Mentoring institutions, ensuring a more equitable Programme for women in policing. These approach to workplace conflict resolution, efforts contributed to the sustainable and into a training needs assessment integration of women within the security for dialogue facilitators and mediators, sector. The Mission also organized four identifying how the war differently impacts workshops designed to empower women men and women in conflict resolution roles. to engage with law enforcement, contribute The OSCE also organized training for 28 to community safety initiatives, foster trust, dialogue facilitators and mediators (25 and advocate for inclusive, gender-sensitive women, 3 men), helping them create safe security planning. The sessions were spaces, recognize hidden biases, and ensure attended by 81 women from Aerodrom, equality and inclusion in dialogue processes, Kisela Voda, Gazi Baba, Chair, Butel, Čučer- particularly in conflict settings. Sandevo and Shuto Orizari, with youth representing 34 per cent of all participants. This reflected not only a strong gender dimension of the event but also meaningful intergenerational engagement, enriching dialogue across age groups.

In partnership with ODIHR, the Mission convened the Regional Gender and Security Conference in March, gathering representatives from police institutions and women’s police associations across South- Eastern Europe. The conference concluded with a set of actionable recommendations aimed at advancing gender equality in law enforcement. Building on this momentum, the Mission hosted a follow-up regional workshop in December, which focused on sharing best practices for the establishment and strengthening of Police Women’s Associations.

In Ukraine, the OSCE—under its ExB Support Programme—co-organized with the Ministry of Economy and the Demine Ukraine initiative a gender awareness workshop for mine action actors to assess gender challenges and gaps in mine action

52 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 Participants of the initiative by the OSCE and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU), established under the WIN Project, December 2024.

More than 150 Ukraine emergency service staff trained on gender in 2024 Co-operation between the OSCE and This series of events in 2024 brought the State Emergency Service of Ukraine the number of SESU representatives (SESU), an initiative established in 2023 trained under the programme to a total under the WIN project, continued apace in of 236. The initiative further embedded 2024. The collaboration aims to strengthen gender-responsive and disability-inclusive gender-responsive and disability-inclusive approaches and women leadership in humanitarian response by SESU personnel. crisis management and recovery efforts, In October, 100 staff participated in two thereby reinforcing the OSCE’s long- online training sessions on this topic, term commitment to these principles in followed by discussions on the practical Ukraine. Interviews with SESU programme application of the related manual for trainers participants are available online: developed for SESU. In December, 54 female www.osce.org/secretariat/563112 participants from the Service took part in two in-person workshops on women leadership in humanitarian response, held in Lviv. The events addressed resilience-building and psycho-emotional support, recognizing the burnout and emotional strain women leaders often face. Participants developed stress management, self-care and leadership skills to sustain their effectiveness in crisis settings. More information on these workshops can be found here: www.osce.org/secretariat/582844

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 53 On the part of the OSCE institutions, ODIHR a capacity-building event on negotiation and organized a pilot training course for armed mediation, organized together with the WIN forces members from Austria, Belgium and project team. A 2024 impact report on the the United Kingdom on how to facilitate programme reported that previous graduates Human Rights and Gender Assessment for remained engaged on security issues not Armed Forces, while the HCNM, as part of only on a professional or academic but ongoing research and knowledge-building in also on personal levels. More than 69.3 the area of gender and national minorities— per cent of respondents were employed in including from the perspective of the Women, peace and security-related professions. An Peace and Security Agenda—held an expert overwhelming majority indicated that further round table on national minority women and learning about conflict resolution and de- conflict prevention and produced a report escalation strategies and gaining dialogue on the topic with preliminary principles and facilitation skills would be relevant to increase recommendations. their current professional capacities, and would contribute to global, regional, national As every year since 2018, the OSCE’s CPC or community-level peace and security- conducted in 2024 again a new edition building at large. of the OSCE Scholarship for Peace and Security, an educational training programme The OSCE welcomed, for the third year in a on conflict prevention and resolution through row, young diplomats from the Organization’s arms control, disarmament and non- Asian and Mediterranean Partners for proliferation for young professionals from all Co-operation participating in its flagship participating States and Partners for Co- study visit programme to Vienna and operation. The 2024 training programme was Prague, offered them a tailored and unique divided into an online course, with a women opportunity to deepen their understanding attendance of 88 per cent, and an in-person of the OSCE’s mandate and activities. segment dedicated exclusively to female The programme also featured a dedicated participants successful in the online course. session on the OSCE’s work in the field of Selected female graduates also took part in gender equality.

54 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 Panelists and Speakers at the Summit of the Future side event on the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, co-organized in partnership with the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), 21 September 2024.

From Albania to Tajikistan, implementation of Women, Peace and Security agenda moves forward A multitude of activities in the OSCE region to high-level meetings with decision-makers, further stepped up the work on UNSCR including the Munich Security Conference 1325 on Women, Peace and Security 2024. In December, the call for applications (WPS) and the participating States’ National for the 3rd Edition of the WPLP, this time Action Plans on the issue. The GIP held a focused on the gender and climate nexus, pioneering Regional Expert Level Workshop was issued. on the topic in the region, attended by more than 20 government experts on WPS Building on the foundation of two years from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, of leadership development, the OSCE Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. also built an alumni network in 2024 for the Programme, serving as a sustainable In November 2024, another cohort of platform for the women leaders and giving women participants, 15 in total, completed them access to continued support and the second edition of the Women’s Peace opportunities for collaboration. In support Leadership Programme (WPLP). The of the Programme’s second edition, the initiative offers tailor-made opportunities to OSCE published a series of articles with women to engage with concepts and skills participants’ testimonials on their website relevant to peacebuilding work, providing and social media channels, resulting in increased professional visibility, better 71,789 impressions and 3,427 engagements career opportunities, stronger professional over the year. The articles can be viewed networks, and improved self-confidence. here: www.osce.org/secretariat/573394 Marking the impact of this network, the In Ukraine, a new partnership was set up 2024 Programme participants were invited between the GIP/WIN project and the Kyiv-

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 55 based Women Information Consultative the importance of refraining from the Center (WICC), which, under the WIN project, securitization of youth with reference to resulted in support activities for the country’s extremism, terrorism, and radicalism. NAP, including 21 safety audits undertaken in Kyrgyzstan is expected to introduce the final government-controlled communities in seven version of the National Action Plan in 2025. regions (Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, The OSCE initiative forms part of a larger Dnipro, Poltava, Lviv, Kyiv city) to assess the project to roll out a series of Model OSCE security situation and needs of women and simulation exercises, including a simulation girls. The WICC also held nine webinars on case focusing on the prevention of GBV and the Ethics of treatment of conflict-related promotion of women’s participation in state sexual violence (CRSV) survivors, attended affairs. by 334 representatives (281 women and 53 men) of the security sector and social Further work on the NAPs was done in services, as well as local women activists. Central Asia and South-Eastern Europe by ODIHR organized a train-the-trainer course the OSCE’s field operations. on policing and human rights for women law enforcement officers and representatives of In Astana, the Programme Office, together women police associations from Kyrgyzstan with the Kazakhstan Peace Operations and Uzbekistan. The course was held Centre of the Ministry of Defence, organized together with the OSCE field presences in a five-day training course on gender aspects the two countries and provided participants in peacekeeping operations in April, in an overview of ODIHR’s work on policing support of the country’s commitment to and human rights, offering them practical gender equality and its NAP 2022–2025. recommendations on how to implement the In co-operation with the Law Enforcement WPS agenda in their daily work. Academy, the Office also delivered a two-day Under the ExB Support Programme for training course for human resource experts Ukraine (SPU), the OSCE engaged with to foster their understanding of gender- the country’s Government Commissioner sensitive approaches and the challenges on Gender Equality Policy and participated women face in the security sector. in the working group for the development of Ukraine’s NAP, helping integrate gender In Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the Office held a perspectives into the country’s security training for their national counterparts on and peacebuilding efforts, reinforcing gender and diversity in humanitarian mine commitments to gender equality in conflict action, in context of the country’s NAP, response and recovery, with a specific focus development of which is expected to begin in on demining work. early 2025.

In November, the OSCE Secretariat, in co- Meanwhile, in Uzbekistan, the office of operation with the Programme Office in the Project Co-ordinator held a two-day Bishkek and the organization Search for leadership training course in Tashkent for Common Ground (Search), took part in a women in the judiciary and law enforcement, workshop with state officials and civil society as well as a roundtable discussion in Termez, organizations on the country’s draft National near the country’s border with Afghanistan, Action Plan on Youth (2024–2027). The for representatives of the justice, law participants produced recommendations enforcement and NGO sector to discuss on the purpose and methods of monitoring how to increase the number of women in the and youth participation (including young security sector, part of the country’s 2022– women’s participation) in political affairs. 2025 NAP, and promote implementation of They also covered the issues of migration the NAP at the local level. and improvements in the education and leisure spheres. The experts emphasized

56 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 Moving further West, to South-Eastern In Serbia, the Mission supported the Europe, the Presence in Albania facilitated drafting of Serbia’s third NAP (expected the reconvening of the Women, Peace and to be launched in early 2025), ensuring an Security Working Group to support the inclusive, participatory process involving implementation of the country’s Second civil society organization, public authorities UNSCR 1325 NAP, approved in December and key stakeholders in the country. It also 2023. In collaboration with UN Women, the developed a new Gender Action Plan for Presence organized a national conference to 2024–2025, one of the key objectives of officially launch the NAP and strengthen the which is support for the adoption of a third understanding of its requirements among key NAP featuring as National Action Plan. institutions. Additionally, in partnership with the Youth Advisory Group, the Presence held the third ‘Youth Talk’ on the topic The role of boys and men in promoting the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, bringing together experts and representatives from the Albanian Parliament, the Advice Line for Boys and Men, and political parties.

The participants of a five-day training course on gender aspects in peacekeeping operations, organized by the Programme Office in Astana together with Kazakhstan Peace Operations, April 2025.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 57 2.5 Promoting equal opportunities on the use of such off-grid clean energy for women in the economic sphere technologies as solar parabolic cookers and mini-solar power stations. They learned the While most of the OSCE’s tasks on equal basics of renewable energy principles, giving economic opportunities for both women and them the skills to drive positive change in men have been laid down by the 2004 Action their communities through access to clean Plan for the OCEEA, the Organization’s energy sources. field operations have also been very active in 2024 in this area, reflecting a broad In 2024, the WIN project continued its approach to this tasking from Eastern Europe collaboration with the State Emergency to Central Asia. Service of Ukraine (SESU) to strengthen gender-responsive and disability-inclusive The OCEEA launched the OSCE Central humanitarian response. This follow-up Asian Women’s Entrepreneurship initiative builds on the foundation established Programme, aimed at empowering in 2023, enhancing the knowledge and women-led businesses in Central Asia skills of SESU personnel. In October 2024, through digital upskilling. Over the course two online training sessions gathered of seven weeks, women entrepreneurs 100 participants and focused on gender- from diverse backgrounds participated in sensitive and disability-inclusive humanitarian a series of workshops, practical sessions action. Additionally, the sessions facilitated and personalized mentoring, covering such discussions on the practical application of key areas as digital transformation, online the manual for trainers developed for SESU marketing and business management on this topic. strategies. Participants learned to develop and scale their businesses using the A key highlight was the presentation of Business Canvas Model, establish an online the WIN project’s new publication and presence, and effectively utilize digital pioneering work on Gender and Corruption financial tools, supporting sustainable in the Access to Natural Resources, which growth in the digital era. The programme explores how corruption affects women’s also included a visibility campaign through economic empowerment and decision- OSCE social media channels and concluded making participation in water, land, forestry with an in-person event in Almaty, where and extractive industries (see sidebar on 21 women entrepreneurs from Kazakhstan, page 59). Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan met to strengthen their peer-to-peer network. The event provided a platform for participants to exchange experiences and insights, further reinforcing the skills gained throughout the programme.

Another group of women, hailing from rural settlements of the Yaghnob Valley in north-west Tajikistan, took part in an economic empowerment programme in the energy sector, implemented by the OCEEA under the wider project Promoting Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Energy Sector in Central Asia for Energy Security and Sustainability. The programme, supported by the OSCE, involved training

58 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 Shedding light on gender and corruption in context of access to natural resources In March, at the margins of the CSW68 A central element of the event was a new held in New York, the OSCE Gender Issues OSCE publication on the issue, with the Programme put the spotlight on the relations title Gender and corruption in the access to between gender and corruption in the natural resources: Preliminary findings (see context of access to natural resources. A also the section on Publications in the annex side event co-hosted with Italy and Ireland of this report). and supported under the WIN project under the title No woman’s land: Unpacking the nexus and finding solutions on gender, corruption and access to natural resources brought into perspective the pervasive impact of corruption on women in their access to natural resources, including land, water and forestry, and provided an understanding of the political, environmental, social and economic ramifications of corruption in this sector. d. More on the event is available on the OSCE website: www.osce.org/secretariat/564116

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 59 The Centre in Ashgabat focused its efforts their own businesses and 89 jobs (68 in Osh on promoting best practices for the and 21 in Talas province) were created by establishment and functioning of a business women who participated in the programme. ombudsperson. A total of 15 participants (ten men, five women) from state authorities, The Programme Office in Dushanbe, small- and medium-sized enterprises operating through the WRCs, organized 104 (SMEs) and the Union of Industrialists and vocational training courses in remote areas Entrepreneurs took part in an awareness- of Tajikistan on sewing, embroidery, weaving, raising seminar with experts who explained bakery, cooking and computer literacy. the role of a business ombudsperson A total of 1,261 people (1,214 women, in supporting SME development, with 47 men) took part in the programme, a particular focus on women-owned 194 of whom reported later finding jobs enterprises. in different government bodies or private businesses, while 418 established their In Kyrgyzstan, the Programme Office in own small sewing or bakery businesses Bishkek implemented a project to empower at home. The Office also held advanced women by enhancing their economic security training courses on gender economics for and enabling them to build better futures for participants from government agencies, themselves and their families. This took the private organizations and civil society, who form of in-kind support, such as access to learned about the importance of integrating essential business equipment, as well as of gender perspectives into economic and targeted entrepreneurial skill training for the financial systems. Finally, the Office held a women participants. In 2024, 52 women round-table discussion for representatives of from Talas and Osh provinces took part in the country’s women’s caucuses, judiciary, this Women’s Economic Empowerment parliament, as well as the Committee of initiative, which contributed to increase Women and Family Affairs and the Ministries the participation of women in the local of Internal Affairs and of Justice, to present economy—especially relevant for provinces and discuss gender mainstreaming where local SME development helps lessen perspectives on different pieces of legislation. the migration of workforce. In addition, 31 During the event, the Alliance of Women women entrepreneurs launched or expanded Parliamentarians and the Union of Women

Advanced Training on Gender Economics, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, November 2024.

60 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 Judges proposed several recommendations final ‘datathon’ event (a competition where for changing legislation, based on best participants work through a large and practices on gender mainstreaming used in complex dataset and present their result Austria’s parliament and the judicial system to a jury). A total of 31 participants (25 of Spain. This was a direct result of a study women, six men) participated in the initiative. visit by the participants to these countries in The Presence also held an ‘Ideathon’ 2023. workshop for 21 young entrepreneurs (16 women, five men) on how to navigate Rounding up the OSCE’s activities in Central the start-up ecosystem, including idea Asia, the Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan development, pitching strategies, financial held training courses for 171 women resources and regulatory compliance. entrepreneurs from rural areas to help them The workshop tied in with the launch of a improve their computer literacy and digital Toolkit for Start-ups, both of which were marketing skills, which, in turn, enhanced supported by the OCEEA’s YDEAS II their capacities to start and manage a project. The entire initiative paid particular business. An additional group of around 400 attention to mainstreaming gender in young people, many of them women, took its activities, by encouraging women to part in an OSCE-sponsored youth start-up participate, get engaged and contribute to incubation programme that helped them the discussions, and collect gender data. to strengthen their entrepreneurial and ICT Women entrepreneurs showed particular skills, to come up with business ideas and interest in the Toolkit, which also includes upgrade their knowledge on how to establish legal information on non-discrimination and a start-up. harassment in the business sector.

Further west in the OSCE region, in South- In 2024, the Mission in Kosovo supported Eastern Europe, the field operations ran a handicraft fair in Prizren that included a panoply of initiatives to support gender 118 women and one man from diverse equality in economic development. In communities to promote non-majority cultural Albania, the Presence organized three heritage and contribute to rural tourism workshops on financial education, data growth. It also organized entrepreneurship analytics and advocacy, rounded up by a workshops on basic business concepts

Interregional Fair organized by NGO Equality with support from UN Women and the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Prizren, 6 September 2024.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 61 and best practices, to empower vulnerable conflict settings in the digital economy. Under women, especially from marginalized the WIN project, support was extended to communities, by improving their access to the implementing partner, WomenGoTech, the public and economic sphere. in delivering a programme aimed at empowering women displaced from Ukraine In Serbia, 80 women took part in two or those remaining without stable income meetings of the Alumni Club of the Share sources by introducing them to high-value Your Knowledge mentorship programme, technology industry jobs and facilitating their an OSCE initiative to give the participants’ reskilling. The funding enabled outreach to networking opportunities and strengthen women across Central and Eastern Europe their capacity-building and strategic planning and allowed for the creation and adaptation skills. The Mission also organized round of programme content, addressing linguistic tables in Subotica, Niš, Belgrade and Novi and professional challenges specific to Sad, involving 125 women entrepreneurs, Ukrainian women. The project’s impact was students and CSO representatives—76 of recognized by Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital them women—to promote green economic Transformation, leading to the signing of culture and sustainable practices, such as a memorandum of co-operation and the circular economy, climate resilience and integration of programme content into participatory decision-making. Ukraine’s digital portal DIIA, ensuring broad and long-term accessibility for Ukrainian Finally, in Ukraine, under its ExB Support women seeking career opportunities in the Programme, the OSCE engaged the technology sector. Office of the Government Commissioner on Gender Equality Policy to assess the baseline for a gender impact assessment methodology and identify key barriers to women’s full participation in the economy. The assessment has the goal to inform policy recommendations that promote gender- responsive business regulations. The GIP strengthened the skills of women from

Exchanges between Ukrainian and Bosnian activists working on violence in conflict supported by the OSCE Gender Issues Programme under the WIN project, 2024.

62 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2  Gender Equality for State Commission for Prevention of Corruption Training, Skopje, North Macedonia, 9 July 2024.

Discussions among participants of the 2024 Women Police Association Event during the The II International Youth Forum of the Syrdarya Dialogue Academy for Young Women, 16 Days of Activism, Skopje, North Macedonia, River Basin, 30 September 2024, Khujand. Gorizia/Nova Gorica, 17 October 2024. 10 December 2024.

Closing event of the 2024 Dialogue Academy for Young Women, Gorizia/Nova Gorica, 19 October 2024.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 63 The Ak-Tulpar Chess Centre, an initiative created under the support of Entrepreneurship Support Centres (ESCs) and the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, 2024.

From modest opening gambit to more than 1,000 followers How chess gave economic power to a mother of five In 2023, Aichurok Tolubaeva from Osh, I learned, my followers have surpassed Kyrgyzstan, decided not to be a pawn of 1,000,” Ms Tolubaeva says. “More parents destiny any longer and opened the Ak- began reaching out through Instagram, Tulpar Chess Centre. What began as a leading to the successful opening of our small initiative with one single trainer and 25 second branch.” Her story is testament to students quickly became a raving success. how strategic support and digital tools can Ms Tolubaeva expanded the Centre to two drive entrepreneurship and create lasting locations and is preparing to open a third community impact. one. Her mission is to invest in the future by equipping young minds with critical skills through chess, such as better memory and logical thinking, an initiative that was rewarded with support from Entrepreneurship Support Centres (ESCs) supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek. A public relations consultant from the ESCs gave her additional help by improving her Instagram presence, teaching her mobile photography and targeted promotion. “I started with just 250 subscribers, but after applying what

64 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 Thumbnail from the video testimonials under the hashtag #WomenInspire, The OSCE Presence in Albania, March 2024.

Portraying the positive energy of women entrepreneurs and civil society activists On International Women’s Day 2024, the The videos are available on Instagram and Presence in Albania kicked off a month- Facebook: long communication campaign featuring the voices of inspiring women. In video www.instagram.com/p/C4PvulBN6nS testimonials broadcast on social media www.facebook.com/OSCE.Albania/ under the hashtags #WomenInspire and videos/1130676191423494 and #GratëFrymëzojnë, women told their own www.facebook.com/reel/922190866280331 stories and thereby conveyed the positive energy of women entrepreneurs and civil society activists who participated in OSCE activities and networks, towards the realization of their dreams and objectives and their contribution to the development of the community.

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 65 2.6 Building national mechanisms respondents to enhance the protection of for the advancement of women women journalists in digital spaces.

On 30 July, on the occasion of the World On the ground, activities focusing on this Day Against Trafficking in Persons, ODIHR work area mainly took place in South-Eastern launched a new publication, the Guidance Europe. In Albania, the OSCE Presence held on Establishing and Maintaining National mobile journalism training for students at Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Councils. the University of Tirana, with strong female Following the event, which brought to the participation and a focus on encouraging attention of OSCE participating States aspiring female journalists to take on the importance of promoting the ethical leadership roles in storytelling and reporting. and meaningful inclusion of survivor A similar approach was underlying a peer leaders in anti-trafficking efforts, several exchange programme in Niš, Serbia, which States showed interest in exploring more gave aspiring female journalists from Albania engagement of survivor leaders in designing and Serbia opportunities to collaborate, and developing anti-trafficking policies, and exchange knowledge and build networks, for the identification of victim and potential leading to strong regional co-operation and victims of human trafficking. Since 2021, amplifying women’s voices in journalism. ODIHR also works closely with the members of the International Survivors of Trafficking Also in Serbia, the Mission there organized Advisory Council, who inform ODIHR’s work tailor-made training events for the Bulgarian in combating trafficking in human beings. and Russian National Councils of National Minorities (NMCs) and supported the The RFoM continued to implement its Bunjevac NMC in developing a five-year Gender Action Plan 2022–2027, a pillar strategy with a gender-sensitive approach. of which is focused on advancing gender As a result, gender mainstreaming principles equality in the participating States. It provides were integrated into the NMC strategy, and for the States’ support in fulfilling their gender all NMCs were guided to apply gender- equality commitments and implementing sensitive budgeting, ensuring public funds relevant measures through national align with gender equality objectives. The mechanisms. Under its Safety of Journalists Mission also helped organize training for project, RFoM continued supporting the five local self-governments to strengthen OSCE participating States in enhancing their the functioning of local Councils for Inter- national action plans on journalist safety, Ethnic Relations, which among other with a particular emphasis on gender and issues included a component on gender intersectional perspectives. The RFoM also mainstreaming. This in turn fostered a more continued to work with the Guidelines for balanced representation of women in these Monitoring Online Violence Against Female bodies. Journalists, which are designed to assist civil society, governments and other stakeholders Further to the west, in Bosnia and in incorporating a gender perspective Herzegovina, officials working for cantonal when monitoring journalists’ safety. The authorities benefited from several workshops Guidelines, comprising a comprehensive set the OSCE Mission ran to present to them of indicators, are intended to help with the legislation in the field of gender and human monitoring of online violence, with one of the rights, such as relevant laws and by-laws, as indicators specifically designed to track the well as on how to employ gender-responsive escalation of violence from online to ‘offline’, budgeting strategies as institutional thereby allowing for more timely intervention mechanisms to strengthen gender equality. to prevent further harm. The Guidelines also offer tailored monitoring guidance for

66 Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 The Mission also initiated the development of responsive budgeting, response to DV, and three municipality-level gender action plans, inclusive public policies. The Mission also two of which were adopted in 2024 (for trained municipal Gender Equality and Media Prijedor City and Kladanj Municipality). Officers on gender-sensitive language and provided input to the gender action plan of The Mission in Kosovo published a report the Association of Women in Kosovo Police on school dropouts, highlighting persistent and the Association of Women in the Kosovo challenges despite authorities’ efforts, Correctional Service. particularly for Kosovo Roma, Kosovo Ashkali, and Kosovo Egyptian children. In North Macedonia, the Mission to This analysis informed the Kosovo Inter- Skopje organized a regional workshop Institutional Working Group’s action plan bringing together women police officers to for early marriage prevention and was exchange good practices on establishing followed, in December, by the first-ever inclusive professional networks. The event conference for school psychologists and supported the formation of a Women’s pedagogues on this issue. A separate Police Association in North Macedonia activity involved 137 officials (110 women, and promoted institutional mechanisms to 27 men), who participated in OSCE-driven strengthen gender equality within the law events to strengthen Local Gender Equality enforcement sector. Mechanisms by training them on gender-

ODIHR and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina joint event on Engaging Male Politicians, June 2024 (Photo credit: Zejd Kadric)

Annual Progress Report | Chapter 2 67 Former OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid and OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues Lara Scarpitta at the Gender Champions Award Ceremony, 11 July 2024.

Meet our Gender Equality Champions of 2024 In 2018, the OSCE individual women Secretary General and men, teams, or established the annual projects—to promote Gender Champion gender equality. Awards, administered by the Gender Issues Programme, to recognize outstanding achievements of OSCE leaders—

68 Annual Progress Report | Meet our Gender Equality Champions of 2024 Leadership Award Gender Focal Point Award Paolo Bernasconi Shpresa Mulliqi Paolo Bernasconi, the OSCE’s Director Shpresa Mulliqi, National Public Safety for Human Resources, received the Awareness Officer with the Mission in Leadership Award for his firm commitment Kosovo, received the Gender Focal Point in promoting gender equality across the Award for being a transformative force Organization, particularly for his pivotal role in promoting gender equality and social in implementing significant changes in the inclusion through her dedicated advisory and recruitment process and the Prevention capacity-building work for the Association of of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Women in Kosovo Police and the Association policy and training. Under his leadership, of Women in the Kosovo Correction Agency. the OSCE achieved gender parity among its international staff.

Project Award Staff Member Award OSCE Mission to Skopje Jamilya Sharifova The Project Award was handed over to Jamilya Sharifova is Senior Programme three team members of the Mission’s Police Assistant at the Programme Office in Development Unit: Senior Police Advisor Dushanbe. She received the Award for her Gordana Mitrovic, National Programme tireless work in promoting gender equality Officer Faruk Ademi and Programme in the remote region of Garm, in eastern Assistant Naser Nagavci. The Mission’s Tajikistan. Her efforts in conducting home- five-year Gender Mentoring Programme in based workshops, establishing women the Police project significantly improved the support groups, and facilitating small understanding of gender-related challenges business initiatives for women have been among staff at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, instrumental in empowering women and empowered women police officers, and addressing the aftermath of the 1992-1997 contributed to the personal and professional civil war. development of the project participants. As a result, many women police officers have been promoted to higher managerial positions.

Annual Progress Report | Meet our Gender Equality Champions of 2024 69  OSCE Gender Issues Programme OSCE Gender Issues Programme Gender and Corruption in the Access to Natural Mapping of programmes for perpetrators of Resources: Preliminary Findings domestic violence in Central Asia

OSCE Gender Issues Programme OSCE Gender Issues Programme Navigating Networks: A Roadmap for the Creation Proposed Minimum standards and Components and Operation of Women- led Peacebuilding of the Training Curricula for Police and Judicial Networks in Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the Training on VAWG South Caucasus

OSCE Gender Issues Programme OSCE Mission to Mission to Skopje OSCE Women’s Peace Leadership Programme: (2024) Empowering the Next Generation of Women Participation of Community Women in Political and Leaders Public Life in North Macedonia  OCEEA (2024) OCEEA (2024) From Commitment to Action: OSCE’s Advancing a Just Energy Transition in Central Asia: Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Report Women’s Key Role in the Energy Sector 2023-2024

OCEEA (2024) Empowering Women to Drive Sustainable OCEEA (2024) Energy Access in Rural Tajikistan. A Catalyst for The Effects of the Crisis in Afghanistan on Central Community Development and Wellbeing Asia’s Energy Sector. A Risk Assessment

OCEEA (2024) OSCE CTHB (2024) Green Paper on Social Economy in the Invisible victims: The nexus between disabilities Western Balkans and trafficking in human beings OSCE Office of Internal Oversight (2024) Promoting gender equality in the OSCE and its participating States: Independent Evaluation of the ODIHR (2024) implementation of the 2004 OSCE Action Plan for ODIHR support for parliaments on advancing the Promotion of Gender Equality (2018-2022) gender equality — factsheet

ODIHR (2024) ODIHR (2024) Advancing gender equality in politics — National Transforming political parties from within — Gender assessments and action plans — Tool 1 audits and action plans — Tool 2

ODIHR (2024) ODIHR (2024) Quick Guide on Preventing and Addressing Sexual Parliamentary bodies for gender equality — and Gender-Based Violence in Places of Deprivation Overview and recommendations — Tool 3 of Liberty  ODIHR (2024) ODIHR (2024) Employment: The Right to Freedom of Thought, Guidance on establishing and maintaining National Conscience, Religion or Belief of Women at Work Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Councils (NSTACs)

ODIHR (2024) OSCE Mission in Kosovo (2024) Human Rights and Gender Assessment in the Trial Monitoring Report on the Adjudication of Armed Forces — Facilitators Guide Domestic Violence Cases in Kosovo

OSCE Mission to Montenegro (2024) Evaluation Report of National Strategy for Gender Equality OSCE Secretariat Office of the Secretary General Gender Issues Programme Wallnerstrasse 6 1010 Vienna, Austria

Email: equality@osce.org www.osce.org/secretariat/gender