Thank you Chair,
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on our transformative progress towards the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by all women and girls. This year, unfortunately, brings little cause for celebration, as we are witnessing a backlash against hard-won gains for women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in our societies. The growing opposition to gender equality and to the rights of women and girls across the world is deeply concerning.
Perpetuating outdated gender stereotypes about the ability of women to contribute to comprehensive security undermines the ability of societies to respond and remain resilient in times of crisis. In Ukraine, the diversity of roles undertaken by Ukrainian women in resisting Russian aggression has demonstrated the importance of comprehensive empowerment and participation to societal resilience. We must all learn from this.
Russia’s aggression has also demonstrated the appalling consequences of war for women, including widespread and systematic sexual and gender-based violence perpetrated by Russian forces, and vulnerabilities exacerbated by mass displacement, as documented by Moscow Mechanism and ODIHR reports.
Chair,
We are also facing new and emerging threats to gender equality and all women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of all human rights.
The proliferation of misogynistic content online, in which sexual and gender-based violence is normalised and even encouraged, is a violation of women’s and girls’ rights, freedom and dignity, and is an extreme expression of gender inequality. It is our responsibility, as policy-makers, to find ways to effectively counter these narratives, involving also men and boys in this work.
Chair,
The OSCE’s work on advancing gender equality, eliminating violence against women and implementing women, peace and security commitments is proof of the enduring value of the comprehensive concept of security. Approaching gender equality as a cross-dimensional issue, tackling the root causes of existing gender inequalities, provides valuable entry points to improve women’s daily lives, and demonstrates how gender equality is integral to sustainably peaceful, prosperous, and secure societies.
Chair,
We should not have to set out arguments in defence of gender equality. We have all agreed that it is important, on multiple occasions and in multiple consensus documents. We should therefore be focused on how we can work together to implement the commitments which we have all willingly undertaken. The OSCE offers us many useful tools to do so. Let’s demonstrate not only in our words here today, but in our actions in the year ahead.
Thank you.