Women and men working together to advance gender parity in focus at ODIHR event

Making gender equality in politics a shared responsibility, with men taking a more active role in removing barriers to women’s leadership, was the focus of a discussion organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) during the 2026 Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.

Women hold 32 per cent of seats in national parliaments across the OSCE region, yet men continue to occupy most political leadership positions. Participants explored how to move beyond commitments to equality and change the political cultures and practices that prevent women from gaining influence.

“For too long, gender equality has often been treated as a conversation among women, about women, for women,” said ODIHR Director Maria Telalian. 
“But support in principle is not enough — we need more men to become active allies and leaders for gender equality in politics.”

The Women’s Power Breakfast brought together parliamentarians and political leaders from Armenia, Poland and Denmark, alongside ODIHR experts, to consider how male politicians can become active allies and how women and men can work together to make political institutions more inclusive.

“Being an ally means turning support into action — using our influence to open doors, challenge barriers and help change institutions,” said Michał Baranowski, Undersecretary of State at Poland’s Ministry of Development and Technology.

The discussion built on ODIHR’s work on inclusive and gender-responsive governance, including its Sarajevo Tool for Engaging Male Politicians in Achieving Gender Equality in Politics, which provides practical guidance for male political leaders seeking to advance gender equality.