Parliamentary seminar: Gender parity - Why it is important and how to make it happen

Gender parity – the equal and meaningful representation of women and men in politics – is a cornerstone of democratic governance and an essential component of democratic elections. It strengthens the legitimacy of institutions, improves the quality of decision-making, and helps ensure that laws, budgets and public policies respond to the lived realities of all citizens. In the electoral context, parity affects candidate selection, electoral competition, the conduct of elections and the implementation of election legal frameworks. It is also firmly grounded in international human rights standards, including the 2024 CEDAW Committee General Recommendation No. 40 (GR 40), which frames equal and inclusive representation as a right and sets out a roadmap towards 50:50 parity. ODIHR election observation missions in Montenegro, including in 2023, have also consistently highlighted challenges related to women’s political and electoral participation, the design and implementation of quotas on candidate lists, internal party gatekeeping and effective enforcement of electoral legislation.

In line with ODIHR election recommendations and broader international commitments on democratic governance, strengthening women’s participation in electoral and political processes remains a key component of electoral reform efforts in the region.

This seminar, bringing together participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia, will provide a shared, rights-based framing for parity, take stock of current barriers and opportunities, and identify practical next steps for follow-up involving parliaments, political parties, election management bodies, governmental gender equality bodies and international partners. 

The seminar is organized as part of ODIHR’s extra-budgetary project “Enhancing Electoral Reform in the Western Balkans (2025–2028)”, which supports beneficiaries in following up on electoral recommendations and aligning electoral frameworks and practices with OSCE commitments and international standards for democratic elections. The project is funded by the European Union, with additional support from Norway and Greece. More information about the project is available on the project webpage.

Who can take part

Participation is by invitation only.

Contact

For further information, please contact Saša Gavrić, ODIHR's Adviser on Gender Issues, sasa.gavric@odihr.pl.