Meeting on Armed Forces and Women’s Access to Combat Positions

Women in the armed forces are still being prevented from serving on the front lines in a number of OSCE participating States and are therefore restricted in their prospects for promotion and career advancement in the military. To address this issue, ODIHR has invited OSCE participating States’ representatives to the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) for a discussion on women’s access to combat positions in the armed forces.

Discussions will address women’s access to combat positions as a matter of military effectiveness, as a human rights concern and as a reflection of front line reality. It is anticipated that the discussions will provide guidance on whom decision-makers should consult when deliberating whether to grant women access to combat positions. Furthermore, discussions will focus on how to effectively implement a decision that provides women with official access to all military positions, including combat roles.

This event will form part of an on-going series of discussions primarily for the FSC, facilitated by ODIHR to highlight current and evolving issues relating to human rights and gender concerns in the armed forces.

Please note that the target audience of this event is the OSCE participating States’ representatives to the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC).