Effectiveness of gender equality mechanisms at local level in Ukraine focus of OSCE/ODIHR-organized workshop

The effectiveness of gender equality mechanisms at the local level in Ukraine was the focus of a workshop organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights (ODIHR), in co-operation with the Equal Opportunities Inter-Faction Union of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s Parliament, in Kharkiv, on 19 February 2016.

Gender equality officials and advocates discussed the status quo and ways to advance the effectiveness of national gender mechanisms in Ukraine and had the opportunity to learn about good practices in the work of gender equality mechanisms in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

"Promoting and achieving gender equality remains a challenge for many OSCE participating States," said Kateryna Ryabiko, Project Co-ordinator for ODIHR’s Ukraine civil society project. "This event provides us with an excellent opportunity to contribute to the discussion of new avenues and approaches to advancing the role of gender equality mechanisms in Ukraine."

Mariia Ionova, Co-chair of the Equal Opportunities Inter-Faction Union of the Verkhovna Rada said: “Strengthening and institutionalizing gender mechanisms is essential to ensure that the needs and concerns of both women and men are taken into account. These mechanisms play a great role in identifying existing gender gaps. The parliament of Ukraine is paying particular attention to this issue.”

The event was organized within ODIHR’s "Strengthening Dialogue among Civil Society and with Key Governmental Stakeholders in Ukraine Project", launched in April 2015, with the goal of enhancing effective mechanisms for dialogue to address key human rights issues in Ukraine, in line with OSCE commitments and international standards.