ODIHR’s Gender Matters series: Affirmative Measures for Women’s Political Participation

ODIHR continues its “Gender Matters!” series of online briefings on gender quality in politics. They aim to exchange ideas and building capacity at all levels within the OSCE.

This third event of this series is titled: “Beyond Gender Quotas: Affirmative Measures for Women’s Political Participation”. ODIHR has the privilege to feature Drude Dahlerup, Professor of Political Science from Stockholm and a world-known expert on women’s political participation in Europe. Drude Dahlerup will present highlights from her research, including her book “Has Democracy Failed Women?”.

Saša Gavrić, ODIHR’s expert on women’s political participation, will moderate the event.

Objectives

This coffee briefing will enable OSCE colleagues to:

• learn more about the topic of affirmative measures
• discuss how affirmative measures advance women’s political participation
• share good practices from OSCE countries
• explore together possible solutions and OSCE responses

Why it is important

Over the last three decades, women have made significant advancements into political life across the OSCE region. Today, women make up 29 per cent of members of parliaments – and a representation as high as more than 42 per cent on average in Nordic countries. Furthermore, at present, there are more women as ministers, heads of states and heads of governments then ever before.

However, it is important to acknowledge that this progress would have never happened without the diverse forms of pro-active, affirmative measures taken by political parties, parliaments and governments - with the crucial advocacy, awareness-raising and capacity building support received from the women’s movements and international organisations.

Background

The first event of the “Gender Matters!” series took place on 3 March: https://www.osce.org/odihr/478768. 

The second event of the “Gender Matters!” series took place on 19 April: https://www.osce.org/odihr/482208.