PeaceRep Researcher Addresses OSCE Conference on Gender Equality

The 2023 OSCE Chairpersonship of North Macedonia held the inaugural 2023 Chairpersonship’s Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Conference in Tetovo on 5-6 September 2023. The conference served as a forum for discussions among representatives from the OSCE participating States, partner countries, the private sector, academia, civil society and other international organizations. Participants held substantive discussions on gender equality related issues, while taking stock of achievements towards delivering on the OSCE commitments and also considering possible ways forward to further enhance work for the OSCE region.

PeaceRep Research Fellow and gender lead Laura Wise delivered a presentation as part of the Working Session on ‘Women, Peace and Security: strengthening women’s participation and leadership to deliver inclusive peacebuilding and conflict management solutions’.

The panel was moderated by Ambassador Michael Carpenter, Permanent Representative of the United States to OSCE, and also featured interventions from:

• H.E. Slavjanka Petrovska, Minister оf Defence, North Macedonia
• Ms. Elisa Fernandez, UN Women, Deputy Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia
• Dr. Kateryna Levchenko, Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy of Ukraine
• Dr. Elena Stavrevska, Lecturer in International Relations, University of Bristol, and
• Dr. Lara Scarpitta, Senior Advisor on Gender Issues and Head of the Gender Issues Program, Office of the OSCE Secretary General

In her intervention, Laura shared insights from her research and the PeaceFem app on women’s meaningful participation in peace processes, and discussed some of the enabling and constraining factors that can shape opportunities for inclusion. She also reflected on the current state of the women, peace and security agenda in the OSCE region and beyond.