Addressing electoral recommendations from a gender perspective focus of an ODIHR-supported regional conference in Sarajevo

Barriers affecting the electoral participation of women and identifying solutions to overcome them was the focus of a conference held by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 9 and 10 October 2019 in Sarajevo. The event was organized in partnership with the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The event brought together 55 participants (33 women and 22 men), including politicians, representatives of civil society organizations and the media, women’s rights activists and academics from across the Western Balkans, as well as experts from other international organizations.

“The recommendations ODIHR has made on women’s participation in the elections in the Western Balkans include calls for greater participation in electoral and other decision-making bodies, equitable media coverage during campaigns, parity for electoral candidacy and addressing issues such as group or family voting,” said ODIHR Director Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir. “This event provided our Office with an important opportunity to further understand the challenges and to see how we at ODIHR can refine our approach to ensure we are doing all on our part to support local stakeholders in promoting women’s participation.”

Key topics discussed included the role of media in ensuring gender-balanced coverage of election campaigns; co-operation and partnerships between women’s organizations and government and public institutions, as well as their engagement in addressing electoral recommendations. The participants also exchanged views on challenges, good practice examples and recommendations for action to ensure the unhindered participation of women in electoral processes.

“When women participate in elections — as candidates, voters, party supporters or electoral administrators — their needs and interests are better addressed. Political processes then become more inclusive, political decisions better reflect the electorate, and the overall democracy is strengthened,” said Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The event was organized as part of ODIHR’s project “Support to Elections in the Western Balkans”, which is funded by the European Union and the Austrian Development Agency. The project supports institutions and civil society in their efforts to follow up on election observation recommendations. It also focuses on engaging politically under-represented groups, including women.