Federica Oroni addresses the OSCE Chairpersonship Conference on Gender Equality - Building resilience through inclusion and empowerment, Vienna, 7 May 2025VIENNA, 7 May 2025 – Carina Ödebrink (Sweden), the Rapporteur of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee, and Federica Onori (Italy), Vice-Chair of the PA’s Network of Young Parliamentarians, have represented the Assembly this week in Vienna at the Conference on Gender Equality, organized by the Finnish Chairpersonship.
Held under the theme “Building resilience through inclusion and empowerment,” the two-day conference gathered senior OSCE officials, government representatives, parliamentarians, civil society actors and international experts to exchange views on advancing gender equality across the OSCE region.
Onori spoke today at the spotlight session “Promoting equal opportunities for women and girls in the digital era,” stressing the role of parliaments in addressing gender-based challenges and fostering inclusion in an increasingly digital world. She emphasized in particular the unique role legislators play in closing the gender digital divide and tackling online violence against women and girls.
“As parliamentarians, we have the tools to shape inclusive digital policies – from promoting STEM education for girls to ensuring online safety and addressing gender-based cyberviolence,” Onori said. “Digital inclusion is not just about access to technology; it’s about enabling women and girls to thrive, lead and participate fully in all aspects of society.” Engaging men and boys was also highlighted by Onori during the discussion.
Emphasizing the role of the OSCE PA as an international forum, Onori pointed to recent initiatives to address online abuse and promote women’s digital empowerment across the region.
“The OSCE PA provides a vital platform for collective action, offering not only policy recommendations but also space for dialogue and best practice exchange,” she noted.
Onori also underlined the importance of stronger legislative responses to online gender-based violence and the need for greater collaboration with the private sector to ensure safe and equitable digital environments.
Alongside Onori, the session featured experts and practitioners in the field, including representatives from Finland, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Carina Ödebrink addresses the OSCE conference in Vienna, 7 May 2025Ödebrink intervened in two sessions at the conference today. She underlined the need to address backsliding of gender equality initiatives at the “Rethinking the Women, Peace and Security Agenda to address multiplying and intersecting crises” session.
Speaking at the session on “Engaging men and boys for gender equality,” Ödebrink noted that the OSCE PA believes that achieving gender equality is not the responsibility of women alone, but requires the active engagement of men and boys as partners, allies, and advocates.
She also shared examples from Sweden, including the government's support for civil society actors working with men and boys, funding for research on gender norms in sports and locker rooms, and the role of institutions such as the Swedish Gender Equality Agency.
“Policy is critical, but individual action is equally important. Governments must lead, but each of us – as parents, educators, leaders – must also be willing to challenge outdated norms,” she added.
