Breaking down barriers to women in conflict prevention and resolution with OSCE Scholarship for Peace and Security graduates

On 15 and 16 July 2024, 15 young women graduates of the OSCE Scholarship for Peace and Security training programme gathered in Vienna for a capacity-building workshop on overcoming the barriers faced by young women working in conflict prevention and resolution. Organized by the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, the Forum for Security Co-operation Support Unit and the OSCE Gender Issues Programme’s WIN Project, the two-day event featured a negotiation skills workshop on conflict prevention and resolution.  

“In these challenging times for security and stability in Europe, empowering young people, especially young women, to take steps towards their meaningful participation in decision-making processes, is a confidence- and security-building measure in and of itself, ” emphasised Catherine Fearon, Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre in her opening remarks.

Lara Scarpitta, OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues, stressed that "By mobilizing young women now, we are laying the foundation for a future where women are empowered, leadership promoted and their visions for peace and security are heard.”

The workshop includes stimulating sessions on negotiation and communication skills for conflict prevention and resolution led by the OSCE Mediation Support Team. Participants put this knowledge into practice by simulating an international arms control negotiation and sharing experiences on arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation advocacy. They also engaged in group work to produce a perception paper with recommendations for existing and future confidence- and security-building measures pertaining to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation in the OSCE region. Participants kept a keen focus on the gendered dimensions of peace and security, with key inputs offered by representatives of the WIN Project on advice and opportunities for young women in the field.

Participants ended the workshop by indicating that further learning about conflict resolution and de-escalation strategies, and dialogue facilitation skills would be essential for increasing their contributions to global, regional, national or community-level peace and security building efforts.

Due to the convulsive and changing environment we live in today, I believe it is necessary to have the right tools and resources for the resolution of social tensions and conflicts. The application of mediation techniques can play a key role in promoting security and building trust in situations of political or social instability.

Sandra Garcia Cobos, Andorra, 2021 Scholarship graduate

The OSCE Scholarship for Peace and Security is an annual training programme on conflict prevention and resolution open to young professionals from across the OSCE’s participating States and its Partners for Co-operation.