March 8, 2024 – International Women‘s Day 

 CSP WG women and gender realities 

 In 1914, the celebration of March 8th turned into a demonstration against the arrest of Rosa Luxemburg who spoke out against weapons and imperialist wars. 

In 1975, the United Nations proclaimed March 8 the „Day of the United Nations for the rights of women and world peace!“ 

We as women and partners from NGOs in different conflict zones in the OSCE area (from the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, to Western Europe) are aware of the complex relationship between women’s rights and peace. It’s evident to us that women are often the first to bear the brunt of the devastating repercussions of these conflicts. We continuously invest in gendered conflict analysis and are committed to stop economic, physical, psychological and sexual violence that women face every day. We protest against the destruction of our natural environments and the lack of economic security, social and health services. Together, we do our best to investigate and document crimes systematically. 

In 2024, we oppose the alarming surge in militarism, which not only leads to cuts in essential social services but also diverts funds intended for environmental sustainability and climate justice towards weaponry and military alliances. The increasing reliance on nuclear deterrence instead of embracing disarmament treaties like the TPNW poses a grave threat to the entire planet. We firmly reject the notion of preparing for war and advocate solely for preparations for peace. 

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