Gender, climate and security in focus at OSCE workshop in Stockholm

How gender intersects with climate-related security risks was one of the questions explored by experts and practitioners at the “Gendered Perspectives on Climate and Security: Opportunities for Enhancing Equality in Resilience Strategies” workshop organized by the OSCE, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and adelphi on the margins of the 2025 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development on 12 May 2025.

“When it comes to climate change, applying a gender lens is not just important — it is essential. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by its impacts, yet often excluded from key decisions that shape responses to these challenges. At the same time, they are vital agents of change in driving effective and inclusive climate action,” said Bárbara Magalhães Teixeira, a researcher at SIPRI, in her opening remarks.

The workshop participants identified inclusive and innovative approaches to incorporating gender dimensions into resilience-building. A panel of experts from across the OSCE region also shared insights into the gendered dimensions of climate-related security risks and community-based approaches to resilience.

“The intersection of gender and climate action is a central part of the OSCE’s mandate, and the 2021 Ministerial Council Decision on strengthening co-operation on climate change calls for stronger participation of women in climate decision-making. Still, we need to better understand how it plays out in the OSCE area which is why this workshop is crucial: it brings together experts and practitioners to share their knowledge and experience, and supports our ongoing OSCE study on the gender dimensions of climate and security,” said Ellen Baltzar Mossop, Climate Affairs Adviser in the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, during the opening of the event.

In thematic group discussions, the participants further explored how gender and other intersecting factors, such as age or disabilities, shape vulnerabilities and coping mechanisms in the OSCE region and beyond. They also identified good practices, discussed cross-sectoral solutions and developed concrete recommendations for integrating gender considerations into climate and security policy.

The workshop was organized as part of the OSCE extrabudgetary project, “Strengthening Responses to Security Risks from Climate Change in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia” that is being implemented by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities in partnership with adelphi and in close collaboration with the OSCE field operations. The project is funded by Andorra, Austria, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.