The Vatican’s delegate to the 57-state Organisation on Security and Co-operation in Europe has urged “true equality” between men and women, and called on all governments to ensure women’s engagement “in all aspects of public, political, economic, social and cultural life”.
“The Holy See supports the principle that full and true equality between men and women is a fundamental aspect of a just and democratic society, and is convinced women need to be valued for all capacities that stem from their feminine genius”, said Mgr Simon Kassas, charge d’affaires at the Vatican’s Permanent Mission.
“These efforts include guaranteeing a safe workplace for women in our own organisation, ensuring equal opportunity for women's participation in political and public life... and the facilitation of work practices to enable women and men to cope with the dual responsibilities of family and work.”
The Catholic priest was addressing the organisation’s permanent council in Vienna, convened to review its 2004 action plan on the promotion of gender equality.
The 51-point plan recognises equal rights as “essential to peace, sustainable democracy, economic development and therefore to security and stability” and calls on participating states to “take all necessary measures to encourage gender-awareness raising” and “promote the practice of gender equality and gender-mainstreaming”.
Mgr Kassas said the Vatican was “firmly committed” to advancing a “true and authentic equality between women and men”, and also welcomed efforts to prevent and combat violence against women and girls.
However, he also accused the organisation’s German secretary general, Helga Maria Schmid, of exceeding her powers by supporting a more controversial Generation Equality Forum, convened in Mexico City and Paris in summer 2021, which condemned gender-based violence and defended feminist movements, but also advocated “bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights”.
“All participating states rely on the impartiality and professionalism of the OSCE's executive structures, acting within their mandates”, the Vatican delegate told the Vienna meeting. “We are convinced there is ample room for the greater involvement of women, especially in the prevention of war, in reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction of societies in post-war situations, and in work towards avoiding relapses to armed conflict. The constructive and important role that women can play, especially when referencing conflict-prevention and resolution, has been proven time and time again to be most valuable”.
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