More than 200 government and civil society representatives from the OSCE's 56 participating States were invited to the Organization for Security and Cooperation's Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Gender Equality with a Special Focus on Violence Against Women on 5 November 2009, to discuss strategies to improve the response to violence against women, including efforts to protect victims, prosecute perpetrators and prevent such violence. The meeting was organized jointly by the Greek OSCE Chairmanship and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).
Cheryl Thomas, of The Advocates for Human Rights delivered the keynote address. The central message of Thomas' address was that laws can send a message of zero tolerance for violence against women, but that laws are only the first step. The world's commitment to the human rights of women is tested in the implementation of those laws, which must be monitored to ensure their effectiveness.
Complied from: OSCE/ODIHR Press Release, OSCE meeting on gender equality begins with calls for increased efforts to combat violence against women, 5 November 2009.