Implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda: The OSCE’s response to Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine

Abstract

The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda marks 25 years since the adoption of its first resolution, UNSCR 1325. During this time, the WPS agenda had been tested in conflicts across the world, which has led to a huge response in the feminist international relations field. One such conflict is the Russia-Ukraine war, soon entering its fifth year. As the gendered impacts of the conflict became increasingly pronounced, WPS scholarship called for greater attention to the situation in Ukraine and for a thorough analysis of the implementation efforts there. This research has primarily focused on the role of the OSCE, in a case study research design, by assessing its alignment with and contributions towards the WPS agenda through the following aims; (1) to understand the priorities, drivers and challenges faced by key OSCE programmes in Ukraine, (2) evaluate the impact of gender equality policies and the WPS agenda on the OSCE programme’s design and delivery in Ukraine, (3) to assess how the OSCE reflects and frames peace and security through its Ukrainian programmes, and (4) to consider the OSCE’s influence on advancing the WPS agenda in a conflict-affected setting. The research applied feminist institutionalism theory and involved a thematic analysis of data collected through semi-structured interviews with practitioners. The studies main findings indicate that the OSCE is a key actor and advocate for the WPS agenda in Ukraine, utilising its institutional norms on gender mainstreaming and its comprehensive security mandate to deliver impactful projects that provide support and resilience to state authorities and NGOs. The research also revealed nuances in these areas as well as some limitations to localisation based on political will, contextual constraints, and somewhat inconsistent, short-term support to civil society. Overall, the research has made valuable contributions towards addressing current gaps in WPS scholarship through its focus on the post-socialist space and the OSCE specifically, and hopes to inform future activities of the OSCE to ensure the full utilisation of the WPS agenda in Ukraine.