Gender-based violence
Violence against women and girls is a human rights violation that not only harms the security and safety of its victims, but also hinders women and girls from being full and equal participants in society. The OSCE is committed to preventing and combating all forms of gender-based violence.
Quick links
Our work
Our thematic and programmatic focus areas
TheTransnational Threats Department supports participating States in preventing and responding to all forms of gender-based violence, including with developing legislative frameworks aimed at preventing violence against women, strengthening institutions and enhancing co-ordination between government institutions and civil society.
The Department also designs capacity-building programmes for law enforcement and the criminal justice sector, focusing on specialized investigative techniques for investigating gender-based violence, including on interviewing skills and effective referral mechanisms for victim support.
Activities include training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, social services and other key stakeholders to ensure a victim-centred approach that minimizes secondary victimization. The OSCE also facilitates the exchange of experiences and best practices through round table discussions and study visits, while raising awareness of gender-based violence, its root causes and the importance of a victim-centred response.
Featured
Activities, news and other highlights
News Item
Gender-responsive policing in focus at cadet training organized by OSCE and Albanian Security Academy
More than 400 police cadets in Albania strengthened their skills in gender-responsive policing during a series of one-day introductory training courses organized by the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department, the OSCE Presence in Albania, and the Albanian Security Academy from 23 to 26 June 2025 in Tirana.
News Item
OSCE strengthens law enforcement and judicial response to gender-based violence through survivor engagement and theater play in Bosnia and Herzegovina
On 28 and 29 April, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, held a two-day training course on gender-based violence (GBV) for 24 police and judicial professionals from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
News Item
OSCE trains police cadets to strengthen criminal justice responses to gender-based violence in Banja Luka
From 9 to 12 December, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Police Academy in Banja Luka conducted four one-day basic training courses for police cadets on gender-based violence (GBV) in Banja Luka. The training sessions were delivered by national police officers, a prosecutor, a judge, a psychologist and other local experts.
Projects
Initiatives funded by individual states and organizations
Resources
Official OSCE documents, publications and other manually selected resources
