Democratization freedom of religion and belief, hate crime and counter-terrorism. Democratic Governance and Participation in Public Affairs ODIHR’s work in the area of democratic governance and participation builds on the standards expressed in the OSCE commitments. Participating States have repeatedly reaffirmed that democratic governance involves the effective participation of individuals and groups in pluralistic and democratic institutions. These institutions must, therefore, function in a transparent and accountable manner in order to produce representative government. OSCE commitments underscore the priority given by participating States to encouraging and ensuring the equal and effective participation of women and men in political and public life. Nevertheless, social, cultural, legal and institutional barriers continue to hinder women’s full participation in the political sphere across the OSCE region. Recognizing that women’s participation is a critical component of democratic society, ODIHR promotes gender equality by supporting the increased participation of women in political life and strengthening national mechanisms to protect women’s rights. ODIHR democratic governance programmes are designed and implemented to assist participating States to strengthen laws, institutions and democratic processes. In 2010, ODIHR promoted the better understanding and awareness of OSCE commitments in this realm by targeting three major areas: increasing women’s political participation, strengthening parliaments and ensuring a pluralist political party system. In connection with the anniversaries of the Copenhagen and Moscow Documents, in 2010 and 2011, respectively, ODIHR also commissioned research publications aimed at underscoring the key contribution of the OSCE commitments to the body of international standards on democratic governance. Increasing Women’s Participation in Politics Participating States have committed themselves to promoting gender equality as a fundamental value and critical component of democratic, representative societies. Across the OSCE region, however, women continue to face many obstacles to participating effectively in political and public life. As of November 2010, the 28 ODIHR Annual Report 2010 OSCE-wide average of women’s representation in national parliaments was 22 per cent, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, with large variations between participating States. The percentage of women’s representation at decision-making levels in public office is even lower. In 2010, ODIHR focused its activities on sharing good practices and experiences for promoting women’s political participation. On 6 and 7 May, a Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting was held in Vienna on “Gender Balance and Women’s Participation in Public and Political Life.” The meeting convened more than 200 participants, including delegates from 47 OSCE participating States and representatives from non-governmental and international organizations. Participants developed a set of recommendations to further strengthen national mechanisms for the advancement of women and adopt measures to achieve gender balance in political parties. In addition, challenges and opportunities for women in Kyrgyzstan were discussed during a side event focusing on the role of civil society in increasing women’s representation. The importance of effective knowledge resources for women in politics was also highlighted at a side event cohosted by ODIHR and iKNOWpolitics. The summary of the Meeting discussions is available on the ODIHR website. Women’s political participation at the national level is often directly linked to women’s opportunities for political and public engagement at the local level. In 2010, ODIHR promoted the participation of women in local governance within the framework of a project on “Promoting Democratization and Human Rights in Eastern Europe.” The activities reflect ODIHR’s strategic approach to women’s empowerment: local capacity building, networking and knowledge sharing among advocates for gender balance and political actors. In Ukraine, ODIHR organized capacity-building training for local officials on integrating a gender perspective into local governance. This transfer of knowledge and skills was enhanced by the organization of a study visit to Vienna in May, where women politicians and gender activists from Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine met with their Austrian counterparts in government, political parties, parliament and civil society. ODIHR also promotes networking as a powerful tool for building a “critical mass” among women to influence policies, political agendas and institutions. To this end, ODIHR