• The impact of restrictions on public gatherings is compounded in the context of the shrinking civic space for women’s CSOs and hostility expressed towards women’s rights activists, as has been seen to varying degrees in the OSCE region.138 Concern has been raised that the COVID-19 pandemic has been used as a justification “to attack gender justice.”139 For instance, in Spain, right-wing politicians publicly maintained that rallies held on March 8 and “feminism” were the cause of a large outbreak of coronavirus cases.140 Women activists have also been prevented from holding demonstrations about the emergency measures themselves. Women activists calling for increased government assistance for families in Kazakhstan141 have been detained by authorities, forcing them to stop their demonstrations. Recommended actions to protect women’s rights142 Emergency situations should not be used as pretexts to limit the right to hold public gatherings and peaceful actions and demonstrations by women’s rights activists. States should co-operate with women’s CSOs during emergencies to ensure that policies are inclusive of women and to ensure the dissemination of information and provision of support to women in especially vulnerable situations. The state should ensure the right to freely associate and peacefully assemble online, by establishing platforms and digital spaces for the discussion of policy issues that have a direct impact on women. States should also make use of consultations and focus groups to periodically review the impact of emergency measures on women, and especially women in vulnerable situations. 138 See, e.g.: UN Women, “Democratic Backsliding and the Backlash against Women’s Rights: Understanding the Current Challenges for Feminist Politics”, Discussion Paper, June 2020, <https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/ headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2020/discussion-paper-democratic-backsliding-and-the-backlash-against-womens-rights-en.pdf?la=en&vs=3604>. 139 Frett, L.M., “COVID-19 Poses an Existential Threat to Human Rights Activists Worldwide”, Open Democracy website, 29 April 2020, < https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/ covid-19-poses-existential-threat-human-rights-activists-worldwide/>. 140 Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, “Can Feminists Be Blamed for Corona?”, 22 June 2020, <https://www.gwi-boell.de/ en/2020/06/02/can-feminists-be-blamed-for-Corona>. 141 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, “Kazakh Women Demanding Financial Support Forcibly Quarantined”, 10 June 2020, <https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakh-women-demanding-financial-support-forcibly-quarantined/30663022. html>. 142 The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association has outlined ten principles for action that apply to protecting rights during the COVID-19 pandemic. These principles offer broader guidance and are also relevant to the rights of women. See: OHCHR, “’States Responses to Covid 19 Threat Should Not Halt Freedoms of Assembly and Association’ – UN Expert on the Rights to Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Mr. Clément Voule”, op. cit., note 134. 41