1.7 Addressing electoral recommendations from a gender perspective For an election to meet OSCE commitments, international standards and good practice, there must be real opportunities for the equal participation of women and men. The involvement of women in elections is one of the prerequisites for their meaningful participation in decision-making processes and the subsequent development and implementation of policies that make a difference to their lives. With this in mind, ODIHR works to increase the participation of women in elections and electoral follow-up, and monitors progress made by participating States. As part of its engagement in the Western Balkans under the auspices of an EU-funded project to strengthen election observation follow-up, ODIHR is concentrating on recommendations related to election administration, voter registration and media coverage during election campaigns. The Office focuses especially on engaging politically under-represented groups, including women, minorities and people with disabilities. In October 2019, the project organized a regional conference in Sarajevo to discuss the barriers affecting the electoral participation of women in the region and to identify solutions, including through awareness raising and the greater involvement of women in elections and electoral reform processes. By engaging with relevant institutions and women’s organizations, this event served as the basis for a number of future 22 DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE OSCE national events. This gender focus provides guidance to all those involved in electoral reform, including civil society organizations, to enhance the participation of women as electoral administrators, voters, and candidates. Overall, ODIHR’s activities in this area are increasing the degree to which women are given real opportunities to become leaders and decision makers in election administration, as well as ensuring that election management bodies take gender considerations into account in voter education campaigns and many other aspects of their work. This ongoing project will continue to address the disadvantages women may face when registering as voters, including not only voter registration systems and procedures, but also the effectiveness and outreach of public information about the right to vote. ODIHR’s efforts also support women’s equal access to media and pay careful attention to the quantity and quality of media coverage of women candidates, for example whether women are presented in a manner that promotes public confidence in their capacity as leaders.