Gender Trainers in Serbian MoD and SAF Learn About Gender Identities

SEESAC organized a seminar on gender identities for eleven gender trainers from the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Serbia (MoD) and Serbian Armed Forces (SAF) on 24 September 2015 in Belgrade. The aim of the seminar was to increase gender trainers’ knowledge on gender identities and gender based discrimination.
 

The seminar included sessions on concepts and theoretical framework including legal aspects, such as legal status of trans* persons. In addition to this, participants learned about experiences of trans* persons, and discrimination they are facing in everyday life. This was followed by examples of gender based discrimination from the institutional and court practice in Serbia.
 

Participants of the seminar are members of the Regional Network of Gender Trainers, established in 2014 and consisting of 33 gender trainers in the MoDs and AFs in the Western Balkans (WB). Members of the Network provided gender awareness briefings and seminars for over 3,000 officers, NCO’s, soldiers and civilians in MoDs and AFs in the Western Balkans from March 2014 to September 2015. Members of the Network from Serbia, organized and delivered gender briefings and seminars to more than 700 people in MoD and SAF.

About THE GENDER EQUALITY IN THE MILITARY PROJECT

SEESAC's Gender Equality in the Military: Strengthening of Regional Cooperation on Gender Mainstreaming in Security Sector Reform in the Western Balkans project aims to create a more conducive environment for the advancement of women in the military in the Western Balkans. With this as its goal, SEESAC is supporting the Ministries of Defense in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia in their efforts to ensure better integration, retention and professional development for women in the armed forces; stronger participation of women in decision-making; and gender sensitive change in their organizational cultures.