Advanced Gender Equality Seminar for the Serbian Military Academy Cadets Held

Following the four basic gender awareness seminars organized for the Military Academy cadets during the second half of 2013, UNDP/SEESAC developed the Advanced Gender Equality Seminars tailored for the cadets of the Military Academy who have undergone the basic level.

The series of four advanced gender seminars are organized upon the request of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Serbia based on the high interest expressed by cadets in the evaluation of the basic training.  Ten (10) female and thirteen (13) male cadets attended the first seminar held on 27 March 2014.

The Advanced Gender Equality Seminar was developed with the aim to further increase gender awareness among Military Academy cadets and advance their understanding of gender perspectives in the military. The seminar focused on gender and security sector reform;  gender equality mechanisms in the Ministry of Defence, the position of women in the Serbian Armed Forces based on the data from the study on the Position of Women in the Armed Forces in the Western Balkans; and gender equality in multinational operations.

ABOUT THE GENDER EQUALITY IN THE MILITARY PROJECT

SEESAC's Gender Equality in the Military 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 as well as stronger participation of women in decision-making and gender sensitive change in their organizational cultures.