Commanding Officer Seminar on Gender in Military Operations

The Commanding Officer Seminar on Gender in Military Operations was organized for officers as part of the General Staff Course of the National Defense School of the Military Academy of Republic of Serbia. Commander Jan Dunmurray and Major Linda Johansson from the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations delivered the seminar for 35 participants. The seminar introduced the gender perspective in military operations, practical aspects related to operational planning, lessons learnt from the Swedish Armed Forces and the importance of leadership for the integration and implementation of a gender perspective at all levels. Participants were addressed also by Col. Marko Zelenović, the Head of the General Staff Course and Dr. Jovanka Šaranović, Gender Advisor to the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Serbia.

The General Staff Course represents the third level of post–graduation professional development, designed for officers of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Serbia and the Armed Forces of Serbia and lasts nine months. The goal of the General Staff Course is to enable officers to perform the highest duties at the Ministry of Defence, General Staff, command operational formations, as well as to carry out operational, staff, teaching and other duties within the framework of the missions and tasks of the Armed Forces.

The Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations is part of the Swedish Armed Forces International Centre and was appointed as NATO Department Head concerning gender in 2013. The NCGM recommends to NATO member nations, and organizations such as the UN, on how to integrate a gender perspective in education, training and exercises in order to increase the operational effectiveness in all UN and NATO led Operations and Missions.

The seminar was organized as part of UNDP SEESAC project Gender Equality in the Military: Strengthening of Regional Cooperation on Gender Mainstreaming in Security Sector Reform in the Western Balkans . The aim of the project is to mainstream gender in defence policies thus contributing to good governance and increased efficiency in the security sector in the Western Balkans. The project is implemented in close cooperation with Ministries of Defence and Armed Forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia.