Gender Focal Points from the Western Balkan Ministries of Defence Meet in Montenegro

Representatives of Ministries of Defence from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, together with members of the UNDP/SEESAC team, met for a working meeting in Przno, Montenegro on 25th and 26th of June 2012. The aim of the meeting was both to exchange practical information about the ongoing efforts to strengthen gender equality in the military, as well as to discuss activities which are planned to be implemented within the UNDP/SEESAC’s Support for Gender Mainstreaming in Security Sector Reform in the Western Balkans project.

Participants exchanged information and discussed lessons learnt from the ongoing efforts to institutionalise gender equality mechanisms in the ministries, to recruit and retain women in the armed forces, and to raise awareness about gender equality in the armed forces.

Participants identified a number of activities which will be implemented at the regional and national levels with the support of UNDP/SEESAC and which will significantly advance the existing efforts in this area. Participants agreed on the dynamics for the implementation of the activities in the area of capacity development for gender equality mechanisms in their respective MoD’s, support for career development of women in MoD’s and the armed forces and in development of a gender sensitivisation programs.

Support for Gender Mainstreaming in Security Sector Reform project was launched in March 2012 when representatives of the Ministries of Defense in the Western Balkans signed a Joint Statement committing themselves to the achievement of project goals.

The project is implemented by UNDP/SEESAC and funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swedish Armed Forces and UNDP.