Over 1,100 Officers and Soldiers Receive Gender Awareness Training through SEESAC Programme
Photo by MoD
Photo by MoD
Photo by MoD
Photo by MoD
Skopje/Kumanovo/Veles/Kičevo - The Gender Trainers of the Ministry of Defence and Army of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia organized gender awareness briefings for more than 1.100 officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers in the last three months. The Trainers began holding briefings as soon as they completed the Second Gender Training of Trainers (GToT) course in February 2015, organized by UNDP SEESAC in cooperation with the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations (NCGM).
Attracting and retaining women in the Armed Forces have traditionally been major challenges. The Western Balkans are no different. Women only make up between 5.5 and 9 percent of the armed forces and are rarely represented in top ranks, particularly in command and management positions. Legal and institutional frameworks are essential for increasing the participation of women in security and defence policy making and implementation, but a parallel change in organizational culture also needs to take place to ensure genuine and long term gender positive changes in the military.
Held in Skopje, Kumanovo, Veles and Kičevo, the gender awareness briefings introduced basic concepts of gender equality and the relevant international legal framework, with a particular focus on the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and the National Action Plan for its implementation. The aim of these briefings is to raise gender awareness and strengthen the integration of gender perspective and implementation of UNSCR 1325 throughout the defense system. Covering practical aspects of integrating the gender perspective in operational planning process and military operations, the briefings also emphasizing the importance of leadership in successfully incorporating gender perspective at all levels of the MoD and the Army.
Gender Trainers are members of the Regional Network of Gender Trainers, created in 2014 after the first Gender Training of Trainers organized by UNDP SEESAC in cooperation with the NCGM and Ministries of Defence and Armed Forces in Bosnia and Hercegovina, Montenegro, Republic of Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The trainers are working to mainstream gender equality throughout the Armed Forces by sensitizing the staff, which in turn would help to attract and keep female personnel.
SEESAC is supporting the Regional Network of Gender Trainers through facilitation of regional meetings to enable information and knowledge sharing among gender trainers in the region, additional training and expert support.
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 as well as stronger participation of women in decision-making and gender sensitive change in their organizational cultures.