Representatives of the Ministries of Defense from the Western Balkans Visit the Swedish Armed Forces to Learn about Gender Mainstreaming Practices

Representatives of the Ministries of Defence (MoD) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia participated in a study visit to the Swedish Armed Forces from 17 to 19 September 2012. The study tour was organized by UNDP/SEESAC in partnership with Swedish Armed Forces and Nordic Center For Gender In Military Operations, as a part of the regional project Support for Gender Mainstreaming in Security Sector Reform in the Western Balkans.

The objective of the visit was to raise the capacities of the MoD staff from the Western Balkans to integrate gender perspective into military and to provide them with the opportunity to learn from the Swedish experience in implementing UN SC Resolution 1325.
 
During the two-day study tour, participants visited the Nordic Center for Gender in Military Operations (NCGM), which is a part of the Swedish Armed Forces International Center and is a leading institution in education and training of individuals in the international operations including gender in military.

At the NCGM, representatives of the MoDs were informed about the Nordic defense cooperation between Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, in the field of gender equality, which resulted in the establishment of the NCGM in January 2012.

At the meeting with the Ministry of Defense of Sweden, representatives of the MoDs from the Western Balkans learned about the political backdrop of development and implementation of the Swedish National Action Plan for the UN SC Resolution 1325.

On the second day, the Swedish Armed Forces hosted a meeting at their headquarters where they also invited representatives of the Swedish Police, Folke Bernadotte Academy, Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency and civil society. They emphasized the need for collaboration and cooperation of various government agencies in the process of integrating gender perspective into security sector polices and in implementing the Resolutions 1325 and 1820. 

At the HQ, MoDs representatives learned more about the HR polices for recruitment and retention of women and minority groups in the Swedish Armed Forces and exchanged experiences from their countries. 

The Project Support for Gender Mainstreaming in Security Sector Reform was launched in March 2012, implemented by UNDP/SEESAC and funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swedish Armed Forces and UNDP.