WUNRN
NATO - OVERVIEW OF GENDER LEADERSHIP
& PROGRAMS, GENDER ADVISERS - WOMEN, PEACE & SECURITY
Thirteen
years after the U.N. Security Council adopted its first resolution on women, peace and security,
awareness on women empowerment and gender has increased considerably.
But
much work remains to be done, according to Mari Skåre, the NATO
Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security.
“There’s
still a long way to go before women will have fully assumed their rightful
place in matters of peace and security,” Skåre said in an exclusive interview
with Devex in
Here
are a few excerpts of our conversation with Skåre:
How has
the issue of women’s empowerment in unstable and conflict-affected states
changed since the adoption of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325 and the
entry into force of NATO’s Overarching Policy?
The adoption of the resolution in 2000 represented a significant political
shift, addressing women’s experiences and roles in conflict and peacemaking as
a matter of international peace and security.
[The
resolution] has later been supported by other resolutions, [which] have proven
to be an important tool to promote gender equality. Today, we have a much
higher awareness of the need to protect those who are most vulnerable in
conflicts and to enhance the participation of women in building peace and
security. However … there’s still a long way to go before women will have fully
assumed their rightful place in matters of peace and security.
The
primary responsibility for ensuring implementation of these resolutions rests
with nations, but NATO — as a regional military alliance and a security
policy organization — has significant contributions to make. This is why
we, together with [our] partners, developed a policy on women, peace and
security in 2007 and later an action plan for NATO-led operations and have
progressed with the agenda ever since.
Issues
concerning women, peace and security are now firmly on our agenda and we’re
working hard to mainstream a gender perspective into our everyday business and
not having gender as a separate standing issue — as an afterthought, or
add-on.
And how is NATO doing this?
It requires a systematic approach and will take time. Step by step, we’re
integrating a gender perspective in operational planning and execution,
exercises, training, defense planning and human resource policies, as well as
into our dialogues and collaboration with partners. It’s only when gender
becomes an integral part of our thinking that the way of doing business will
change.
What
progress has been made to ensure that women are consulted and included in peace
processes and stabilization
efforts? What effects has this had?
Last year’s report on women, peace and security from the United Nations
secretary-general points to the fact that in 2011 there were 14 U.N. co-led
peace processes. Of these peace processes, only four negotiating party
delegations included female delegates. I agree with the secretary-general that
progress in this area is much too slow.
NATO is not directly involved in peace processes. Within our responsibilities
and mandates we do, however, seek to engage women and facilitate their
participation also in peace and stabilization. Without women included in peace
and stabilization efforts, these processes lack legitimacy, as they lack the
perspectives of women affected by the conflict. Exclusion of women undermines the
chances of achieving sustainable peace.
What is being done to ensure
an end to the disproportionate impact that war and conflicts have on women and
children?
We’re
working to ensure a gender perspective in NATO-led operations through our
planning instruments, through training and through deploying gender advisers.
We’re reaching out to women, trying to understand their needs and interest. And
we’re training and advising local forces on gender.
However,
to achieve real impacts and improve the lives of women and girls in
conflict-ridden areas, crisis management operations like the ones NATO is
leading need to be backed by political will from nations and long-term support
from the international society.
What
has been your biggest achievement in your first year as Special Representative
for Women, Peace and Security and what is your outlook for the coming year?
NATO is progressing integrating a gender perspective into important processes,
such as operational planning and execution and we’re also seeing a much
stronger focus on women, peace and security in the cooperation with
partners.
The
achievements made are not mine, but those of the
What is
the role played by the gender advisers to help boost gender considerations in
all aspects of the force’s work?
The
gender advisers, both at strategic headquarters and in the field, are key
personnel for planning and thus for the execution of the operations. Their role
is to advise commanders on gender issues. They’re part of the planning groups
and have direct access to the commanders.
We also
offer training of gender advisers through the Nordic Center of Gender in
Military Operations in
How are
you cooperating with other international organizations and civil society on the
issues of women, peace and security?
NATO
conducts staff-to-staff talks with a number of international organizations. The
topic of women, peace and security is included in most of these dialogues. Of
particular importance is our collaboration with the United Nations, where we
also seek to develop a more practical cooperation on training. At the strategic
level, we have a close exchange.
Generally
speaking, civil society has been instrumental in promoting women’s rights and
gender equality worldwide. And to a large degree, thanks to civil society, the
U.N. resolution saw the light of day. Civil society plays an important role
with its opinion leaders, and also in keeping public institutions accountable.
I enjoy very much the dialogue I have with NGOs and other actors in civil
society, be it with researchers, parliamentarians, watchdogs or development
cooperation representatives.
What
are the major lessons learned from this cooperation?
The
women, peace and security agenda is very complex — with different roles and
responsibilities for the various actors. The key takeaway for me is that we
have much to learn from each other and that we need to cooperate both at the
strategic level and in the field, in order to ensure sustained results.