Civil Military co-operation centre of excellence

On Wednesday, 22 October 2008, the first issue of the “Gender Makes Sense” brochure has been handed over during a ceremonial act at the Civil-Military Co-operation Centre of Excellence (CCOE) in Enschede, The Netherlands. The NATO Gender representatives, Ms Laurie Muir from NATO International Staff and Lieutenant Colonel Annicq Bergmans from NATO International Military Staff received the first official brochures.

Gender is a social construct - masculine or feminine - and it refers to the role and position of men, women and children in society. It can change over time and place. Colonel Bert Kuijpers, director of the CCOE, stated in his opening speech: “Our goal with this publication is to reach out to soldiers and civil actors in a conflict zone and offer them a first introduction on gender awareness in civil-military relations and the possibilities to address gender within the military part of a mission.”

The chairperson of the “Committee on Women in NATO Forces” (CWINF), Lieutenant Colonel Annicq Bergmans, explained afterwards, that “including a gender dimension in our operations is not an exercise in political correctness. It is the result of situational lessons learned.” Since 1976, the CWINF advises NATO leadership and member nations on issues, affecting women in allied armed forces.

The corner stone for gender awareness, including effects outside the armed forces, has been set in 2000, when the United Nations Security Council adopted the Resolution 1325 on woman, peace and security, which describes the need and implementation of a certain gender awareness, especially in armed conflicts. Currently, NATO military authorities are drafting practical guidelines for troops on the ground. Those guidelines are expected to come out early 2009. Additionally, one working group is processing the incorporation of the resolution 1820, related to the prevention of sexual violence in armed conflicts and post-conflict situations. Another working group is launching a study on implementing the resolution 1325 in the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan. So, gender awareness is picking up speed and the “Gender Makes Sense” publication “represents another step on the path to make gender matter in real terms”, as Laurie Muir stated.

“Gender makes sense” has been personally endorsed by NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who stated in his foreword, that this publication will “promote gender integration, which contributes to more security.” More peace and security in all NATO led operations, spread over three continents, engaging more than 50 000 troops from 26 allies plus 17 non NATO countries. Gender awareness doesn’t only make sense, it is crucial for the success of a mission. Therefore, this brochure offers a wide, but defined range of helpful topics on roughly 60 pages, like a complete description of gender, the interaction between CIMIC and gender, a comprehensive gender approach, how gender comes into effect on tactical and operational level, checklists for possible gender dimensions in conflict scenarios and more.