Civil Military Co-operation Centre of Excellence

CCOE occupies a leading and distinguished position on the topic of “Gender in a Military Perspective”. Activities since 2005 include:

• previous research (CCOE’s 2006 Gender workshop and seminar)
• analysis of recent missions
• exchange of views within NATO and academic networks about the latest developments within the impact of gender policy and
• CCOE’s record on gender training and education in courses

NATO Gender Definition

One of the more impactful recent developments in NATO's gender policy is the publication of BI-Sc Directive 40-01:

"INTEGRATING UNSCR 1325 AND GENDER PERSPECTIVES IN THE NATO COMMAND STRUCTURE INCLUDING MEASURES FOR PROTECTION DURING ARMED CONFLICT"

What is particularly of interest in this NATO directive is the long awaited NATO definition of gender. What NATO means when it talks about gender can be found on Page 16 (GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND DEFINITIONS).

The full text of the directive can be found through the link to Bi-SC Directive 40-1 on the right.

It is CCOE's intention to carry out an assessment of this directive's contents as well as to have a round table discussion on its consequences during CCOE's Conference of Gender Experts which is scheduled for February 2010. Read for more details about this conference in the following headlines.

CCOE and Gender

The direction of CCOE’s engagement in gender has been the raising of a general gender awareness strategy for the military sector. Based on experiences within this framework and the general political and military debate concerning a Comprehensive Approach for the solution of today's conflicts. CCOE‘s aim is to contribute to formulating a more comprehensive understanding for the topic of gender in its military relevance. This particularly applies for the integration of the complex of gender in all of its facets regarding content and procedure. Based on the above CCOE intends to implement cross cutting conclusions.

Gender Meeting of Experts

A major challenge is the implementation of these conclusions into Doctrines and in the gender training on multinational level. Therefore, CCOE will facilitate a meeting of experts on gender both from inside and outside of NATO on its premises in Enschede (NLD) on 24 and 25 February 2010. This meeting of gender experts is meant to have as output:

• to contribute to establishing a common understanding of gender in a military perspective
• to establish a didactical analysis with regards to gender in a military perspective
• to incorporate this meeting of experts’ findings in Doctrines and adequate publications

Way Ahead

The above points will be leading towards a continuous development of Training and Education of gender in a military perspective. In line with the broad and joint approach advocated by CCOE, all cross cutting aspects of gender as an ongoing process will be considered during this meeting, as will be the way ahead.

Contributing institutions to this meeting of gender experts will include amongst others:

• NATO International Military Staff (NATO Committee on Gender Perspectives)
• UN Department of Field Support, Logistics Support Division
• UNICEF
• IOM
• UNHCR
• EU
• Folke Bernadotte Academy (Sweden)
• ISIS Europe (Brussels)
• Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF/Geneva)
• ISAF
• Selected representatives from both MODs and MFAs from several NATO countries (BUL, GER, HUN, NLD, NOR)

Participation

If you or your Organisation would be interested in participating in the overall dialogue (sending a representative or providing inputs through other means) you are cordially invited to do so by approaching CCOE through the POC on the right.