New report on EU’s work on Women, Peace and Security
How does the EU work with women’s security and participation in civilian crisis management? In a new report, the FBA studies the EU’s work in Georgia, the Palestinian Territories and Kosovo. The results show that in spite of political decisions to include women’s rights and to integrate a gender perspective in the work for sustainable peace, much more need to happen in practice.Download the report "Gender, Peace and Security in EU Field Missions" here.
The report suggests that it is time for a more strategic approach, supported by the highest decision making levels in crisis management. While there are important efforts being made by the Gender Adviser and by individual personnel, a great deal of work still remains to be done in order to realize the EU’s own decisions in this area.
Notably, these efforts need to be led by both the EU’s Headquarters and by the missions’ leadership. Concrete objectives should be formulated on the strategic level for each CSDP mission. Accountability and progress need to be followed up in regular reports. Information collected must be able to show how both men and women are involved and how they are affected by the work that the EU undertakes in the field. Only then can the EU help create a peace that benefits both men and women more equally.
The report was released in connection with the 2014 SIPRI Stockholm Forum on Security and Development. The theme of this year’s forum was freedom from violence. Read the executive summary here.