NATO Deputy Secretary General stresses the importance of Women, Peace and Security

  • 06 Dec. 2017 -
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  • Last updated: 05 Dec. 2017 16:48

NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Rose Gottemoeller, spoke about “Women, Peace and Security” as part of a panel discussion at the Canadian Mission to the European Union on Tuesday (5 December 2017).

NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller contributes to a panel discussion about €œWomen, Peace and Security during an event organized by the Government of Canada, Women in International Security and the German Marshall Fund. Right: Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada

The event was organised by the Government of Canada, Women in International Security, and the German Marshall Fund.  Other speakers included Ms. Chrystia Freeland, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Helga Schmid, Secretary General of the European External Action Service, and Mr. Simon Gimson, Vice President of the International Crisis Group.

Asked what NATO is doing to improve gender balance and the role of women in peace and security, Ms. Gottemoeller explained that NATO is working to improve gender balance within the organization while focusing on gender issues in the field. “This is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do – the effective thing to do.”

During the discussion, Ms. Gottemoeller emphasised NATO’s efforts in Afghanistan and Kosovo, where NATO has deployed gender advisors to support efforts to include women in peace and security, highlighting the need to better enable women’s inclusion. In Afghanistan, for example, this includes building barracks for female soldiers.

While welcoming significant progress at NATO, the Deputy Secretary General noted the importance of continued attention to – and resources for – including women in peace and security.