Deputy Secretary General Recognizes Champions of Women, Peace and Security

This year's honorable mentions went to William Alberque, Diana DeVivo, and Krisztian Meszaros. Thanks to all four for your wonderful contributions to this newsletter!

We approached this year's winners and asked them a few follow-up questions about the integration of gender perspectives in their work. On behalf of Defence Investment, our winning Division, we spoke with the Assistant Secretary General, Camille Grand. Camille, what have you and your team done to promote Women, Peace and Security within your Division?

Camille: Although in DI we benefited from the commitment of a small team which was instrumental in our efforts, promoting the WPS agenda is a job for everybody. I am also clear that leadership at all levels across the HQ and beyond needs to visibly and genuinely commit to raising awareness and keeping this on our agenda through deeds and actions. Change and progress is not inevitable - we need to work at it. In 2019 we placed a specific focus on how we implement a Divisional recruitment policy, working hard to look at the way we approach recruitment from start to finish from the language we use in recruitment notices to how we build recruitment panels to ensuring all those involved have received unconscious bias training to improve the quality and analysis of our selections and interviews.

This is a concerted effort to implement positive changes to how we recruit and retain a more diverse workforce. There is plenty still to do in this area including in DI, but we have established a mindset and approach that incorporates awareness of gender bias throughout the process.

How has your office integrated gender into its policies and activities in 2019? Could you give us a concrete example or two? What difference has this made or do you hope it will make in the future?

Camille: First and foremost, I consider myself fortunate to be supported by an innovative and creative WPS team and their positive, and necessarily persistent, approach has led to a much more inclusive and honest way of looking at how the Division can tackle the issue of integrating gender into our business. We kicked off our 2019 plan by taking the time as a Division to think deeply about the impact of gendered policies and listen to the views of our team to consider what changes would make a real impact at both a Divisional level, and on our work with, and on behalf of, nations.

One specific example I am proud of is the launch of piece of work with the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) to look at the integration of gender perspectives in the development of military capabilities. But why focus on the CNAD? This was not an obvious choice, even for the armament community. Well, the CNAD and its sub-structure is quite frankly enormous, with over 100 different bodies from across the NATO nations and partners who provide NATO with its technical depth in capability development. To me, if we can agree a tangible set of actions to more systematically integrate gender perspectives at the grass roots of capability development, we will have made a significant impact on how the lines of development, including equipment, training, doctrine, interoperability will be shaped. This matters because far too often we consider how to integrate gender perspectives at the 'finished product' stage rather than accounting for 50% of the population upfront! A typical test case was body armor standards. Considering gender at the start of the capability cycle is a win:win situation for all involved and will make us more efficient and effective as an Alliance.

Diana: In the last two years, the NCI Agency has launched a series of initiatives to integrate a gender perspective in all of the Agency's tasks and functions and to mainstream and embed the WPS agenda across the Agency's policies, programs and projects with a particular focus on technology, women's empowerment and gender equality within the NCI Agency. As a result, a "movement" of Agency Change Agents that are determined to make a difference in this area arose and the awareness on those topics dramatically increased. In 2019, we implemented several projects to advance the WPS Agenda, from engaging with schools to talk to girls about STEM subjects, to regular high-level breakfast discussions to share best practices and lessons learned in this area with other International Organizations, the private sector and academia.

"For too many people and organizations, the concept of gender integration is considered a minority issue and an afterthought, rather than an issue that helps framing the right answer. Once we 'break the code' on that problem I think we will be in a much better place!"

William: Arms control has been very often perceived as a technical more than a policy issue and as such confined to senior (white-haired) men. I am very conscious about these characteristics of the arms control world, but I am also extremely pleased with NATO's efforts. We try to integrate gender in the DNA of arms control. Let me give you a specific example. Already in 2016, NATO developed - with all the relevant international stakeholders - guidelines for mainstreaming gender in Small Arms and Light Weapons activities, focusing on providing clear, comprehensive advice and guidance to policymakers, practitioners and other stakeholders in integrating gender. In 2019 these guidelines were revised to ensure that they meet the needs of the current security challenges and accomplishments in the WPS agenda. We are also developing a clear implementation plan with concrete tools for their practical use (training, etc.). We do not want these guidelines to be another document on the shelf. Let me underline, this is not an effort to just increase numbers. We are beyond numbers. With that effort we want to address the assumptions on the way we conduct our work.

Krisztian: We are in a special, you might say privileged situation, in the Private Office, as the Women, Peace and Security team is part of the Office of the Secretary General. So Clare and her colleagues are the ones who make sure that gender, as well as broader human security considerations appear in our work. Clare is part of the inner decision-making circle of the Secretary General, she participates in the almost daily Private Office meetings and she is the number one adviser of our leadership on all issues gender.

Having said that, I do have a special role in the Private Office as the gender focal point. I manage the Women, Peace and Security and human security portfolios and make sure the relevant decisions are prepared in time for the Secretary General, the Deputy Secretary General and the Director of the Private Office.

I advise Clare and her team on the best course of action from a Private Office point of view. And I am trying to make sure all our decisions are made with a gender angle in mind.

The best and most recent example is how the Secretary General decided on the group he established to support his work on the Reflection Process to strengthen NATO's political dimension. He made clear, from the beginning of the discussions, that he will be seeking gender balance in the group, not only geographic representation. And he delivered by composing a group of five women and five men, representing a range of different Allies.

"I want to see gender moved out of the opening commitments and be part of the operative paragraphs of Treaties and Agreements."

It's important to keep gender in mind when making any and all decisions; what will be the impact on men and women? We also do a lot of background work, like lobbying Allies for the adoption of a robust Policy on Preventing and Combatting Sexual Exploitation and Abuse last year.

What are the main challenges you've seen with integrating gender into your work? Care to share a frustrating or inspiring moment?

Camille: We all know that driving forward the gender discussion faces many challenges. For me, the biggest challenge I see is around how to fundamentally change perspectives. For too many people and organizations, the concept of gender integration is considered a minority issue and an afterthought, rather than an issue that helps framing the right answer. Once we 'break the code' on that problem I think we will be in a much better place!

On an inspiring note, I would mention the fact that staffs, even those who started as skeptics, have quickly embraced the value of integrating a gender perspective in their work and demonstrated an incredible readiness to adapt and promote change.

Diana: The main challenge that I see is that gender integration in technology is a new area. Only at present, we are starting to discuss the gender biases potentially embedded in Artificial Intelligence development and the impact of Big Data/Machine Learning on women, among other issues. There is still a lot to understand and research in this area but certainly, it is an area that needs to be looked at. The frustration has, in particular, concerned wider leadership support and the lack of awareness about WPS and why this is important to us among some staff, managers and leaders.

During this journey, we shared a lot of inspiring moments, especially when we had the pleasure to hold an event with the former NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms Rose Gottemoeller, who gave a very inspiring talk on the integration of gender in tech.

"In 2019, we have implemented several projects to advance the WPS Agenda, from beginning engaging with schools to talk to girls about STEM subjects, to regular high-level breakfast discussions to share best practices and lessons learned in this area with other International Organizations, the private sector and academia"

William: In 2000, the NATO-led Stabilization Forces (SFOR), and later EUFOR, started carrying out Harvest Operations inBosnia and Herzegovina. These operations included weapons collection media campaigns to encourage people to collect and hand in illegal weapons in the area. However, the media campaigns were mostly designed to target men, and many did not want to hand in their weapons as they commonly viewed weapons as a means of protection for their family. The campaigns were later redirected and designed to also target women, informing them about the risks of illegal weapons in the home, particularly towards children. This resulted in many more illegal weapons being collected and destroyed.

At the same time, this example reflects the main challenges we still face: the importance of the meaningful participation of women in policy and decision-making - in the early stages and not as an after-thought; the importance of collecting sex-disaggregated data to better comprehend the current situation in Arms Control, Disarmament, and WMD Non-Proliferation (ADN) and move away from anecdotal references; and the importance of systematic tracking of implementation and evaluation of progress made.

Krisztian: Maybe not a surprise, but the main challenge is the mindset, of all of us, me included. I am lucky to work in a team of highly qualified and skilled colleagues, my fellow Deputy Directors of the Private Office. We serve as sounding board for each other, on everything we work on. And on several occasions we have corrected each other on gender-related issues, prejudice and stereotypes. This has served me in my specific work very well but also in changing my own mindset.

A particularly inspiring moment was seeing the former Deputy Secretary General, Rose Gottemoeller, meet with a group of students in Georgia. One female student was shy, and so nervous that she could not finish her question to the DSG. Following the meeting I made sure she had her chance to ask her question, one on one, from Rose. And she also encouraged the student to never apologize for asking a question. I truly think she changed that student's outlook on life and what she can achieve for the better that day.

How do you see the way forward? What would be some signs of the successful implementation of the WPS agenda in your area of work in 5 years?

Camille: First, I am personally very reassured that NATO is taking this seriously. The Allies and the Secretary General's strong support, reinforced by practical actions, in driving the WPS agenda is a sign and cause for optimism. But looking around the organization we all need to do more to align with this direction and keep up the pressure for change. If I were to wake up tomorrow in 2025 I would hope to see a number of changes in capability development. First and most obviously, success to me would be underpinned by more women both in leadership positions in Defence Investment and at the table in the DI-supported committees. And not just women, but women from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. The current ratio of women to men in DI committees is strikingly below what we can hope for; we need to work together to change this. In five years, I would be looking forward to attending another successful NATO Industry Forum with a broad representation of genders and definitely no MANELs! Finally, success to me would also mean upfront integration of gender policies in all our capability development, not seen as an afterthought or additional bureaucratic hurdle, but genuinely integrated.

"One female student was shy, and so nervous that she could not finish her question to the DSG. Following the meeting I made sure she had her chance to ask her question, one on one, from Rose"

Diana: My dream come true would be that the percentage of women in tech substantially increases. We need women to be looking at those issues, and we need women's issues to be integrated in the development of new technologies. Today, the percentage of women in cyber is still 11%. There is a lot more work to be done in this area. My second dream come true would be to bridge security and development through technology and use technology to empower women and girls in the developing world. I would love to see leading tech companies to be more involved in capacity building and development work in the future, such as teaching girls in Africa how to code.

William: We have established tools, mechanisms and an impressive network of partners to further strengthen gender in all aspects of our work, and this is rather large in relation to ADN. So in my area, I want to see strengthening of our commitment to integrate more women throughout the ADN aspects. I want to see gender as a core element in our contribution to ADN - I want to see a focused efforts to raise awareness of gender and ADN, through training, development of security cadres and the development and implementation of standards. A lot of course depends on national support, as several of these activities are implemented by nations. But I am confident that with a clear steer and leadership support we can turn perceptions around and make ADN a truly comprehensive community.

I want to see gender moved out of the preamble / opening commitments and be part of the operative paragraphs of Treaties and Agreements. Diversity and differing perspectives enrich deliberations. I want to see a conscious and genuine commitment to improving women's engagement and participation in the work on ADN. It is a common-sense approach that will result in more inclusive, positive and representative views and efforts.

Krisztian: A true success would be having all the policies related to Women, Peace and Security adopted, and still to come, fully implemented, funded and understood by all as part of NATO's core business. And I think we are headed that way. I would also think it a success if in five years we would consider gender just as important a consideration when making decisions, delivering analysis and assessments as we do financial and media implications. For all this to happen I can only stress again the importance of changing mindsets, making gender a constituent part of our considerations on all issues we deal with, all decisions we make.

William Alberque is Director of the Arms Control, Disarmament and WMD non-Proliferation Centre - ACDC - in the Political Affairs and Security Policy Division. Diana DeVivo works on Stakeholder Engagement and Strategic Communications and Partnerships in the NATO Communications and Information Agency; Camille Grand is Assistant Secretary General for the Defence Investment Division; Krisztian Meszaros is Deputy Director in the Private Office of the Secretary General.

This story is part of the Spring 2020 WPS Bulletin. Download the full edition here (ENG / FRE)