NATO Military Leadership sign up to support the UN HeForShe campaign

Launched by UN Women in September 2014, HeForShe is a solidarity campaign for gender equality which aims to engage men and boys as advocates of change for the achievement of gender equality and women’s rights, by encouraging them to take action against inequalities faced by women and girls.  

In lending his support to the UN HeForShe movement, General Pavel reaffirmed his unwavering support to gender equality in the armed forces. “We live in a world where our security environment is ever changing, where new threats emerge and where we have to constantly adapt to protect our values and our freedom. We manage to do so thanks to the service men and women who play an essential role in protecting NATO’s security and defending its values in Missions and Operations. It is by standing together and recruiting from the whole talent pool that NATO remains strong, ready and able to counter any threat”.

NATO and its partners are committed to removing barriers for women’s participation in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building.  By adopting NATO’s Overarching Policy which is based on the key pillars of UNSCR 1325 and related Resolutions, the Policy aims to ensure that a gender perspective is mainstreamed into policies, activities and efforts aimed at conflict prevention and resolution. 

In March 2015, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg joined other world leaders in signing up to the Impact10x10x10 Initiative, which is part of the wider HeForShe campaign. By signing up to this Initiative, Jens Stoltenberg reconfirmed his longstanding commitment to making gender equality a reality.

The NATO participants in the video:

• General Petr Pavel, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee;
• Ambassador Marriët Schuurman, the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security;
• Lieutenant General Mark O. Schissler, Deputy Chairman of the NATO Military Committee;
• Air Marshal Sir Christopher Harper, Director General of the International Military Staff ;
• Major General Josef Blotz, Director Operations Division of the International Military Staff;
• Commodore Simon Hardern, Executive Coordinator of the International Military Staff;
• Lieutenant Colonel Jesus Gil Ruiz, Gender Advisor of the International Military Staff.