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Deep Dive Recap: Gender Perspectives in International Humanitarian Law
10 April 2025
3 MIN READ
On 10 April 2025, the NATO International Military Staff (IMS) Office of the Gender Advisor (GENAD) hosted its Deep Dive session on Gender Perspectives in International Humanitarian Law. The session explored how women, men, girls and boys experience armed conflicts differently, featuring the participation of Nivedita Raju, Senior Researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI); Dr. Nele Verlinden, Senior Legal Advisor at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); and Dr. Gabriella Colao, Legal Advisor in operational law at NATO JFC Naples (JFCNP).
This Deep Dive session explored the intersection of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and gender perspectives in armed conflict. Experts discussed how women, men, girls and boys experience conflict differently, as well as the social and cultural factors that shape these experiences. While IHL already includes important protections for women and girls, the speakers proposed ways to strengthen its application through a more comprehensive integration of gender perspectives and implementation of the WPS agenda.
During the session, Ms. Raju highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of individual contexts and differentiated experiences of women, men, girls and boys in armed conflicts. In this sense, she cautioned against making simplistic or culturally biased assumptions about traditional roles attributed to women and men in conflict situations.
Besides sexual and gender-based violence, prohibited under IHL, Ms. Raju called for further research on how other dimensions of conflicts—such as biological or chemical weapons—also impact women, men, girls and boys differently. Ms. Raju closed by encouraging the integration of these perspectives at every stage of military operations.
Dr. Verlinden contributed to the session outlining the factors that lead to the disproportionate impact of armed conflict on women and girls. These include limited access to financial resources, essential services, healthcare and technology, as well as lower literacy rates and underrepresentation in decision making processes.
According to the ICRC, while men and boys are more likely to be killed or injured in armed conflict, women and girls account for 94% of victims of conflict-related sexual violence. Dr. Verlinden emphasised that IHL offers specific protections for women and girls during conflict, including special provisions ensuring access to healthcare and humanitarian assistance. In addition, she also noted that IHL moves beyond a neutral view and recognises gender identity as a protected characteristic.
Furthermore, Dr. Verlinden explained that IHL principles are embedded in all United Nations Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), which urge states to uphold IHL, prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence and combat impunity through the prosecution of war crimes. In alignment with this, the ICRC has increasingly advocated for the incorporation of gender-sensitive IHL into WPS National Action Plans. In fact, the organisation has recently published two reports on this topic and is currently updating its commentaries on the Geneva Conventions to reflect these perspectives.
Finally, Dr. Colao noted that gender perspectives are increasingly being integrated into doctrine development and military planning at NATO to strengthen compliance with IHL. She emphasised the importance of incorporating these perspectives alongside legal considerations during operational planning. In particular, she underscored how the GENAD’s insights into the differentiated impacts of conflict and crisis on women, men, girls and boys contribute to more effective planning and enhanced situational awareness.