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On 12 June 2025, the NATO International Military Staff (IMS) Office of the Gender Advisor (GENAD) hosted its monthly “Deep-Dive” session, this time focused on the integration of gender perspectives in Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC). As demonstrated through practical examples from Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Chad, Syria and Iraq, gender-sensitive approaches enhance situational awareness, improve coordination with civilian actors and lead to more inclusive and effective outcomes.
The session featured the participation of Lieutenant Colonel Françoise Verbanck, Staff Officer in the NATO IMS Cooperative Security Division and former Commanding Officer of the Belgian Civil-Military Engagement Group (Ci-MEG); Major Linda Rullens, Staff Officer at the CIMIC Centre of Excellence; Dominique Gassauer, Policy and Guidance Lead in the Civil-Military Coordination Service, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), and Commander Tyson Nicholas, Strategic Military Advisor to UN Women, New York.
During the session, Lt Col Verbanck explained the mission of the Civil-Military Engagement Group (Ci-MEG) in the Belgian Army. This team is in charge of CIMIC, psychological operations (PSYOPS), and gender focal point training. The diversity of the experts at this unit - from anthropologists to communication scientists - facilitates a comprehensive analysis of human environments, helping to shape engagements with local communities.
Drawing on her past deployments in Lebanon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Lt Col Verbanck illustrated how the integration of gender perspectives directly contributed to mission effectiveness. For instance, in Lebanon, the creation of a safe forum for women to share their experiences improved situational awareness and access to otherwise underrepresented segments of the population. In the DRC, education was adapted to the local culture and separately tailored for girls and boys, helping strengthen local trust and responsiveness.
Major Rullens emphasised that CIMIC is a military joint function across NATO’s core tasks, in peacetime, crisis and conflict. She explained that CIMIC supports military strategic goals, fostering civil-military interaction and enhancing a deeper understanding of the civil environment, which should take into account gender perspectives.
As an example, Major Rullens reflected on her deployment in the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), where gender perspectives facilitated engagement with local communities. For instance, in refugee camps, CIMIC teams found that women faced higher sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) risks while collecting firewood. These findings shaped operational decisions, including patrol planning, youth outreach, and SGBV referral systems.
Ms Gassauer contributed to the session focusing on the difference between UN Civil-Military Coordination (UN-CMCoord) and UN-CIMIC. The former pertains to dialogue between civilian and military actors in humanitarian settings, aiming to uphold humanitarian principles, avoid competition and pursue common goals. The latter is a military function within UN peacekeeping missions that coordinates military and civilian mission components.
Additionally, Ms Gassauer highlighted the importance of integrating gender perspectives throughout UN-CMCoord. For situational awareness, this means collecting data disaggregated by sex, age and other relevant factors and using inclusive consultation processes, such as focus groups. On the implementation side, she advocated for the inclusion of gender-balanced teams.
Furthermore, Ms Gassauer reflected on her experience in Chad, where the inclusion of local women in security assessments provided unique insights into armed group movements. She also explained how in Syria and Iraq disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programmes unpacked the roles that women play within armed groups and their importance in post-conflict recovery.
Finally, Commander Nicholas closed the session calling for coordination between military and humanitarian actors, and emphasising that gender perspectives are an operational necessity. In this sense, he underscored that failing to consider gender can lead to gaps in information, ineffective outreach and unintended harm. He also explained that gender-sensitive CIMIC operations will not only enhance immediate operational effectiveness, but also contribute to long-term peacebuilding and social resilience.