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In order to build effective, non-discriminatory and
representative security sector institutions, it is essential to provide
security sector personnel with useful, sustainable gender training and
capacity-building. Integrating gender issues into the standard
curriculum of security sector personnel training and education, as well
as providing specific training on gender issues such as interview
techniques for victims of human trafficking or institutional policies
on sexual harassment, can strengthen service delivery, help to ensure a
non-discriminatory workplace and prevent human rights abuses. Further,
it can contribute to the creation of a respectful and healthy work
environment for male and female staff. |
The security sector must be able to respond to the different security needs of men, women, boys and girls, many of which are determined by differences in gender roles, norms and behaviors. Targeted, appropriate and sustained gender-awareness training, which challenges stereotypes about men and women, also helps security sector personnel to interact appropriately and respectfully with civilian men, women, girls and boys. This can enhance civilian trust, leading to increased operational effectiveness.
Gender training promotes a non-discriminatory workplace, free from sexual harassment and discrimination. The institutional costs of sexual harassment include loss of productivity, lowered morale, absence from work, and increase staff turnover. When personnel are gender-sensitive, the workplace becomes more productive, efficient and equitable. This in turn makes it easier to recruit women, as well as men from minority groups, which creates a security sector that is more representative of the population it seeks to serve. A diverse and non-discriminatory security sector can enjoy strengthened trust and collaboration with civilians.
In collaboration with UN-INSTRAW 's Gender Training Community of Practice, the Gender, Peace and Security Programme
works to document experiences and best practices, to build knowledge
communities for gender training practitioners and to formulate
guidelines and recommends for the promotion of systematic and effective
gender training within the security sector. In this area, the
Institute’s focus has been on participatory and inclusive development
of action-oriented tools for practitioners. A key focus of
UN-INSTRAW’s gender training is UN peacekeepers. For more information
on INSTRAW’s work in this area, please see our Projects page.
Virtual Discussions
In April 2007, UN-INSTRAW organized a virtual dialogue on experiences in gender training for security sector personnel. During the three-week dialogue, more than 140 experts from various areas of the security sector and from around the world exchange experiences and discussed good and bad practices for implementing and evaluating gender training for security sector personnel.
For more information and documentation from these discussions, please click here.
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