The Consortium at the 2018 European Development Days, "Security for Development; Development for Security"

Date: 
Wednesday, June 6, 2018 - 09:00 to 10:15
Location: 
The European Development Days (EDD 2018) took place at Tour & Taxis on 5-6 June 2018 in Brussels, Belgium.
Description: 
 
Listen here to Consortium Director Carol Cohn, Mara Marinaki (EEAS Principal Advisor on Gender and on the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security), Sari Kouvo (Associate Professor of International Law at University of Gothenburg and Co-Director of Afghanistan Analysts Network), Clare Hutchinson (NATO Secretary Generals Special Representative for Women Peace and Security) and Kirsi Henriksson (Director of Crisis Management Centre Finland) discussing the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy from a gender perspective and recommending what can be done to further the EU’s goals in security and development, highlighting the importance of human security in addition to state security, in the panel “Security for Development; Development for Security” at the European Development Days 2018.
 
Panel: Security for Development; Development for Security
Shaping the EU's new civilian security instruments to promote resilient and gender equal societies
 
The EU is rapidly moving ahead with the development of its autonomous security capabilities, combining both military and civilian instruments to better respond to crises around the world and build resilience in partner countries. In 2018, the EU and its Member States will take concrete steps to update and expand the Union's civilian capability in line with the EU Global Strategy, with Council Conclusions in the Spring and national implementation plans expected before the end of the year. As this process unfolds, this session will look at CSDP from a gender perspective and seek to highlight recommendations to inform the implementation of the EU's integrated approach, looking at how CSDP missions and operations can better promote security and development, including the human rights and empowerment of women and girls.
 
Key points:
  • Women should be seen as key agents for security. 
  • To ensure women's security, conflict resolution needs to focus on human rather than state security.
  • Integrating the gender perspective in security policy and implementation in a holistic way is vital. 
  • Simple representation of women is insufficient, since not all women can be expected to be women’s rights activists. 
 
Synopsis:
The experience in Afghanistan has taught military officials and policymakers that conflict resolution cannot be achieved by purely military means and that the international community needs to take hearts and minds into account when devising its strategy. Politicians and policymakers need to reach out to women. Women need to be heard not only on issues that are traditionally associated with them, such as education, but on security as well. Conflict resolution cannot succeed if 50 % of the population is ignored. NATO eventually recognised the need to include civil society and women into conflict resolution. In Afghanistan, military planners began to reach out to civil society to understand people's security needs better in order to achieve sustainable peace. But security means different things for men and women. Military checkpoints, guns on the street represent deterrent force and power for men and make them feel secure. On the other hand, these very same things mean insecurity to women.
 
Insight:
Infrastructure suited for gender needs is often a key tool for protecting women’s rights and security. Safe transportation enables women to travel independently, while adequate road access to markets could empower women to be economically self-sufficient. One idea to make Afghan women’s voices heard by western politicians and policymakers would be for them to accompany their colleagues throughout a visit, rather than just being given a courtesy meeting at the end of lunch.

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