Gender equality

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Brunssum, the Netherlands - NATO is committed to promote gender equality. The integration of gender perspectives throughout NATO’s three essential core tasks (i.e. collective defence, crisis management, and cooperative security) is contributing to a more modern, ready and responsive NATO. Gender is an important focus of NATO’s cooperation with other international organisations such as the United Nations (UN).

An example of NATO’s dedication towards promoting the importance of the role of women is embodied in Colonel Irena Dzisiewska. Colonel Dzisiewska’s day-to-day job is as an Engineering Branch Head at Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum but she was recently invited to teach at the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping, on a Female Military Officers Course, in New Delhi, India.

The UN Female Military Officers Course is designed to assist the professional development of female military officers from all over the world. The first objective of this course is to support UN member-states to increase deployment of their female military officers in current UN peacekeeping missions. The second objective is to further validate the effectiveness of training concepts.

In total, the course provides female military officers with training in special strategic, operational and tactical skills demanded by commanders on the ground. Moreover, female officers from all over the world get the opportunity to interact with each fellow female military officers.

During her presentations, Colonel Dzisiewska elaborated on her experiences at a NATO operational level headquarters, especially focussing on the specific tasks of a staff officer. She will also be holding a leading function during practical exercises later in the course, where the application of practical knowledge will be more in the spotlight.

Story by Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum Public Affairs Office