Increased participation of women in the armed forces on the agenda of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation in Vienna

VIENNA, 13 October 2016 –   The need to increase the presence of women in the armed forces was the focus of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation meeting in Vienna, held yesterday under Portugal’s Chairmanship.

Speakers stressed the importance of gender equality in the organization and management of the armed forces to ensure that women are represented at the decision-making and operational levels. They also stressed that in order to promote the professional development of women in the armed forces, commitment to a gender-neutral and performance-focused approach is required.

In her opening address, Lieutenant Colonel Diná Azevedo, Military Advisor to Portugal’s President, the first female to occupy this post, reminded participants that “women are not just victims of conflict” and they must be “part of the solution”. Azevedo was also the first women in the Portuguese Air Force to lead a Flight Squadron and the first to be a Wing Commander.  

“Women play a relevant role as leaders, especially in helping to end conflict and in developing post-conflict reintegration efforts,” Azevedo said.

Colonel Bakhyt Kassymova, Associate Professor of Military and State Governance in the General Staff Department at Kazakhstan’s National Defence University, noted the added value of involving more women in military leadership as they bring different perspectives to the decision-making process.

Kassymova pointed out that especially in our globalized world, which is facing the threats of terrorism, hybrid wars and new forms of conflict, “involving women in the process of decision-making is becoming increasingly important, in order to elaborate and establish alternative ways of decision-making and management.”

Ambassador Mara Marinaki, the European Union/European External Action Service (EU/EEAS) Principal Advisor on Gender and UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, reiterated the EU’s support for the promotion of the OSCE’s agenda on Women, Peace and Security. She underlined that women in leadership positions in the armed forces and in political life serve as role models, especially for younger women and girls, empowering them to make better life choices. She also stressed that accountability for all forms of sexual violence, including the bringing to justice of all perpetrators, and the inclusion of women in peace making, peace negotiations and the implementation of peace agreements remain important priorities of the European Union.