GENDER PERSPECTIVE IN MILITARY EDUCATION
GENDER PERSPECTIVE IN MILITARY EDUCATION

Author(s): Ksenija Đurić-Atanasievski, Nataša Mrdak
Subject(s): Gender Studies, Education, Security and defense, Military policy
Published by: Institut za strategijska istraživanja
Keywords: gender perspective; gender in military education; teaching on gender; gender in peacekeeping operations.
Summary/Abstract: Education on gender equity within the defence forces starts with the question “why is gender important in the military?” It continues with a focus on the issues of gender and gender equality as integral parts of the reforms of the armed forces. In order to address these issues it is necessary to examine two of the most important aspects of teaching gender in the army. The first aspect is the demand to protect the human rights of both women and men in the modern world where the focus is not only on national, but personal security as well. The other aspect is the importance of involving both genders in undertaking successful military operations. The inclusion of women responds to the evolved requirements of modern military forces as well as improving operational capabilities, especially in multinational missions. This paper examines the appropriateness and effectiveness of certain content in military education to uphold human rights within the armed forces. This is applicable to both civil protection during military operations, but also for upholding the personal rights of military personnel. The paper has analyzed general issues but also specific content which relate to matters at tactical, operational and strategic levels. Apart from the specificities that exist in learning about gender when this education is conducted within the military population, additional specificity is learning about gender mainstreaming in peacekeeping operations. Thus, gender topics are analyzed, considered, projected and implemented as an emphasized question of operational capabilities of a unit being deployed, while on the other hand the emphasis is put on having understanding and insight into specificities of gender relations in an area of operation. Having that in mind, education on gender for personnel being deployed in peacekeeping operation is fundamental for understanding protection of civilians, as a basic task of every peacekeeping operation. Children and women, their mothers, belong to the most vulnerable category of population, so understanding the status of women and mothers through this lens imposes itself as the priority request. The issues of gender equality can be integrated into military training and education as part of group or individual education. For this reason, the paper explored optimal learning forms for certain topics on gender and gender perspective.

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