Integrating a gender perspective into EU CSDP missions and operations: delivering on the Strategic Compass

On 10 March 2023, the EUISS, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European External Action Service (EEAS) co-organised an expert seminar on the various dimensions of integrating gender perspectives into European security and defence, with special attention to military CSDP missions and operations.

This event aimed to contribute to the ambitions expressed in the EU Strategic Compass for Security and Defence which sets out the EU's commitement to deliver on the objectives on women, peace and security, promote gender equality and systematically mainstream a gender perspective in all civilian and military CSDP planning and actions.

The  event was opened by EUISS Director Gustav Lindstrom, the Swedish Ambassador to the Political and Security Committee Mikael Lindvall and EEAS Director Cosmin Dobran. The seminar continued with a presentation of a EEAS study on integrating human rights and gender equality into EU CSDP, followed by three working group sessions focusing on the various facets of conducting military CSDP missions and operations in a gender-responsive way:

• Leadership and institutional culture
• Gender expertise, capacity building and training
• Gender and operational effectiveness

In the afternoon, the resuls of the working groups were presented during a plenary session followed by a high-level panel discussion moderated byDr Gustav Lindstrom.

The Chairman of the EU Military Committee General Robert Brieger and the Military Representative of Sweden to the EU and NATO Rear Admiral Jens Nykvist gave the introductory remarks.

Speakers:

• Vice Admiral Hervé Bléjean, Director-General, European Union Military Staff
• Benedikta Von Seherr-Thoss, Managing Director, Common Security and Defence Policy, European External Action Service
• Stella Ronner Grubačić, EU Ambassador for Gender and Diversity, European External Action Service
• Irene Fellin, Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace, and Security, NATO
• Major General Johan Pekkari, Chief of the Directorate of Strategic Plans and Policy, Swedish Armed Forces