The two-week-long “Gender Training of the Trainers Course” was successfully concluded today at RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation. Organized in cooperation with the Nordic Center for Gender in Military Operations (NCGM), the Croatian Armed Forces (CAF), and, for the first time so far, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), the Course provided participants with comprehensive training on implementing gender perspectives within military operations.
Held at RACVIAC from September 2nd to September 12th the Course brought together participants from South East Europe (SEE) and beyond, representing a variety of military and civilian institutions. The training focused on equipping participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to promote gender inclusivity and awareness within their organizations. The event’s success was marked by strong collaboration among RACVIAC partner institutions with contributions from Austria, Germany, Croatia, and KAS.
The event was closed by H.E. Ambassador Constantin-Mihail Grigorie, Director of RACVIAC, Mr. Holger Haibach, Director of KAS Office in Zagreb, COL Boženko Đevoić, Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia, LtC Henrik Beckvard, Nordic Center for Military Operations and LtC Goran Boroš, Course Director.
LtC Goran Boroš expressed sincere gratitude to the participants for their persistence, dedication and hard work in this important area for our militaries and nations. He, furthermore, thanked the instructors and all the coorganizers of RACVIAC for the overall success of the Course.
LtC Henrik Beckvard in his Closing address, on behalf of NCGM Commander, thanked RACVIAC, Croatian Armed Forces and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung for their excellent cooperation which enabled that this course be held during the past 10 years. He congratulated all the participants in achieving the goal of the Course and said that now is the time to implement it in their everyday work.
COL Boženko Dževoić thereafter wished good luck in implementing the knowledge about gender in the workplaces of the participants and emphasized that they can always rely on the help and working materials from CAF, NCGM and RACVIAC.
Mr. Holger Haibach congratulated on the successful completion of the Course and referred to the fact that KAS is a new partner in it albeit an old partner of RACVIAC. He praised the success of RACVIAC as we are able to send mobile training teams worldwide to teach Gender ?
H.E. Ambassador Constantin-Mihail Grigorie extended his heartfelt thanks to the Course partners for their dedication. He highlighted the important role played by NCGM, the Croatian Armed Forces, and the new partnership with KAS, stating: “These partnerships have been essential in ensuring the long-lasting success of the gender perspective courses for the region of SEE and beyond.”
Director of RACVIAC also expressed deep gratitude to the experienced gender instructors, underscoring their substantial contributions to the success of the Course. He commended the Course Director, Lieutenant Colonel Goran Boroš, for his professionalism and leadership in guiding the Course to its completion, as well as the syndicate leaders and guest instructors for their expertise and commitment to building the knowledge and skills of the participants.
He congratulated the Course participants on their hard work, dedication, and willingness to actively engage in the Course activities and paid special tribute to the Ukrainian participants, acknowledging their focus and commitment despite the challenges their home countries are facing.
Throughout the Course participants engaged in practical exercises and discussions that fostered peer learning and collaboration. Ambassador Grigorie emphasized that whereas the Course has been concluded, the real work begins when participants return to their daily roles where they will apply the skills and knowledge acquired to train others in gender perspective implementation.
The Course concluded with the awarding of certificates to the participants, symbolizing their participation and successful completion of the program.
RACVIAC remains committed to promoting gender equality through high-quality training programs and partnerships, aiming to foster collaboration and drive meaningful change in the security sector.
