The „Gender Training for the Trainers Course“ has kicked off in RACVIAC – after a year-and- a-half we are finally back together live!
The „Gender Training for the Trainers Course“ kicked off today in RACVIAC. It will last from 6 to 17 September 2021 and is being organized by RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation, Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations (NCGM) and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia.
MG Slaven Zdilar, Deputy Director of RACVIAC, opened the Course on 6 September 2021, emphasizing: “This event is a continuation of a series of annual activities launched in 2013, aimed at promotion of gender equality policies and equal opportunities in the security sector. This being the 7th Course organised by RACVIAC in a row certainly shows RACVIAC relevance as a regional hub for gender mainstreaming in the South East European region.”
Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations (NCGM) Commander, LTC Peter Östman, also greeted the Course participants. He wished them luck and referred to the long-standing cooperation of RACVIAC and NCGM via a video call, taking the opportunity to congratulate RACVIAC on it’s 20th anniversary.
The representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia, COL Boženko Dževoić, greeted the participants and pointed out the fact that almost all of the instructors in this Course were attendees of previous GToT courses, like, for example, himself.
After a brief Official opening of the Course the work continued with a presentation of the general academic and administrative information which primarily includes the learning outcomes and objectives of the Course, the Course schedule, and the individual responsibilities including a final exam. Furthermore, the syndicate system of work was presented and the four syndicates themselves were established (a syndicate set-up).
This two-week Course prepares instructors and trainers to successfully plan, conduct and evaluate education, training and exercises on how to integrate the gender perspective within their own respective functional area.
Additionally, the Course provides participants with the knowledge of frameworks and guidelines in regulating gender in military operations as well as skills and competencies required to effectively plan, conduct and evaluate the training of security sector personnel in both the national and international context.
The GToT curriculum was built based on the NCGM template certified by NATO with some improvements and adjustments made in accordance with the lessons learned during previous similar training events held from 2014 onwards.
The importance of the gender aspect in military operations had prompted NATO, as well as other national and multinational defence organisations to address, regulate and implement the integration of the gender perspective, both on the duty level and on the level of participation in Peace Support Operations (PSO). The implementation of UNSCR 1325 and the integration of the gender perspective and how they relate to operational effectiveness in training for use in garrison and at deployed locations during operations, missions and exercises, became one of the responsibilities for all NATO members and their partners and it is consistent with EU and UN standards and action plans. The Course will enable instructors and trainers to successfully plan, conduct and evaluate education, training and exercises on how to integrate the gender perspective within one’s own respective functional area of expertise.
