Related to the topic of the workshop taking place 14 and 15 May 2019, we are holding a separate event on Friday 17 May 2019:
CONFERENCE
THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE COMMON
SECURITY AND DEFENCE MISSIONS AND OPERATIONS
17 May 2019 10:30 am – 12:00 am
Venue: European Court of Auditors Luxembourg, conference room K2.01, ground floor building K2
The EU operates in an increasingly difficult security environment, security and defence cooperation in the EU is being upgraded, and therefore the importance of the civilian missions and military operations launched in the framework of the Union's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) is likely to increase. Much can be gained by improving the gender balance in CSDP missions and operations. The participation of female personnel in crisis management has a positive effect on operational effectiveness and contributes to the acceptance of the mission by the local population. Women deployed abroad play an important role in overcoming gender stereotypes and demonstrating the EU's commitment to gender equality. The conference explores the reasons for the low number of women in CSDP missions and operations and discusses ways to improve the gender balance at the national and EU levels.
PROGRAMME
10:30
Start of conference
- Opening of the conference by
Annemie Turtelboom,
ECA Member
- Presentation by
Rebekka Haffner,
Steering Committee Member of WIIS Brussels (download the presentation here)
- Q&A session and roundtable, with participation of
Maria Bozinis, ECA COPEC committee
12:00
End of conference
 | Rebekka Haffner is a member of the Steering Committee of Women in International Security (WIIS) Brussels, a professional network and non-profit organisation dedicated to enhancing women's influence in the field of foreign and security policy and increasing awareness of gender-related issues in international affairs. Besides her voluntary engagement at WIIS Brussels, Rebekka works as a Project Officer at the European Organisation of Military Associations and Trade Unions (EUROMIL). She focuses on European security and defence policy as well as on employment and social legislation. She holds an MA in Security and Diplomacy Studies from Tel Aviv University, Israel as well as a BA in Politics and History and a BA in Politics and Law. |
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The conference will be presented by ECA Member Annemie Turtelboom, who is familiar with the topic of security, as she was the first female Minister of the Interior in Belgium and served as Minister of Justice when the Liège massacre occurred in 2011. Being a strong advocate of gender equality, she has repeatedly raised awareness of this issue in interviews, discussions and presentations. |
Related Links:
WIIS Brussels:
https://www.wiis-brussels.org/
Study “Women in CSDP missions" by WIIS, Women in International Security Brussels, Belgium:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2017/603855/EXPO_STU(2017)603855_EN.pdf
For any questions regarding this event, please contact:
ECA-Audit-defence@eca.europa.eu