The Deputy Commandant of the KAIPTC, Brigadier General Lawrence Deku, says gender equality remains a fundamental human right and an essential foundation for sustainable peace, yet women and girls continue to face significant barriers in conflict-affected settings.
He said gender mainstreaming should not be treated as an afterthought, but as an integral part of effective and inclusive peace and security operations, noting that despite international and regional frameworks, policies do not automatically translate into effective implementation.
Brigadier Deku made this known when the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), in collaboration with the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) and partners, opened a Gender Advisors Course in Accra.
The course is expected to provide gender advisers and gender focal points from African peace and security organisations with knowledgeable, practical tools and skills that will enhance their ability to support gender mainstreaming within their organisations to ensure that the Women, Peace and Security agenda is implemented and adhered to in all operational activities.
The five-day course was funded by the European Union (EU), German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
Gender Equality
He said the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security was a milestone in recognising the critical role of women in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. However, he stressed that the complexity of today's peace and security challenges required institutions to understand how conflicts affected women, men, girls and boys differently.
"The challenge before us is to bridge the gap between commitment and practice," Brig. Gen. Deku said, adding that Gender Advisers, Experts and Focal Points were critical resources who must go beyond technical advice to influence institutional thinking, promote accountability and communicate the operational value of gender mainstreaming.
Meanwhile, the Head of Component of the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project, Theresa Kraft, said that despite commitments by the European Union and other international organisations, a persistent gap remained between policy intentions and their implementation, making gender advisers critical to bridging the divide.
She said gender advisers occupied a strategic position to translate commitments into plans and measurable results, and commended KAIPTC's commitment to institutionalise the course, stressing that Germany, the EU and the Danish Government through the EPSG Project were pleased to support the training as part of their broader commitment to inclusive governance and women's participation in peace and security across West Africa.
Commendation
Senior Specialist on Women, Peace and Security with the Folke Bernadotte Academy, Kristin Valasek, commended KAIPTC for its years of excellent cooperation, including making the Course for Gender Advisers a reality.
She also expressed gratitude to the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) under the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project, the European Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark for their vital support in organising the course.
Ms Valasek added that this is the fifth time the Academy was collaborating with KAIPTC to run the globally unique course, which brought together gender advisers and focal points from African peace and security organisations to share experiences and good practices, and expressed the hope that participants would emerge with a stronger network of allies to strategically work towards gender equal peace and security.
