In the period 5-6 December 2023, the 8.Regional Gender Trainer's Meeting took place in Budva, Montenegro. The meeting was organized within the UNDP/SEESAC's project "Support for Gender Mainstreaming in the Security Sector Reform in the Western Balkans", aimed at assisting Ministries of Defense in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia to integrate gender equality into the security sector reform through regional cooperation. The topic for this meeting was "Gender, Disaster Preparedness and Relief - The Role of the Armed Forces".
To reduce the disproportionately negative impacts of disasters on women and girls, Disaster Risk Management (DRM) must be gender-responsive. The armed forces can play a significant role in preparing and responding to large-scale disasters in gender-responsive ways by identifying gender related barriers, developing appropriate preparedness and response planning, and establishing strong accountability frameworks for monitoring and review.
Gender training represents one of the key prerequisites for gender-responsive disaster preparedness, and as concluded at the meeting, it should facilitate inclusion of the following key aspects of disaster preparedness and response:
- Understanding Gender Implications,
- Gender-Responsive Preparedness,
- Inclusion of Women in Recovery,
- Role of the Armed Forces in Humanitarian Aid, and
- Gender Standards.
Military Academy was represented by Aleksandar Grizhev.
