On the occasion of the International Women`s Day, the Brussels International Center (BIC) will participate as members of the upcoming Friends of Europe`s Debating Security Plus 2019. This international event will mark the 7th edition of the security platform that aims to yield concrete recommendations to global security challenges. This year, the BIC will provide a written contribution on Women in Security and participate together with several experts around the world in full year of activities and debates.
Women in Security will be the main theme of this month`s debates and will highlight how women are still underrepresented in crisis management, security and defence. BIC`s inputs into this theme will be presented by Mr. Fernando Aguiar, Manager of Research & Strategic Advisor on Conflict and Security, who will discuss how a gendered understanding of crisis management and peace building involves more than merely adding female peacekeepers quantitatively. It rather requires a substantive analysis of gender hierarchies within security structures and respond in a practical form to power relations that hinder women`s inclusion in the sector.
The thinking and ideas generated in this report will be fed into a bigger piece which will set out concrete recommendations on the way forward, tackling today’s rapidly evolving security environment. But overall, it will provide an innovative approach to security, one which requires more inclusivity and sensitivity to the root causes of conflict.