As part of the Gender and Security Sector Reform Toolkit, this tool provides an introduction to thebenefits and opportunities of integrating gender issues into national-level security policy making.As strategic documents, security policies are critically important in establishing a coordinated response to security threats, and can serve as a platform for security sector reform (SSR) processes. This includes national security policies (NSPs) as well as sector-specificpolicies, such as a white paper on defence. Ensuringthat gender issues are integrated into security policiesmay increase participation and local ownership, andcreate policies and institutions that are more likely to effectively and sustainably provide security and justice to men, women, girls and boys on an equitable basis.
This tool is designed to be a resource for staff responsible for initiating security policy-making processes within the executive branch of government, including those responsible for drafting, implementing and evaluating security policies. In addition, the tool may be useful to a variety of other actors involved in security policy-making processes, including parliamentarians and parliamentary staffers, ministerial staff, civil society organisations, municipal-level government, international and regional organisations, and donor countries supporting the development of security policies.
Specifically, this tool provides:
- A brief introduction to security policies, including NSPs and sector-specific policies
- Discussion of the significance and benefits of applying a gender perspective to security policymaking
- Practical actions to integrate gender dimensions into security policy-making
- An introduction to development of security policies in post-conflict, transitional, developing and developed countries
- Key recommendations
- Additional resources
On the critical issue of policy implementation by specific actors encompassed by the security sector please refer to the other tools of the Gender and SSRToolkit. The focus of this tool is policy-making, and how gender may best be incorporated into the process. It should be mentioned that a policy of itself has little value. Only when it is implemented will it impact on how security and justice are provided in a given country.
