Mainstreaming gender into all policies & programmes
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ personnel work with significant security challenges, including those which expose them to the risk of violence or other security related threats. These threats may be a result of several factors, including their gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ has been at the forefront of mainstreaming gender into all its policies and programmes. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS has recently increased its efforts in this regard, working with the partners of the Inter-Agency Security Management Network (IASMN) to develop and improve gender sensitivity and responsiveness in all aspects of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Security Management System (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵSMS) and our Security Risk Management (SRM) processes.
Policy & guidelines
The was developed to raise awareness and guide security decision makers in assessing and addressing security related threats, risks and vulnerabilities of all United Nations personnel, especially those most vulnerable. The policy affirms the United Nations¡¯ commitment to ensuring that its security management system is more gender sensitive and that it provides appropriate and effective responses, management and mitigation measures.
The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵSMS Policy on Gender Considerations in Security Management is supported by ¡°Guidelines on Gender-Based Security Incidents¡±. These Guidelines provide practical advice to security personnel on the preparation and response to gender-based incidents.
Between 2016 and 2017, the Inter-Agency Security Management Network (IASMN) Working Group on Gender Inclusion developed a Manual on Gender Inclusion in Security Risk Management and updated the 2006 Security Guidelines for Women.
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS internal gender strategy
In addition to working to ensure gender-responsive operations, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS is in the process of implementing its internal Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women Strategy 2015-2021.
The strategy is led by the ASG, supported by two Gender Advisers (one Professional and one General Service) and a supporting framework consisting of a Coordination Team, Focal Points and a Field Reference Group. The Gender Strategy has three main objectives:
- an inclusive organizational culture free from bias and discrimination,
- improved gender parity, and
- ensuring gender-responsive operations.
Gender equality & training
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS is working to incorporate gender perspectives into all Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Security Management System (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵSMS) training curricula. The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS Training and Development Section is committed to ensuring that its training programmes are gender-sensitive and to this end, observations and suggestions would be most welcome.
¡°Women¡¯s Security Awareness Training¡± (WSAT) is a short course delivered by women security professionals, for women, and aims to improve security awareness, understanding and capability. This programme, initiated in 2008 by WFP and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵICEF female security experts, is currently coordinated by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS with Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Women and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHCR also holding coordinating roles. Requests for WSAT are coordinated between Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Country Teams or Security Management Teams and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS.
Gender-Based Violence against Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Personnel
Like many people around the world, United Nations personnel are at risk of violence based on their gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.
These threats may arise as part of broader discrimination in a specific region, context or location. For example, even where no such laws exist, the gender norms of a specific country may raise threats to women or LGBTI personnel.
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS is working with its Inter-Agency Security Management Network (IASMN) partners and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ-GLOBE to refine policy and training provisions and to develop initiatives aimed at improving the security of colleagues who may be vulnerable to gender-based violence. This includes collaboration with the Critical Incident and Stress Management Unit (CISMU) to ensure appropriate counselling services may be referred. Further, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Security Management System (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵSMS) policies that have been recently promulgated ensure that gender is a core component of the Security Risk Management process.
HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) is an emergency medical response given to an individual who has been exposed to HIV to prevent a possible HIV infection in the exposed person. HIV PEP services comprise first aid (depending on the nature of exposure), counselling, assessment of the risk of exposure to HIV and HIV testing. Depending on the outcome of the exposure assessment, a 28-day course of anti-HIV medication is provided with appropriate support and follow-up. The Security Management Team in each country is responsible for designating PEP kit custodians and for ensuring that the names of these custodians are widely circulated to all personnel, through the regular means by which security information is shared. For more information on PEP Kits, please contact the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS Security Adviser in-country. For information specifically on HIV PEP, please contact the Division of Healthcare Management and Occupational Safety and Health at or see: .
Further information
For more information on the work on Gender in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS, please contact the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS Gender Advisers at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSSGenderAdvisers@un.org. For more information on the efforts undertaken across the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Security Management System (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵSMS) by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDSS and its Inter-Agency Security Management Network (IASMN) partners, please contact .