The Security Sector Reform Division of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) held its 11th working lunch on Tuesday, 26 November 2013 with members of civil society and security sector reform stakeholders to discuss the inclusion of gender in the reform.



The working lunch was organised within the framework of the 16-days sensitization campaign to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women commemorated on 25 November and supported by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and CERAP.



The discussions were conducted by the president of the Women's Peace and Security Network of the Economic Community of West African States, Salimata Porquet and a member of the National Security Council, Emmanuel Kouassi-Lenoir in the presence of some 50 members of civil society, members of the Ivorian gendarmerie and police, representatives of the diplomatic corps, UN Police and UNOCI's Gender office.

The head of UNOCI's Security Sector Reform (SSR) Division, Ely Dieng said gender has a central role to play in the reform which is linked to the context and development of events in the country, adding that civil society, the media and individuals were also concerned.



The President of the Network, Salimata Porquet pointed out that decisions related to the reform will be taken and it was important for women to be involved to ensure a wider sensitization of the population and a greater impact. She said the women needed capacity building in order to serve as an operational support for the reform.



According to the National Security Council representative, Emmanuel Kouassi-Lenoir, the inclusion of the gender factor was dictated by reality in Côte d'Ivoire. "It is difficult in this context to exclude any segment of society such as women, men, and the handicapped. Irrespective of your ethnic origin, you are all called upon to participate in the creation of security," he said.



The representative of Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Jens Hettmann said the gender factor must be taken into consideration in order to attain a better balance between men and women and all the actors of civil society because security does not only concern men and women in uniform. "If you are waiting for men to create a wider space for you, you would have to wait for a long time. You must demonstrate and make demands," he told the women, adding that women themselves were the ones creating obstacles for themselves.



During the debates, participants expressed satisfaction that progress had been made in the area of gender in the security sector following a recent decision by the Ivorian government to recruit women into the national gendarmerie.