1. Implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (women, peace and security) in the Finnish Defence Forces

2. 1. Grounds
The Gender activities are a part of the equality and non-discrimination work.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) determines the focus and development goals of the Gender activities. The definition is influenced by international treaties and resolutions.
The current development goals are based on a national action plan of UNSCR 1325 (women, peace and security) drafted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The MOD has issued an instruction on the implementation of the plan.
The central goal is that the training of crisis management personnel and the military operations pay more attention to the local culture, population and the position of women.
Defence Command Finland

3. 2. Development goals
The following goals for developing the FDF's Gender activities were given in the MOD instruction:
Developing the training of crisis management forces
Taking gender issues into account in operations
Defining the need for Gender advisers in crisis management operations, appoint the necessary advisers and create a registry of equality experts
Promote women applying for crisis management duties and their recruitment for said duties
The work was begun by agreeing on the responsibilities of the FDF actors
Defence Command Finland

4. Development responsibilities I
Personnel Division Defense Command Finland
Coordinates and directs the implementation and development of the Gender point of view in the FDF.
Plans and Policy Division Defence Command Finland
Directs the activities of the Finnish Defence Forces International Centre.
Service Commands
Annually plan and notify the Finnish Defence Forces International Centre of their Gender training needs for the operations' leadership, experts and troops.
Direct their brigade-level units that provide crisis management training.
Finnish Defence Forces International Centre (FINCENT)
Is in charge of maintaining and developing the FDF's Gender know-how.
Produces gender training material in cooperation with the National Defence University and Pori Brigade.
Drafts a training plan for 2011–2015 that defines the need for national and international training in leadership and expert positions.
Holds the training on the Gender point of view modules for the leadership and expert personnel, when the training is conducted in Finland.
In the international training of the Gender advisors, the SWEDINT held gender field advisor courses are emphasized. FINCENT prepares and sends the personnel for this training.
Defence Command Finland

5. Development responsibilities II
The Gender Center
To be established in Stockholm with NORDEFCO co-operation
Provides expert, research and training services.
The Finnish Defence Forces will not assign permanent teaching or expert personnel to the Gender center.
FDF can provide instructor support for the center and train our personnel there.
A FINCENT representative will be named for the Gender center establishing work group in November 2010.
Pori Brigade
Is responsible for the rotation training of crisis management forces.
Produces gender training material in cooperation with the National Defence University and FINCENT.
National Defence University (NDU)
Produces gender training material in cooperation with FINCENT and Pori Brigade.
Is responsible for gender education and training of personnel during first degree studies and post- graduate studies.
Is responsible for gender research.
Defence Command Finland

6. Crisis management forces training ; goals
After the training, those heading to crisis management duties must have an idea on the importance of equality issues in terms of successful crisis management duties.
They must know the content of UNSCR 1325.
They should have the ability to take into consideration the obligations of international and humanitarian law and the obligations concerning human rights in operations.
They must know the culture in the area of operations as well as the local population's customs and courtesies in terms of inter-gender relationships.
Defence Command Finland

7. Current situation of training and development needs
Situation October 2010
The rotational training of crisis management forces conducted in Pori Brigade will note UNSCR 1325 and the gender theme.
Equality and non-discrimination training and basic information on the target countries' cultures and religions is part of the preparatory training for crisis management operations and trainign given in the target country.
The Gender theme is a separate part of training, that is, classes on the issue.
The training insures that our forces are able to interact with the local population and other actors in the operation and to take the gender point of view in to consideration while conducting these operations.
In the NDU the education on the topic is included in the military pedagogy module of "Security and crisis management" in the Masters of Military Science programme.
During his lecture the FINCENT representative presented UNSCR 1325 and gender issues as a central part of the Integrated Crisis Management Course and training for crisis management duties.
Development needs
Go through training materials for different organisations and develop them as needed.
Mainstreaming gender training. In all necessary fields of training it is necessary to look at the impacts of activities to men and women.
Defence Command Finland

8. Gender point of view in operations; goals
When planning and conducting operations, see to it that the crisis management personnel actively promotes:
Equality and human rights
Steering victims of human trafficking to get the help they need; and
Preventing sexual molestation
The goals will be included in the personnel's job descriptions.
The personnel must respect local culture and societal norms when they do not conflict with international human rights principles and treaties.
Defence Command Finland

9. Gender point of view in operations; current situation and development needs
Situation October 2010
A separate code of conduct has been drafted for each operation for the military crisis management personnel.
The codes of conduct take into account the local circumstances and most of the issues related to the position of women addressed in UNSCR 1325.
In operations the responsibility for implementing, observing and promoting equality and non-discrimination is unambiguously the job on the national senior (military observer and staff operations) and/or the commander of the crisis management force.
Promoting equality has been clearly instructed as being one of their responsibilities in the post and duty descriptions.
Development needs:
The planning and implementation of operations should always look at their impact on men and women and possible different problems and needs between men and women.
Assessing the positions and problems of men and women should become routine in the planning and implementation of every operation.
The main responsibility for this rests with the operation's leadership and the Gender advisers.
Defence Command Finland

10. Gender advisers in crisis management operations; goals
The Gender advisers must have adequate knowledge of the current circumstances in the target area, of the local culture and of women's specific problems.
The Gender adviser supports the leadership in the planning and implementation of operational activities. Adviser must know the way of action in military organisation.
The area of responsibilities of gender adviser depends on the objective of the operation and the situation in the operation area
In different operations the area of responsibility is one or more of these:
Information about women's situation is gathered
Women are supported and their problems are solved as much as possible
Local culture and habits are respected
Information about the threats in operation area is gathered
A registry will be created of those who can act as Gender advisers.
Defence Command Finland

11. Gender advisers in crisis management operations; current situation and development needs
Situation October 2010
The first Gender adviser was appointed to the Ugandan EUTM operation in spring 2010.
Pori Brigade maintains a registry of persons who are qualified to act as gender advisers. The registry contains persons who have participated in the Gender Field Advisor training held by SWEDINT in Sweden.
So far, seven persons serving in the FDF have completed the training.
Development needs:
Define the competence requirements for Gender advisers and write the post descriptions.
Define what operations need the advisers and add them to the operations' personnel.
Train an adequate amount of suitable FDF military and civilian personnel as Gender advisers on courses held by SWEDINT and the FDF.
Defence Command Finland

12. Promoting women applying for crisis management duties; goals
One of the development goals written for the defence administration personnel system is that the number of women in separate duties should be increased, while taking requirements into account.
However, there are no plans for implementing gender quotas.
Defence Command Finland

13. Promoting women applying for crisis management duties; current situation and development needs
Situation October 2010
In order to facilitate recruiting for military duties the campaigns have been mostly done so that they tell people of the opportunities provided by conscript training and military professions for both men and women.
Most campaigns have thereby noted both genders and it has been intended that suitable women and men can be recruited through military service also to military crisis management duties.
In the summer of 2010 a common effort by the Defence Command Personnel and Public Information Divisions increased the visibility of women in crisis management recruiting.
Development needs:
Pay special attention to women in future campaigns and recruiting material.
Taking advantage of social media in recruiting.
Defence Command Finland