As a result of various women's movements and civil organizations demanding true gender equality, the United Nations and the Organization of American States have adopted a series of resolutions and commitments that make up the Women, Peace and Security agenda. .
The Inter-American Defense Board (IADB), as part of the Organization of American States (OAS), has the purpose of “Providing the OAS and its member states with technical, consultative and educational advisory services on topics related to military and defense matters.” in the Hemisphere to contribute to the fulfillment of the OAS Charter.”
In the hemispheric context, the incorporation of women into the armed or security forces has been recent. However, in recent years, significant progress has been made in the application of public policies that encourage the participation of women, to the extent that we can find in positions that were previously exclusive to men women who perform with the same efficiency and responsibility as men. men and more and more women stand out for their honesty, intelligence and dedication.
Security and defense as a concept and as strategic functions of States have evolved with the strategic political thinking of each country and this is undoubtedly also due to the incorporation of many women, who with their creative contribution, thought and work, helps to strengthen it.
That is why the Inter-American Defense Board, as a forum for dialogue and exchange of experiences and lessons learned, recognizes the important role that women play in various areas, such as national defense, public security, disaster response, disarmament tasks, peace operations, among many others, in which their career is outstanding; For this reason, the IADB, Through its Women, Peace and Security program, it joins the commitments of the UN and the OAS, to promote the full inclusion of women, at all levels of decision-making.
Gender equality has also been incorporated into the agendas of the hemisphere's defense and security ministries, resulting in a significant entry of women into military and police institutions, mainly in Latin America, a circumstance that has generated intense internal restructuring processes to strengthen awareness of equity in men and break traditional paradigms regarding gender roles.
We participate and demonstrate the commitment of the Inter-American Defense Board to promote the participation of women in the multinational social, political, economic and military scenario. There is still a long way to go, but we are convinced that the inclusion of women generates a greater number of possibilities that will help cement lasting peace in the hemisphere.
Considering the OAS mandates related to the Women, Peace and Security (MPS) agenda, the requirements of the Conference of Ministers of Defense of America (CMDA) in this area, the interest that the topic arouses among the member states accredited to this Board and the opportunity generated by the fact that they have realities that cover the entire spectrum of levels of progress in the implementation of the MPS agenda, the secretary of the Inter-American Defense Board has developed a Women, Peace and Security Program .
The Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) is an institution of the Organization of American States (OAS) that promotes cooperation in security and defense among the countries of the Americas, facilitating dialogue and collaboration on military and civil issues.
