💡 When Women Seek Justice, Do Security Forces See Them as Victims or Agents of Change?

Women are often excluded from security structures, yet they remain at the center of conflicts, peacebuilding, and community resilience. UNSCR 1325 is not just a resolution—it is a call to action to integrate women into security, justice, and conflict resolution.

In Basra, I led a three-day intensive training with 30 senior officers from the Internal Security Forces to ensure that UNSCR 1325 is not just policy rhetoric but an enforceable, institutionalized framework for gender-sensitive security.

This was not just another workshop—it was a deep dive into changing mindsets, dismantling gender biases, and equipping security personnel with the tools to implement UNSCR 1325 effectively.

📌 What We Addressed: Breaking Barriers in Security Forces

📌 The Gap Between Policy & Practice
While Iraq has a National Action Plan (NAP) for UNSCR 1325, security forces lack training on its implementation, leading to gaps in protection, participation, and prevention strategies.

📌 The Role of Women in Security Institutions
Women remain underrepresented in leadership roles within security forces, and their participation is often symbolic rather than strategic.

📌 Legal vs. Tribal Justice
A major challenge emerged in discussions: Tribal justice is often prioritized over formal legal procedures, leaving women vulnerable to decisions that reinforce traditional patriarchal structures.

📌 Lack of Survivor-Centered Approaches
Many security personnel lack the training to handle gender-based violence (GBV) cases with a survivor-centered approach, making justice inaccessible for women.

🚀 Transforming Knowledge into Action: Training Highlights

This training went beyond theory. Officers engaged in real-world scenario analysis, policy review, and interactive exercises to ensure practical application of UNSCR 1325.

✔ Understanding the Role of Security Forces in the National Action Plan (NAP 2) – Officers learned how their work directly connects to the implementation of Iraq’s UNSCR 1325 commitments.
✔ Case Studies: Gender-Based Violence & Security Response – Participants analyzed real-life cases, highlighting gaps in the legal and security response to GBV.
✔ Challenging Tribal vs. Legal Justice – Officers debated the intersection of tribal customs and legal frameworks, leading to discussions on how to ensure women’s access to formal justice.
✔ Building a Gender-Sensitive Policing Framework – Each team developed recommendations for integrating gender-responsive practices into their units.

📸 [Insert Image: Officers working in groups, mapping strategies for integrating UNSCR 1325 into policing]

🌍 Beyond Basra: A Model for Security Sector Reform

The findings from this training highlight a critical need for structural reforms in how security forces integrate gender-sensitive policies and respond to GBV cases.

This initiative offers a replicable model for gender-sensitive security training that can be scaled across Iraq and the broader MENA region.