Germany

Plan launched first in 2013, second in 2017

Objectives:
• Increased involvement of women in national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms aimed at preventing and managing conflicts
• High level awareness regarding gender-specific issues among staff participating in conflict prevention, conflict management and post-conflict peacebuilding
• Heightened and appropriate attention to gender perspectives and participation of women in the negotiation and implementation of peace agreements
• Heightened and appropriate attention to the needs of women in the planning and carrying out of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration activities.

Additionally:
• Effective protection of women and girls against human rights violations
• Effective protection of women and girls in conflicts against sexual violence and abuse
• Effective prosecution of sexual violence and other crimes against women and girls.

Commentary:
Germany is one of the main contributors to the UN peacekeeping forces, as well as being a key NATO member, recently involved in military operations in Iraq, Mali, and Afghanistan. Women have only been allowed to take part in the German military combat units since 2001, as was required by a European Court of Justice ruling. Today, only around 10 percent of the German military is made up of women, and challenges of recruitment and integration remain.

Civil Society:
In particular, second German NAP considers the importance of cooperation with civil society organisations. According to revised NAP for the period of 2017-2020, civil society organisations, including women’s rights organisations and human rights defenders, will make a crucial contribution to shaping and implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

Women in Peacekeeping:
The German NAP recognizes that the gender perspective should be taken into consideration “at the earliest stages” of international activities of peacekeeping, disarmament, demobilization and peacebuilding, in which Germany is involved. Under “Measures: Participation” the plan advocates that there must be a greater participation of women in all aspects of peacebuilding, considering it to be key to long-term success. The plan states the German Federal Government supports initiatives that “improve the career opportunities of women” within the security sector. According to the Act on the Enforcement of Equal Opportunities for Female and Male Military Personnel of the Bundeswehr, the German military aims to have a proportion 50% female soldiers in the medical corps, and only 15% in the various other military career paths.

UN Peacekeeping Statistics:

Troops: 38 of 536

Experts on Mission: 0 of 15

Police: 4 of 21

Staff Officers: 2 of 24

Sources:
Germany National Action Plan (2013)
Germany Revised National Action Plan (2017)
UN Peacekeeping (2018)
Peace Women (n.d)

References:
Government of the Federal Republic of Germany (2013), Action Plan of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 for the Period 2013 – 2016. pp1-25.

Government of the Federal Republic of Germany (2017), Action Plan of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security for the Period 2017 – 2020. pp.1-7. pp1-29.

PeaceWomen (n.d.). National Action Plan: Germany. [online] Peacewomen.org. Available at: http://www.peacewomen.org/nap-germany [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].

UN Peacekeeping (2018). Summary of Contributions to UN Peacekeeping by Country and Post. [online] Peacekeeping.un.org. Available at: https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/5.pdf  [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].