65 Sodobni vojaški izzivi, september 2016 – 18/št. 3
Contemporary Military Challenges, September 2016 – 18/No. 3
DOSEŽKI	IN	STALIŠČA	PRI	IZVAJANJU	RESOLUCIJE
VS	OZN	1325	NA	MINISTRSTVU	ZA	OBRAMBO	
IN	V	VOJSKI	SRBIJE
Jovanka Šaranović
Brankica Potkonjak-Lukić
Tatjana Višacki
ACHIEVEMENTS	AND	PERSPECTIVES		
OF	THE	IMPLEMENTATION	OF	UNSCR	1325	
IN	THE	MINISTRY	OF	DEFENCE	AND	THE	SERBIAN
ARMED	FORCES
Povzetek
Ključne 
besede
Abstract
V članku so predstavljene pozitivne izkušnje pri izvajanju Resolucije OZN 1325 
na Ministrstvu za obrambo in v Vojski Srbije. Ker prvi nacionalni akcijski načrt za 
uresničevanje Resolucije OZN 1325 – Ženske, mir in varnost v Republiki Srbiji 
(2010–2015) ni več v veljavi, so doseženi rezultati najboljši dokaz pomembnih 
izboljšav na področju enakosti spolov na Ministrstvu za obrambo in v Vojski 
Srbije. Poleg boljše ozaveščenosti na področju spolov in večje zastopanosti žensk 
v obrambnem sistemu ti rezultati kažejo tudi na izboljšane vlogo, položaj in zaščito 
žensk. Za prihodnje odgovore na izzive, ki se še pojavljajo na poti do popolne 
objektivizacije enakosti spolov na Ministrstvu za obrambo in v Vojski Srbije, 
so nujna dodatna prizadevanja, da se pravočasno odkrijejo, celovito razumejo, 
pravilno tolmačijo in objektivno predstavijo. Danes, podobno kot pri pripravi 
prejšnjega dokumenta, ima Ministrstvo za obrambo Republike Srbije glavno vlogo 
pri oblikovanju novega nacionalnega akcijskega načrta za obdobje 2016–2020, še 
zlasti pri opredeljevanju ciljev in določanju dinamike njihovega uresničevanja. 
Pri tem se upoštevajo sodobni standardi na področju enakosti spolov, pridobljeno 
znanje, učenje iz izkušenj, rezultati empiričnih raziskav ter izkušnje drugih držav 
na regionalni in globalni ravni.
Enakost spolov, ženske v vojski, Resolucija VS OZN 1325, Republika Srbija, 
Ministrstvo za obrambo in Vojska Srbije. 
This paper reviews positive experiences in the implementation of the UNSC 
Resolution 1325 in the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces (MoD 
and SAF). Since the first National Action Plan for the Implementation of the UNSC 
Resolution 1325 – Women, Peace and Security in the Republic of Serbia (2010-
2015) is no longer valid, the best evidence of the significant improvements that 
have been made regarding gender equality in the MoD and SAF are the achieved 
DOI:10.33179/BSV.99.SVI.11.CMC.18.3.6
 66 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
Jovanka Šaranović, Brankica Potkonjak-Lukić, Tatjana Višacki
results. In addition to improved gender awareness, and a higher representation of 
women in the defence system, these results also indicate that the roles, positions and 
protection of women have been improved. Future responses to all the challenges that 
stand in a way of full objectification of gender equality in the MoD and SAF require 
additional efforts for their timely identification, comprehensive understanding, 
correct interpretation and objective presentation. Today, as was the case with the 
pervious document, the MoD of the Republic of Serbia has a key role in drafting the 
new National Action Plan for the period 2016-2020, especially with regard to the 
definition of its objectives and determining the dynamics of their implementation, 
thereby taking into consideration contemporary standards in the area of gender 
equality, accumulated knowledge, lessons learned, empirical research findings and 
experience gained by other countries at the regional and global level.
Gender equality, women in armed forces, UNSCR 1325, Republic of Serbia, 
Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces.
As part of the overall efforts made by international organizations, states and civil 
society organizations to improve the status of women, and as a result of recognizing 
the crucial importance of respecting the right to equality and equal participation and 
representation of women and men in all spheres of social life, some very important 
activities have been initiated and carried out in the Republic of Serbia in recent 
years. The demonstrated political will and determination of the Government of the 
Republic of Serbia to carry out the necessary reform steps towards the integration of 
gender equality in the security sector have led not only to a shift at the institutional 
level, through establishing new bodies and mechanisms for gender equality, but 
also to changes in legal regulations, strategies and plans. No less important are the 
achievements made in raising awareness of gender issues in members of all the 
institutions in the security sector, primarily through education and training, but also 
through media promotion.
Numerous results that were achieved during the previous five-year period of 
implementation of the National Action Plan for the implementation of UNSC 
Resolution 1325 – Women, Peace and Security in the Republic of Serbia are visible 
today in almost all aspects of everyday work and life of the members of the security 
sector. In that context, the development and implementation of this document have 
resulted in extremely positive effects in the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian 
Armed Forces in terms of mainstreaming gender equality in the reform process.
 1 DEVELOPMENT AND CONTENTS OF THE NATIONAL ACTION PLAN 
IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA (2010-2015)
Considering international efforts towards the empowerment of women and giving 
them a more significant role in peace building and conflict resolution, and taking 
into account the need to respect and implement the adopted United Nations Security 
Council resolutions on women, peace and security, as well as the commitment of the 
Key words
Introduction
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ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERSPECTIVES OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF UNSCR 1325 IN THE MINISTRY OF 
DEFENCE AND THE SERBIAN ARMED FORCES
Republic of Serbia to reach the international standards in this field contained in the 
relevant documents of the EU, OSCE and NATO, by developing a National Action 
Plan for the implementation of the UNSC Resolution 1325 – Women, Peace and 
Security in the Republic of Serbia (2010-2015) starting in 2010, for the first time 
special attention was directed to the improvement of the status and role of women in 
the security sector. 
Although the strategic and legislative frameworks that govern the issue of gender 
equality were already established in the Republic of Serbia, a large number of 
civil society organizations, whose work is mostly directed towards the protection 
of women’s human rights, actively advocated the development and adoption of 
an action plan to address the implementation of UN SC Resolution 1325. These 
organizations, coordinated by the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence (BFPE), 
put forward their positions in 2009 in a publication entitled “United Nations Security 
Council Resolution 1325 in Serbia – on Women, Peace and Security”1, which gives 
guidelines and possible areas of action in accordance with the content of the UNSC 
Resolution 1325.
In June 2010, the year which marked the tenth anniversary of the adoption of UNSC 
Resolution 1325, the Government of the Republic of Serbia, on the initiative of 
civil society organizations, decided2 to start drafting a National Action Plan for the 
implementation of this resolution, which would be carried out over the next five 
years. With this purpose the Government Working Group for drafting a National 
Action Plan for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 
1325 – Women, Peace and Security in the Republic of Serbia (2010-2015) was 
formed, consisting of representatives of the twelve relevant Ministries, Departments 
and Agencies of the Government. The Ministry of Defence was tasked with 
providing expert, administrative and technical support to the Working Group of the 
Government, and that Ministry had a coordinating role throughout the process of 
drafting the document (Stojković, 2011). The task entrusted to the Working Group 
was very ambitious and difficult, bearing in mind that in the past there had been 
no implemented research with findings that could serve as a basis for drafting this 
document or for the inclusion of a gender perspective into the policies, plans and 
practices of the security sector of the Republic of Serbia in order to improve the 
status of women through the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325.
Based on national statistics, it was, however, known that in 2010, at the time of 
drafting the document, women accounted for 51.36% of the total population of 
the Republic of Serbia, but both quantitative and qualitative indicators of women 
employed in the security sector were not available. Therefore, in a very short time, 
initial research was conducted in order to obtain valid data on the representation and 
1 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in Serbia – on Women, Peace and Security (2009), BFPE, 
Belgrade; (Срб) Резолуција 1325 Савета безбедности Уједињених нација у Србији - о женама, миру и 
безбедности, Београдски фонд за политичку изузетност, Београд,
2 „Службени гласник РС“, број 44/10, Београд, 30. јун 2010. године.
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position of women in the security sector, so that they could serve as the initial basis 
not only for the development of the document itself, but also for the monitoring 
of progress made during the later application of the National Action Plan for the 
implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325. Research findings showed that the 
representation of women in the security sector in the Republic of Serbia in 2010 
amounted to 27.40%. This percentage was, in fact, even then, nearly a satisfactory 
result, but at the same time, it was clear that this is a very complex issue, which in 
addition to adequate numerical representation of women applies to a whole range 
of other indicators. Therefore, the Working Group was largely focused on finding 
ways to substantially improve the position of women in terms of respect of their 
human rights, according to which all human beings are free to develop their personal 
abilities and make choices without limitations imposed by strict gender roles, and 
to be equally taken into account, valued and supported with regard to the different 
behaviour, desires and needs of women and men. 
In accordance with such a commitment, and based on the results of the research 
carried out and an analysis of strategic, normative and planning documents on 
gender equality adopted in the Republic of Serbia, as well as the effectiveness of their 
implementation, based on the content of international conventions and resolutions 
and the experiences of other countries which had already adopted national action 
plans for the implementation of Resolution 1325, drafting contents of the document 
and the identification of general and specific objectives and activities started. On 
this occasion, care was taken that the formulations should be as precise as possible 
to enable monitoring and evaluation of the effects of the changes on the basis of 
indicators3.
The completion of the draft document was followed by a public debate. The draft 
document was submitted for consideration to the competent government authorities, 
posted on the website of the Ministry of Defence and opened to the public, enabling 
the submission of objections and suggestions from all interested parties via e-mail. 
The draft was also discussed in public debates that were organized for this occasion. 
Some of the objections to the content of the new document which arose from the 
public debate, particularly those provided by the Ombudsman and civil society 
organizations, were recognized and included in the text of the document proposal.
As a result of these efforts, on 23 December 2010, less than six months after the 
decision on the development of this document was made, the Government of the 
Republic of Serbia approved the National Action Plan for the implementation of the 
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 – Women, Peace and Security in 
the Republic of Serbia (2010-2015) (hereinafter: NAP)4.
3 A list of 74 indicators, classified in seven groups according to the chapters of the NAP, was made. Later 
attempts made for the purpose of their optimization (including reducing the number of indicators) have 
never been finalized. In the absence of a unified list of indicators, some institutions have drawn up their own 
indicators and used them for reporting on the implementation of the NAP.
4 „Службени гласник Републике Србије”, број 102/10, 30. децембар 2010. године. 
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The document contains seven chapters, in which the following seven general 
objectives were defined:
 – The development and functioning of institutional bodies and gender equality 
mechanisms for the implementation of the NAP; 
 – Increasing the representation of women in the security sector and their impact on 
issues relating to peace and security; 
 – Increasing participation and influence of women in decision-making in Defence 
and security; 
 – Increasing women’s participation in international cooperation, conflict resolution, 
and post-conflict, and greater participation in multinational operations; 
 – Use of the instruments for the legal protection of women; 
 – The education and training of members of the security sector in the spirit of UNSC 
Resolution 1325; 
 – Providing media support for the objectives of the NAP. 
The activities envisaged by the NAP are aimed primarily at changing gender 
stereotypes in the minds of citizens and members of the security sector through 
continual education and information, media campaigns, organization of expert 
meetings and the like. In their turn, they need to ensure increased representation of 
women in the security sector, significant participation by women in decision-making 
on issues relating to peace and security, and more effective protection of women in 
peace and post-conflict rehabilitation of society and in multinational operations.
Objective media reporting on the implementation of the NAP and its affirmative role 
in promoting gender equality was very important, in order to overcome prejudices 
and gender stereotypes, shape public opinion, and raise the awareness of the general 
public of the role of women in society, especially when it comes to issues relating to 
peace and security.
 2 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ACTION PLAN (2010-2015) 
IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE AND SERBIAN ARMED FORCES
Bearing in mind the role of the Ministry of Defence during the preparation of the 
NAP, as well as a clear commitment to the integration of gender equality in the 
Defence system reform, the Ministry was the first in the security sector to approach 
the implementation of the NAP in a planned and organized way in order to achieve 
its objectives and application as envisaged in the document. In a formal sense, the 
implementation of the NAP was initiated by the adoption of the Decision of the 
Minister of Defence on the implementation of measures within the responsibility of 
the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, defined by the NAP, as well 
as by the approval of the plan of activities for the implementation of the NAP in the 
Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces in 2011. 
After that, during the whole period of implementation of the NAP, ending in 2015, 
plans for achieving the goals envisaged by the NAP were made on an annual basis. 
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In the annual plans, the responsibilities of individual organizational units of the 
MoD and SAF for the realization of activities, and deadlines for their execution, 
were determined, and a number of activities whose implementation was supported 
by international partners were also included, which have contributed significantly 
to the creation of conditions for integrating the principle of gender equality into the 
defence system reform.
Planning, the coordination of the NAP`s implementation, and reporting on progress 
were all the responsibilities of the Strategic Planning Department of the Defence Policy 
Sector of the MoD, which tried to include as many as possible of the organizational 
units and members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces in its 
plans and implementation of activities. The Institute for Strategic Research of the 
Defence Policy Sector of the MoD, as a scientific research institution, had a very 
important role in this process.
Transparency of the content of the reports on the implementation of the action plans 
in the MoD and SAF for the preceding five years of the NAP`s implementation, 
which were made on the basis of analyses of reports from the organizational units 
of the MoD and SAF responsible for the implementation of the planned activities, 
was achieved by their regular publication on the website of the Ministry of Defence.
It should be emphasized that significant results in the implementation of the NAP 
have been achieved primarily thanks to the manifested political will and extremely 
stimulating role played by the management of the Ministry of Defence, as well as 
the established cooperation and confidence built between all stakeholders involved 
in the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in the country, Western Balkans and beyond, 
a large number of educations and trainings in the Ministry of Defence and the 
Serbian Armed Forces and also published media contents that accompanied the 
implementation of this plan significantly contributing to raising awareness of the 
role of women not only in the armed forces but also in the entire society. 
Support was provided by international organizations, most significantly by the 
UNDP/ SEESAC, UN Women and the OSCE. Without this, undeniably, it would not 
have been possible to achieve such results.
 2.1 Institutional bodies and gender equality mechanisms  
for the implementation of the NAP
One of specific things about the NAP of the Republic of Serbia, in contrast to national 
action plans for the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325 in other countries, 
is the establishment of new inter-related institutional bodies and gender equality 
mechanisms for the implementation of the NAP.
In this context, ensuring the regular functioning of some of the newly-established 
Government bodies was a major challenge, especially for the Ministry of Defence, 
whose role and involvement in this regard was of great importance.
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The most important institutional bodies and mechanisms for gender equality formed 
in accordance with NAP in the Republic of Serbia were:
Political Council for the implementation of the NAP (hereinafter: the Political 
Council) was formed in 2011 as the government’s institutional body for gender 
equality, with a mandate to consider issues related to the implementation of the 
NAP. Accordingly, it provided guidance and recommendations to the Multisectoral 
Coordination Body (hereinafter: MCB) and discussed its reports, assessed progress, 
submitted regular reports to the Government and the supervisory body for the 
implementation of the NAP of the National Assembly, and participated in conferences 
of international importance regarding Resolution 1325.
Twelve representatives from the Government Ministries/Departments/Agencies 
responsible for the implementation of the NAP in the security sector were appointed 
as members of the Political Council. Later, the composition of this body was 
expanded so that it included members from all Government Ministries, the Security-
Information Agency, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, the Office for European 
Integration, the Office for Cooperation with Civil Society Organizations and the 
Office for Human and Minority Rights of the Government. The Ministry of Defence 
was tasked with providing expert, administrative and technical support to this 
body, and, regardless of occasional changes in the membership, the President of the 
Political Council was from the Ministry of Defence throughout its operation5.
In addition to the members, the Political Council’s sessions are, by invitation, attended 
by representatives of the CPE, the Ombudsman, the Commission for monitoring the 
implementation of the NAP of the National Assembly and others.
Three working groups were established within the Political Council: (1) Working 
Group of the Political Council for improving the implementation of the NAP; (2) 
Working Group of the Political Council for directing the work of the MCB; and (3) 
Working Group of the Political Council for creating the political preconditions for 
achieving the goals envisaged by the NAP, which, in meetings of the Political Council, 
discussed issues for which they are responsible and gave their recommendations and 
proposals for improving the implementation of the NAP in the Republic of Serbia.
In accordance with its role, the Political Council has also taken the necessary 
measures for the aim of developing a new NAP.
The Multisectoral Coordination Body for the implementation of the NAP was 
also formed in 2011, with the main task of performing operational tasks related to 
the achievement of the objectives and implementation of tasks foreseen in the NAP. 
The Ministry of the Interior provides expert, administrative and technical support 
5 At a meeting of the Government on 18 June 2013, Zoran Đorđević, then State Secretary in the Ministry of 
Defence, and now the Defence Minister, was appointed President of the Political Council.
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to this institutional body, and its chairman is from the Ministry of Interior. The 
MCB has achieved significant results in establishing cooperation with international 
organizations, civil society organizations and other institutions in the Republic of 
Serbia, in order to achieve the objectives of the NAP. Also, this body conducted, in 
2015, an internal evaluation of the implementation of the NAP, which served not 
only as an indicator of the effectiveness of this document, but also as useful guidance 
in determining the content of the new draft of the NAP.
Both of these institutional bodies of the Government delivered reports on their work 
to the responsible authorities.
For democratic control over the implementation of the NAP a Commission for 
monitoring the implementation of the NAP was established, as a body of the 
National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. This institutional body works with 
civil society organizations which carry out independent monitoring and reporting 
of the implementation of the NAP, as well as with international organizations 
that have expressed an interest in supporting its implementation. The President 
of the Commission, on invitation, attends meetings of the Political Council of 
the Government, to better understand the activities and results of the NAP’s 
implementation.
Analytical groups or research teams are institutional bodies envisaged by the NAP, 
which are formed in the respective Ministries/Departments/Agencies to monitor the 
implementation of the NAP, establishing statistics and other indicators of the effects 
of its implementation and reporting. The analytical group of the Ministry of Defence 
and the Serbian Armed Forces for analyzing the implementation of the NAP6 
(hereinafter: Analytical Group of the MoD and SAF) was the first such group formed 
in the security sector in the Republic of Serbia. The members of this group were the 
organizers and participants in a large number of activities planned for the purpose 
of the implementation of the NAP in the organizational units of the MoD and SAF. 
In cooperation with the UN Women, several joint education courses and training for 
members of analytical groups and research teams from the whole security sector 
were conducted. At these events they exchanged experiences and presented practical 
methods and techniques for gender analysis, and further horizontal networking and 
information exchange was initiated.
A “trustworthy person” is a specific mechanism for gender equality established to 
provide primary collegial assistance to employees in terms of gender equality in the 
relevant Ministries/Departments/Agencies7. In the MoD and SAF this mechanism 
was established in 2013, when the Minister of Defence approved the instruction 
6 Consists of 22 members from 17 organizational units of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces (19 
women and 3 men).
7 At the time of adopting the NAP, this mechanism was established only in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, within 
the project “Collegue for Support“. In establishing the mechanism «persons of trust», great support was given 
by UN Wоmen.
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on the selection and function of the “person of trust”8, after which the selection of 
“trustworthy people” in the organizational units of MoD and SAF was conducted. 
Coordinating the work of this mechanism of gender equality in the MoD and SAF is 
the responsibility of the Gender Equality Advisor of the Minister of Defence.
Appropriate training for the elected “trustworthy person” and the sustainability of 
this mechanism of gender equality was implemented in cooperation with the UN 
Women. The “Handbook for a Trustworthy person” was prepared, published, and 
distributed to all the “trustworthy persons” in the Ministry of Defence and the 
Serbian Armed Forces.
The person in charge of coordinating the activities of the NAP is a mechanism for 
the introduction of a gender perspective in policies and programmes in the relevant 
Ministries/Departments/Agencies. This mechanism was established in the Ministry 
of Defence in 2012, by the decision of the Minister of Defence, who selects the 
authorized person who, in addition to her/his regular duties, has responsibility for 
enhancing and promoting gender equality.
Although the introduction of a mechanism of Gender Advisor in civil and military 
missions, in accordance with the standards and experience of the EU and NATO 
(PfP), was provided by the NAP, this mechanism has not been established, since 
the Republic of Serbia does not participate in civilian and military missions with 
national contingents. 
Independent monitoring of the implementation of the NAP during the whole 
period of its implementation was carried out by the Commissioner for Protection of 
Equality, the Ombudsman, the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance, 
the media, civil society organizations and the public.
 2.2 Representation of women in the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian 
Armed Forces
Bearing in mind that the right to equal representation of women and men, in the context 
of their impact on peace and security, is not fully realized in practice in the Republic 
of Serbia, this issue was given special attention and significance in the NAP. For the 
purpose of monitoring trends in the representation of women in the MoD and SAF, a 
gender analysis, based on collected data, has been carried out every six months. 
Monitoring and comparing the results of the gender analysis, beginning with the 
first analysis conducted by the Analytical Group of the MoD and SAF in September 
2011 and continuing to data gathered in September 2015, indicates an overall small 
increase in the number and percentage of women employed in the MoD and SAF 
(Šaranović, Kilibarada, 2012). The increase in representation of women has occurred 
primarily in the categories of officers and professional soldiers. (Table 1).
8 „Службени војни лист“ број 25/13.
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Sept. 
2012 May 2013 May 2014
Sept. 
2014 May 2015
Sept. 
2015
% OF WOMEN IN MOD AND SAF
 OFFICER 0,21 0,3 0,48 0,63 0,65 0,78
 NCO 0,11 0,12 0,14 0,14 0,16 0,16
 CIVILIAN 15,87 16 15,77 15,68 15,48 15,53
 PROFESSIONAL SOLDIER 2,9 2,86 2,81 2,89 3,09 3,24
 TOTAL 19,09 19,28 19,19 19,34 19,38 19,71
Regarding the trend of constant decrease in the representation of women in the 
category of civilians in the period 2010-2015, and a simultaneous increase in number 
of women in the categories of professional military personnel and professional 
soldiers, it should be noted that the reduction in the number of women in the civilian 
category was caused by retirement or finding jobs outside the MoD and SAF.
At the same time, there was a positive trend of gradual increase in the representation 
of women in the Serbian Armed Forces from 8.1% in 2010 to 9.01% in 2015.
With regard to the representation of women in decision-making, the majority 
of women employed in the MoD and SAF are not in management or command 
posts (Šaranović, Višacki, Stojanović, 2015). It can be expected that over time the 
representation of women in decision-making will grow, especially in the category 
of professional military personnel, from which officers are assigned to command 
posts in the Serbian Armed Forces. The relatively small proportion of women in 
managerial/command functions is a direct consequence of the insufficient number of 
women in the category of senior officers with rank, the necessary qualifications, or 
years of service in the SAF for appointment to higher positions.
Women employed in the MoD and SAF, formally, on equal conditions as men, are 
entitled to apply for work in military-diplomatic missions abroad (which until recently 
was not the case), and to be involved at all positions in multinational operations.
Table	1:	 
Overview of the 
representation 
of women in 
the Ministry of 
Defence and the 
Serbian Armed 
Forces
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
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The representation of women, mainly medical personnel but also officers and professional 
soldiers, in multinational operations is about 10%. Measures are in place intended to 
increase the representation of women in UN-mandated multinational operations, and 
training in gender-sensitive issues for participants in multinational operations.
According to data from September 2015, there were 17.1% female cadets (in relation 
to the total number of male and female cadets) in basic studies at the Military 
Academy. In the 2014/2015 academic year, 35 girls graduated, and the three most 
successful graduates from Class 136 were girls. The number of girls interested in 
enrolling in the Military Academy is growing every year.
After selection, 22 girls were admitted in the first year of Military High School. 
 2.3 Education and training in the context of the NAP`s implementation
Within the integration of a gender perspective in the defence system reform, with 
the aim of overcoming gender stereotypes, the curricula of military-educational 
institutions at all levels (Military High School, Military Academy, Command Staff 
and General Staff College) have been adapted, through the inclusion of topics that 
deal with gender equality issues.
Also, in the previous period, in the MoD and SAF, many lectures, courses, seminars, 
conferences, round tables, expert consultations and discussions on gender equality 
were held with the participation of a large number of representatives from different 
organizational units of the MoD and SAF, with the support of international 
organizations. MoD and SAF members participated in numerous conferences, 
symposia, seminars, courses and round tables organized by governmental institutions 
of the Republic of Serbia or by NGOs.
Members of the Analytical Group of the MoD and SAF have had regular training 
through the organization of seminars on analytical methods and techniques.
Considerable attention has been given to the training of women in the SAF, and full 
equality in terms of choosing job posts and training has been ensured. Through the 
introduction of voluntary military service, men and women are fully equal in terms 
of initial training duties. Training is carried out in training centres according to a 
unique training programme. Differences only exist in the standards for checking 
physical fitness, which are customized based on gender.
Training of officers and future peacekeepers on gender issues has been carried 
out in accordance with training material for UN peacekeeping missions9, the UN 
Directive10, a publication of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations - DPKO11, 
9 Core Pre-deployment Training Material
10 Gender Equality in Peacekeeping Operations
11 Gender Resource Package for Peacekeeping Operations
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a set of manuals on gender issues12 and other relevant documents such as NATO 
doctrine13, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against 
Women14, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All forms 
of Discrimination against Women15, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 
adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, the International 
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Optional Protocol to the International 
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights16, the Council of Europe Declaration on 
Equality between Women and Men as a Fundamental Criterion of Democracy, and 
the Handbook on CSDP, Gender and SSR, EU SSR, European Security and the 
Defence College.
In addition to the standards contained in the “United Nations Basic Standardized 
Module for Training for Multinational Operations”, similar standards of the EU, 
OSCE and the Council of Europe, as well as the standards of behaviour in peace 
and war against civilians (women, children and the elderly), prisoners, etc. arising 
out of the Geneva Conventions and the Additional Protocols and other international 
political and legal documents signed and ratified by the Republic of Serbia, are also 
respected.
 2.4 Media support for the objectives of the NAP
By informing the public about the activities of the MoD and SAF since the adoption 
of the NAP in 2010, the Public Relations Department of the MoD has contributed 
significantly to raising awareness in the general public about the importance 
of integrating a gender perspective in the defence system, and highlighted the 
importance of the implementation of the NAP.
The following information campaigns were particularly praised by the domestic and 
foreign public as examples of good practice:
1)  A campaign for the enrollment of girls at the Military Academy and the Military 
Medical Academy;
2)  The campaign “Be a Professional” created for the promotion of the military 
profession and admission of candidates (men and women) to professional military 
service in the SAF;
3)  A campaign dedicated to the completion of education of cadets at the Military 
Academy, in which special attention was devoted to the completion of the first 
generation of cadet education (school enrollment 2007/2008), ie. promoting 
women officers.
12 Set priručnika o rodnim pitanjima i reformi sektora bezbjednosti preveden za upotrebu u regionu Zapadnog 
Balkana – DCAF
13 Allied Joint Doctrine For Non-article 5, Crisis Response Operations AJP-3.4 (a)
14 Службени лист СФРЈ – Међународни уговори, број 11/81
15 Службени лист СРЈ – Међународни уговори, број 13/02
16 Службени лист СРЈ – Међународни уговори, број 4/01
Jovanka Šaranović, Brankica Potkonjak-Lukić, Tatjana Višacki
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Through the websites of the MoD and SAF, as well as the magazine “Defence”, MoD 
and SAF members and the general public were regularly informed about the activities 
of the institutional bodies and gender equality mechanisms for the implementation of 
the NAP in the MoD and SAF, and about the contribution of women to the defence 
system, as well as about the problems of gender equality. The most common topic 
on women is the place of women in the SAF. The aforementioned magazine has 
published two special contributions about women since the adoption of the NAP.
News that mentions or affects women has regularly been published on the MoD and 
SAF websites; on the latter there is a separate webpage called “Women in the SAF” 
where female professional military personnel and their duties are presented.
 2.5 Cooperation with international subjects 
In pursuit of the implementation of the NAP, the MoD has achieved significant 
cooperation with international organizations such as the UNDP/SEESAC, the OSCE 
Mission to Serbia, and UN Women, as well as bilateral cooperation with countries 
that have expressed an interest in supporting the activities of the MoD in this area.
The OSCE Mission to Serbia financed the printing of 500 copies of the NAP, in 
Serbian and English, within the framework of the project “Consolidation of the 
Democratization Process in the Security Sector in Serbia”, and organized a cycle of 
three seminars on the theme: “Gender Mainstreaming in Security Sector Reform”, 
which was attended by representatives of the MoD and SAF.
On the basis of the consent of the Minister of Defence, the MoD has, since 2012, been 
included in the regional project “Support to Mainstreaming of Gender Equality in 
Security Sector Reform in the Western Balkans”, implemented by UNDP/SEESAC 
in order to integrate the issue of gender equality in the process of security sector 
reform, thus contributing to the greater efficiency of the security sector.
The MoD, in cooperation with UNDP/SEESAC, organized the first regional meeting in 
Belgrade in March 2012, where a joint statement on cooperation to strengthen the process 
of security sector reform in the Western Balkans by integration of a gender perspective 
in policies and institutions of security and defence was signed by representatives of 
the Ministries of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and 
Serbia. Following that, there were further regional meetings and numerous activities at 
home and abroad, which were attended by representatives of the MoD and SAF. UNDP/
SEESAC planned to complete this project by the end of June 2016.
Representatives of the MoD and SAF participate in meetings of the NATO Committee 
on Gender Perspectives, which is annually organized in Brussels, Belgium.
The implementation of activities through the exchange of experiences, expert talks 
and lectures on gender issues is planned and implemented in the framework of 
bilateral military cooperation.
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	 3	 DEVELOPMENT	OF	THE	NATIONAL	ACTION	PLAN	(2016-2020)	–	
CHALLENGES	AND	PERSPECTIVES
After five years of the implementation of the NAP (2010-2015), it is evident that 
gender equality is one of the issues which has been given deserved attention in 
the Republic of Serbia, especially in the security sector, including the Ministry 
of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces. Significant progress has been made in 
achieving the intended objectives of the NAP, especially in institutional development, 
increasing the representation and decision-making of women in the security sector, 
increasing their participation in international cooperation activities and multinational 
operations, improving the legal prerequisites for the protection of women, and 
media coverage of the implementation of activities included in this plan, as well as 
in establishing cooperation between state administration, civil society organizations 
and international organizations on the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325 in 
the Republic of Serbia.
For the purpose of more a comprehensive and objective review of the results of 
the implementation of the NAP, as well as to gain insight into the proposals for 
improving the implementation of Resolution 1325 in the Republic of Serbia in the 
future, an event entitled “Dialogue of the Political Council and institutional bodies 
and gender equality mechanisms for the implementation of the NAP for the UNSC 
R 1325 – Women, Peace and Security in the Republic of Serbia (2010-2015)”, with 
representatives of civil society organizations, academia and media, was organized 
by the Political Council of the Government on May 28, 2015, in Belgrade. 
At the event, which was attended by a total of 93 people17, of whom 47 were 
representatives of civil society organizations from the entire territory of the Republic 
of Serbia, it was concluded that the implementation of the NAP needs to be continued 
in the next medium term (2016-2020). It was expressed that it is necessary to evaluate 
the results of the recent implementation of the NAP and to revise its contents. Also, 
it was concluded that the future implementation of the NAP should be directed at the 
local level.
The internal evaluation was performed by MCB, and the external by the Institute 
for Inclusive Security from Washington (USA) and the OSCE Mission to Serbia. 
Conclusions made on the basis of the results of all the analyzes which were carried 
out served as the basis for the development of a new medium-term action plan. One 
of the conclusions referred to the functioning of institutional bodies and gender 
equality mechanisms. Apart from the fact that their establishment enabled the 
17 Representatives of: institutional bodies and gender equality mechanisms for the implementation of the NAP, 
Coordination Body of the Government for gender equality and relevant Committees of the National Assembly, 
Commission for Monitoring the Implementation of the NAP within the National Assembly, mechanisms for 
independent monitoring of the implementation of the NAP, such as the Commissioner for the Protection of 
Equality, the Ombudsman, the Commissioner for Public Information and Personal Data Protection, civil 
society organizations, academia and media, representatives from UNDP/SEESAC, OSCE Mission to Serbia, UN 
Women and NATO.
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systematic and formalized operation of the policy-makers and practitioners with 
sufficient knowledge of the problem, it was pointed out that, due to the large number 
of participants, the channels of communication are not always sufficiently clear. It 
was pointed out that it was necessary to further invest in the knowledge and skills 
of the personnel involved, and also to simplify the roles of the different institutional 
bodies and gender equality mechanisms in the security sector and establish a network 
between them.
The existence of political will and support was stressed in the results of the conducted 
evaluations, but at the same time, because of frequent shifts of personnel at the highest 
levels of decision-making, the need for continuous implementation of activities 
aimed at raising awareness of the importance of preserving the essential support 
of policy makers with regard to gender equality in the defence system was pointed 
out. It was concluded that there is awareness of the need for gender budgeting, but 
also that in the analyzed period funds that could have been used to implement more 
demanding objectives are not allocated.
Also, it was concluded that a single and generally accepted list containing 
sufficient minimum of indicators should be made, by selecting those that are 
reflecting targeted interventions and avoiding indicators that don`t have essential 
and instrumental role.
As already mentioned, activities aimed at increasing the representation of women 
in the defence system have been successfully implemented; however, a simple 
increase in the number of women does not automatically imply greater equality. The 
challenge is to design activities in such a way as to form an organizational culture 
in the defence system which will be equally supportive, in every respect, to all its 
members on their career path to reach the highest positions.
By the Decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, on 25 December 
2015, the Working Group for the development of the National Action Plan for the 
implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 – Women, 
Peace and Security in the Republic of Serbia (2016-2020) (hereinafter referred to as 
the Working Group), was established, and its composition and tasks were determined. 
Responsibility for providing expert, administrative and technical support to the 
Working Group was given to the Ministry of Defence.
During the development and implementation of the previous NAP, the Republic 
of Serbia cooperated with the OSCE Mission to Serbia, which again expressed its 
readiness to provide appropriate support to the Working Group of the Government 
and the NGO sector during drafting of the NAP, in organization of workshops for 
the Working Group, and also to support a wider consultation process on the content 
of the document in the local community, with the involvement of all the relevant 
stakeholders in society.
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The development and implementation of the NAP represents a significant contribution 
to the reform of the defence system, as well as the national security system as a 
whole in the Republic of Serbia; above all by the inclusion of international standards, 
primarily UN, EU, NATO and OSCE standards, into national legislation and strategic 
and planning documents.
In this regard, the ability to better and more efficiently use human resources for an 
effective response to crisis and post-crisis situations, and for cooperation with the 
NGO sector towards improving the place and role of women in society, has been 
recognized.
The result of such an open approach is joint action of representatives of state 
institutions, NGOs and international organizations, thanks to which the draft of the 
NAP was developed and adopted in less than six months, and effectively implemented 
as of 2011.
The currently achieved state and knowledge of certain principles which govern 
the process of improving gender equality should be used as a platform for the 
next breakthroughs that lay ahead of us. Certainly the biggest step forward is the 
development and adoption of the NAP for the period 2016-2020. In this process, the 
Ministry of Defence was again assigned to leadership positions and a coordinating 
role of all stakeholders involved in the process of its development. The Government 
Working Group for the development of the NAP 2016-2020 is currently working 
on a customized and focused NAP that will reflect national priorities as well as 
international commitments; streamlining the number of chapters; defining clear, 
measurable and carefully selected objectives and dynamics of the implementation 
which will take into account modern standards in this area to an extent that does 
not contradict the objective possibilities; the selection of indicators and monitoring 
methods that are realistic and that can be implemented; the establishment of gender 
budgeting and a balance between the particular set of resources and funding through 
regular budget lines; and defining responsibilities, monitoring and evaluation of 
progress and challenges.
The implementation of the NAP, as before, contributes to increasing the overall 
reputation of the Republic of Serbia in the international community and the Ministry 
of Defence in the domestic and foreign public.
1. Стојковић, Б. (2011). Положај жена у сектору безбедности Републике Србије, 
Војно дело, 157-171. 
2. Šaranović, J., Višacki, T., Stojanović. S. (2015). Menadžment ljudskim resursima i rodna 
perspektiva u MO i VS, Treći naučno-stručni skup, Politehnika, Zbornik radova, Beograd, 
str. 545-550. 
3. Šaranović, J. Kilibarada, Z., (2012). „Drafting the National action plan for the 
implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325-the experience of 
Serbia“, International Conference Sofia, Collection of papers, Sofia, p.120-136.
Conclusion
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