Gender-sensitive research

Supporting the development of more inclusive, responsive security agencies requires a solid understanding of the barriers preventing individuals of various social groups from accessing security.

To this end, we work with our partners to regularly identify and analyse the security issues disproportionately affecting women and girls, and specific social groups. We additionally look at the nuanced security realities of men and boys.

These analyses give a fuller understanding of the diversity of security needs within a given context, and help detect biases and inequalities that may unintentionally perpetuate within security institutions and through their policies. From there, appropriate responses can be planned and tailored to the realities of the partner security institution.

We also conduct targeted, in-depth research to shine a light on hidden and underreported gender issues. These are often flagged through our gender equality and social inclusion analyses, and through the gender-disaggregated surveys we conduct to inform project design and monitor progress against WPS objectives.

Our multilingual teams have wide experience in mixed-methods research on topics such as domestic violence and online gender-based violence. This includes community based participatory research that empowers local people to address research findings and helps provide unique access to stories that would not be captured through more traditional methods.

Change Management

A holistic approach to advancing women, peace and security can help avoid backlash and ensure sustainable gains. Tokenistic measures like simply hiring more women are unlikely to lead to women’s meaningful engagement in security, even when hiring is actually feasible.

Instead, we develop evidence-based interventions that aim at transforming security agencies’ systems, structures and strategies – ultimately ensuring the retention of women and better access to operational and leadership positions.

Participatory gender audits are a good starting point. These help security institutions understand their institutional ability to mainstream gender considerations in their operations and organisation. Rather than conducting these audits ourselves, we assist agencies in setting up their own auditing teams so they own and lead the process. With team members, we tailor the audit tools to organisational and domestic realities. PGAs usually involve three stages: 1) a desk review of organisational documents; 2) interviews with personnel across the institution; 3) participatory workshops to elaborate gender mainstreaming plans and recommendations.

As part of or independent from a PGA process, Siren assists security institutions to develop or update key organisational documents. These documents range from specific policies relating to the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, to broader multi-year strategic plans. Our participatory approach achieves multi-stakeholder buy-in, fit-for-purpose policies, and the integration of women, peace and security objectives at the institutional level.

Reinforcing this, we help our security partners bring their systems and structures in line with new policies. This may include establishing gender offices; mentoring schemes or talent pipelines to encourage the promotion of women officers; mechanisms for reporting abuse and resolving disputes; or revitalising existing functions so they are able to fulfil their mandates.

To aid uptake, we work closely with reform champions who see the value of inclusivity and representation, and who can drive the adoption of new policies, procedures, and systems. Alongside strategic advice and coaching, this often involves stakeholder engagement support. UNSCR 1325 highlights the necessary of a whole-of-society approach and so we help foster partnerships between security agencies and organisations promoting the rights of women and under-recognised groups. For example, while supporting police to better engage the community, we also empower women and civil society groups to identify, express and workshop solutions for their safety and security needs. This partnership approach is a cross-cutting priority through our work and underpins our efforts to help transform how police agencies address gender-based and intimate partner violence.

Capacity building

Women are often underrepresented in security agencies, and those employed are largely positioned in administrative roles. Alongside promoting gender equality through better systems and processes, specialised training can redress this and unlock new career opportunities for women. This is critical, as women’s involvement in peace operations is paramount to effective peace and security.

To this effect, we develop bespoke training programmes to prepare for deployment, including scenario-based training recreating deployment conditions, English classes and driving lessons. We offer training courses covering all policing domains and have experience conducing mixed-gender operational training, including tactical firearms, search techniques, vehicle extraction drills, and medical training.

At the institutional level, organisations around the world have highlighted the risk of backlash against gender mainstreaming efforts. For example, if too many trainings are branded as “gender” or equate gender with women, officers can become jaded or resentful and become blockers. A better approach involves meaningfully integrating gender into institutional norms and practices.

We do this by working with police schools and academies to mainstream gender across their syllabuses, thereby sustainably sensitising personnel to the theory and practice of gender equality and social inclusion, and helping to decrease explicit and implicit gender bias. This usually involves auditing existing training materials and supporting academy staff to research, adapt and integrate international best practices withing training modules and other forms of instruction.