International Command Gender Strategy 2018-2024

Gender Strategy vision

To be a world leading police service in the practice of gender mainstreaming, building gender capability and the prevention of gender-based crime wherever the AFP operates internationally.

Gender Strategy mission

To promote and protect gender equality through the integration of policies and practices across all our International policing operations.

International Command Gender Strategy

Background

The objective of the AFP's international engagement is strong leadership and collaborative partner relationships leading to the protection of Australians and Australia's national interests onshore and offshore, contributing to a safer Australia.

The International Command Gender Strategy is an important pillar supporting the AFP's mission, Policing for a safer Australia. It is an essential element of our success in protecting Australia's national security by ensuring that a gender perspective is placed on international operations and partnerships with law enforcement; and that our deployed teams reflect the communities we serve.

Our goal is a strategically aligned gender strategy, which sets out how the AFP incorporates gender into operations off-shore, in a dynamic and complex world. The AFP's International Command Gender Strategy 2018–2024 reflects the International Engagement 2020 and Beyond strategy, the AFP Cultural Reform – Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2016–2026 (AFP D & I Strategy) and the Australian National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security.

In developing the International Command Gender Strategy the AFP engaged widely with stakeholders. The strategy builds on the AFP's existing strengths in addressing gender in international policing operations and responds to changes in the external environment.

Context

We operate in a complex, dynamic and constantly changing international environment, increasing the importance of representing gender diversity in our deployed personnel.

Economic, legislative and cultural environments often contribute to the prevalence of gender-based crimes in country. Low levels of education in women and children and a lack of economic empowerment for women often contribute to women and children not being aware of their rights or having access to justice.

Within many of the countries where the AFP operates, there are high rates of gender-based crime, including: domestic violence, rape, sexual slavery, sexual violence including forced pregnancy and/or abortion, sterilisation, child marriage, female genital mutilation, illegal child adoption, incest and sorcery-related homicide.

Partner police may have varying capacity and capability to respond to gender-based crimes through first responders and specific domestic violence or women and children's protection units. Systems and access to justice in countries where the AFP operates may also be limited. Support services and resources to assist victims of gender-based crimes are also often lacking.

External governing frameworks

The international community has recognised the importance of supporting gender equality through various international frameworks and the International Command Gender Strategy ensures the AFP fulfils responsibilities in accordance with these relevant frameworks including:

• Australian National Action Plan for Women Peace and Security
• UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and subsequent resolutions addressing Women, Peace and Security
• 2030 Agenda for United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
• Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
• The Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict

Our responsibilities under Australia's National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security

The NAP is the Australian Government's approach to supporting UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325). The NAP sets out what Australia will do, at home and overseas, to integrate a gender perspective into its peace and security efforts, protect women and girls human rights and promote their participation in conflict prevention, management and resolution.

The National Action Plan identifies four key outcomes to guide our international efforts in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Selected for their contribution to peace, the outcomes are:

1. Support women and girls' meaningful participation and needs in conflict prevention and peace processes
2. Reduce sexual and gender-based violence
3. Support resilience, crisis response, and security, law and justice sector efforts to meet the needs and rights of women and girls
4. Demonstrate leadership and accountability for the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

The AFP has key responsibilities to provide law enforcement support and capacity building as part of Australia's NAP to UNSCR 1325. The International Command Gender Strategy is aligned with these outcomes outlined in the NAP.

An expanded and aligned International Command Gender Strategy

In responding to the changing environment and building on previous gender strategy, the AFP's International Command Gender Strategy 2018–2024 has been expanded for greater coverage of our international footprint, across all missions, posts and external territories and addresses a broader range of domestic and transnational gender-based crime and other law enforcement activities.

This includes a greater focus on gender-related aspects of transnational crimes such as cybercrime, counter terrorism, human trafficking and exploitation; and gender-based domestic and sexual violence.

The strategy is defined by three strategic themes:

• Lead and role model
• Build capability
• Engage and collaborate with stakeholders

Under these themes the International Command Gender Strategy sets out five strategic priorities, each with specific objectives, targets, initiatives and measures.

1. Improve gender composition of International Command deployments
2. Ensure gender mainstreaming across deployment activities
3. Improve composition and capacity with partner police
4. Improve capability on gender-related law enforcement operations
5. Increase stakeholder engagement and collaboration (internally and externally) with civil society

Critically important to the development and implementation of the AFP's International Command Gender Strategy 2018–2024 is the close alignment the AFP Cultural Reform – Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2016–2026, the AFP's responsibilities set out in Australia's National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Gender Strategy themes

Three broad themes guide the International Command Gender Strategy.

Lead and role model

A critical part of the International Command Gender Strategy is for the AFP to lead by example. We need to demonstrate gender equality, both in terms of the gender composition of teams that are deployed, the gender mainstreaming of our core operations internationally, and the mindsets and attitudes of members displayed on deployment.

Build capability

The AFP's role regionally and internationally is to promote security and law enforcement capacity and capability building. Our International Command gender strategic initiatives will be focused on our policing and law enforcement role. Capability development will also bring greater focus to the gender aspects of transnational crime including counter terrorism, countering violence extremism, people smuggling, human trafficking, cybercrime and other forms of exploitation.

Engage and collaborate

To achieve our goals the International Command Gender Strategy will emphasise engagement across the AFP and with external stakeholders. The challenges we aim to address in this strategy require all stakeholders to work collaboratively. We will put in place strategies for even more open exchanges between stakeholders and to work as one team.

Gender Strategy themes, priorities, initiatives and measures

Lead and role model

Strategic priority 1

Improve gender composition of International Command deployments

Strategic objective

International Command demonstrates leading practice approaches to gender equality aligned with the AFP Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, through improved gender composition of deployed personnel.

Target outcome

Our target is for the deployment gender composition to mirror the AFP wide gender composition for sworn and professional roles. By doing so International Command will support the AFP goal of 35% sworn females by 2028.

Strategic initiatives

• Display committed and visible leadership on gender equality at home and in international missions, posts and external territories.
• Improving collection of gender disaggregated data across the deployment pipeline to monitor and identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Implement improvements to deployment recruitment (including short term deployments) and selection processes to attract, recruit, develop and retain highly skilled employees, and remove barriers for women entering leadership roles and deployment opportunities.
• Leverage AFP Cultural Reform programs on leadership, and flexibility for deployed personnel.
• Strengthen the 'family friendly' environment and support for caring arrangements for deployed team members, subject to security constraints.
• Introduce initiatives to support inclusive workplaces in mission, post and external territories and support victims of workplace harassment.

Our commitments will be measured by:

• Increased percentage of women applying for deployment
• Year-on-year increase in the percentage of women on deployment aligned with the AFP's 2028 targets.

Alignment with the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325

• Participation.

Strategic priority 2

Ensure gender mainstreaming across deployment activities

Strategic objective

Our objective is to mainstream gender across all deployment activities, including program design, pre-deployment and on-deployment activities.

Target outcome

Gender is integrated into mission, post and external territories program design and monitoring functions; AFP members role model leading gender practice while on deployment; and the AFP has an active and utilised gender network.

Strategic Initiatives

• Mainstream gender analysis in mission, post and external territory program objectives, design, and monitoring and evaluations.
• Continuous improvements to pre-deployment gender training for all International Command members (across mission, post and external territories).
• Establish Gender Advisor roles and Gender Focal Points across the network, missions and external territories, and provide specialised gender training for these roles.
• Develop an 'International Command gender resource hub' which provides the AFP's International Command Gender Strategy 2018–2024, gender toolkits, case studies and initiatives, gender research, news on International Command gender activities and other gender-related links and resources.

Develop a series of toolkits to support International Command staff with a standardised approach to gender analysis.

Our commitments will be measured by:

• 100% International Command of program design and evaluation processes include gender analysis
• 100% Women and men deployed by International Command undertake gender pre-deployment training
• Increased number of Gender Focal Points across missions, posts and external territories.

Alignment with the UNSCR 1325

• Participation
• Prevention

Build capability

Strategic priority 3

Improve composition and capacity with partner police

Strategic objective

Our goal is to work in collaboration with country partner police services to build capacity for improving gender equality practices, composition and outcomes in their police services.

Target outcome

Support partner and host country police services to improve the gender composition within their police services (specific targets may be determined by partner police organisations over time).

Strategic Initiatives

• Across all locations, the AFP will provide support and other training opportunities to support the development of women in country partner police services.
• Actively support and work collaboratively with women's advisory networks at the international, regional and local levels.
• In our missions we will work with partner country police services to develop tailored gender strategies and initiatives focused on the recruitment and selection processes, training and development, empowerment of women police, gender policies and procedures and creating workplaces free from sex-based harassment.
• Across our network operations, we will work in collaboration with partner country police to share knowledge on gender strategies, initiatives, tools and resources within respective organisations.

Our commitments will be measured by:

• Increased percentages of women in partner police services (total workforce, leadership and in operational roles)
• Increased number of partner police services with a gender strategy and/or policy
• Increased number of partner police services with a sex-based harassment policy.

Alignment with the UNSCR 1325

• Participation
• Prevention
• Protection

Strategic priority 4

Improve capability on gender-related law enforcement operations

Strategic objective

Strengthen AFP and partner law enforcement capacity and capability to respond to gender-based domestic and transnational crimes; and mainstream gender analysis across AFP critical incidents response and recovery.

Target outcome

The target outcome is a reduction in domestic gender-based violence in country, improved experience for victims in accessing law enforcement support, and increased reporting on gender-based transnational crime and domestic crime.

Strategic initiatives

• Build capacity in partner police services for the prevention, response and protection of domestic and other gender-based sexual violence in country and external territories.
• Across the network and missions facilitate sharing of program experience on responding to domestic violence and gender-based crime.
• Incorporate gender analysis in transnational crime operations, and incorporate gender perspectives into capacity building training programs on transnational crime.
• Ensure gender analysis is conducted in the planning and preparation of critical incidents response and recovery operations; and support partner policing organisations and civil society to engage with women during peace processes and critical incidents response and recovery processes.
• Explore opportunities to support and contribute to research, which further investigates the gender impacts of transnational crime.

Our commitments will be measured by:

• Increased number of partner police in the Asia‑Pacic region trained in gender and human rights
• Increase in data collection and reporting of gender-based crimes in country
• Evidence of change in police attitudes and response to gender-based crimes.

Alignment with the UNSCR 1325

• Prevention
• Protection
• Relief and Recovery

Engage and collaborate

Strategic priority 5

Increase stakeholder engagement and collaboration

Strategic objective

Build strong stakeholder relationships; ensure effective collaboration on gender initiatives with international partners, NGOs, and civil society; and maintain and enhance cooperation on matters of mutual strategic and operational interests to Australia and countries.

Target outcome

Achieve maximum impact in gender capacity and crime-related operations; maximising benefits and efficiency of gender programs; coordinated inter-agency / organisational approach to capacity development.

Strategic initiatives

• Support a coordinated approach across Australian government agencies and civil society working internationally in program design, delivery, monitoring and evaluation on advancing gender equality and the women, peace and security agenda.
• Collaborate with local NGOs and civil society to strengthen partner police response to gender-based violence.

Our commitments will be measured by:

• Positive outcomes from community perception surveys conducted in country
• Qualitative examples of effective and collaborative multi-agency delivery and sharing.

Alignment with the UNSCR 1325

• Participation

International Command Gender Strategy implementation and governance

Governance

Governance and oversight of the International Command Gender Strategy is essential for implementation. Governance structures include:

• Oversight by the International Command Gender Board of Management and sub-committee
• Ownership of the strategy by Strategy, Design and Evaluation
• Ownership of initiatives by various International Command programs and divisions
• International Command Gender Strategy working group
• Regular meetings and communications with the Cultural Reform team to ensure ongoing alignment

Roles and responsibilities

• Senior Executive: responsibility for leading, communicating and implementation of the strategy and leadership of core values aligned with AFP Cultural Reform – Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2016–2026.
• Mission Commanders: responsibility for the development and implementation of in country gender strategies and initiatives in collaboration with partner police services.
• Senior Officers: responsibility for the development and implementation of in country gender strategies in collaboration with partner police services.
• Strategy, Design and Evaluation team: responsible for the implementation, coordination and monitoring of the International Command Gender Strategy in collaboration with missions, posts and external territories.
• Gender Advisors and Gender Focal Points: responsible for ensure that planning, execution and evaluation properly integrates gender perspective into all areas of operations in relevant missions, post and external territories and supports the implementation of the gender strategy in country.
• All AFP deployed personnel: leading and role modelling gender equality is a responsibility of all individual AFP members deployed off-shore.

Prioritised and coordinated implementation

Strategic initiatives outlined in the AFP's International Command Gender Strategy 2018–2024 will be prioritised and implemented over three time horizons: 0–12 months; 12–36 months and 36 months+. Prioritisation will be based on alignment with initiatives and strategies outlined in International Engagement 2020 and Beyond strategy, AFP Cultural Reform – Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2016–2026 and activities planned in missions, posts and external territories.

Streamlined reporting and data analytics

A core focus for International Command will be ensuring that we monitor and evaluate progress on the implementation and impact of the International Command Gender Strategy. Important to the strategy is the streamlining of data collection and reporting to maintain a single source of data truth and enable ease of reporting.

Cultural sensitivity

Each country and culture where the AFP operates is different and has different underlying social norms on the role of men and women. The International Command Gender Strategy aims to develop tailored solutions and actions for each context, respecting the local country culture and not imposing our values.

An inclusive approach to defining gender

In delivering the strategy the AFP takes a broader definition of gender to reflect the gender norms and challenges in countries where the AFP operates. The key terms are outlined below.

Gender

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women, girls and boys, which determine our common understanding of masculinity and femininity. Masculine and feminine are gender categories. Gender is learned; concepts of gender change over time, and varies within and across cultures.¹

¹ This definition was developed by Alice Ridge (Policy and Advocacy Advisor, ACFID), Anu Mundkur (ACFID-ACMC Liaison and Juliet Hunt (Independent Consultant) for a gender audit project.

Gender equality

Equal opportunities, decision-making and outcomes for all genders. This involves the removal of discrimination and structural inequalities in access to resources, opportunities and services – in all areas of social, economic and political life. Achieving gender equality requires the promotion of equal rights, since equality between genders is an integral part of universal human rights.²

² This definition was developed by Alice Ridge (Policy and Advocacy Advisor, ACFID), Anu Mundkur (ACFID-ACMC Liaison and Juliet Hunt (Independent Consultant) for a gender audit project.

Gender relations

The economic, social and power relations between genders that are constructed and reinforced by the rules and practices of social institutions. Rather than considering genders in isolation, we need to consider the power, benefits, opportunities and rights of different genders relative to each other.

Gender equity

Gender equity is the process of being fair, to ensure 'fairness' special temporary measures may need to be taken to compensate for historical or systematic bias or discrimination. (NAP definition)

Gender mainstreaming

Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women's as well as men's concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality. (NAP definition)

Gender perspective

A gender perspective examines the impact of gender on people's opportunities, social roles and interactions. Including a 'gender perspective' requires an understanding that women and men have different experiences, access to resources, needs and interests.

Gender lens

Applying a gender lens is a mechanism or approach of considering a program or policy with regard to how it will affect people of different genders differentially. Then incorporating gender-responsive considerations into planning, decision-making, policy and program implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and communications. (NAP)

Gender discrimination

Gender discrimination, including that perpetrated against women girls, and gender non-conforming, is a violation of human rights. It includes direct and indirect discrimination, and acknowledges the compounding effects of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination that women and girls commonly face.

Gender Advisors (GA)

An AFP member of staff whose specific role is to provide support to leadership, team members and partners to ensure that planning, delivery and evaluation properly integrates gender perspective into all areas of operations. Gender Advisors are responsible to identify and implement gender-related initiatives aligned with the International Command Gender Strategy, which may include gender equality advocacy, gender reporting, working with local police on gender initiatives, supporting women's networks and conducting gender training with local Non-Government Organisations (NGOs).

Gender Focal Points (GFP)

An AFP member of staff performing a dual role. In addition to their primary operational or professional responsibilities, employees appointed as Gender Focal Points are responsible for supporting leadership, teams and partner agencies in ensuring a gender lens is placed over operations and for the implementation of gender-related initiatives aligned with the International Command Gender Strategy. In larger teams the Gender Focal Point maybe responsible for reporting of gender activities to a Gender Advisor.

Mission Commanders

References to Mission Commanders include all employees, acting or substantive in the role of an International Command Mission and/or International Network Commander.