Mechanism organizes Security and Safety Open Day on Gender Strategy Initiative

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) organized and hosted a Security and Safety Services Open Day at the Mechanism’s premises in Arusha on 13 July 2018 to launch its Gender Strategy Initiative. The Gender Strategy Initiative represents the Mechanism’s commitment to the implementation of the United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS) Gender Equality Strategy. The event marked the opening of a series of workshops, which will run from October to December 2018 at the Mechanism’s Arusha branch.

The Open Day was attended by 49 female officers from the police, military, immigration, national park authorities and correctional services of the United Republic of Tanzania. The purpose of the event was to increase awareness of the opportunities for female candidates within the Security and Safety Section of the United Nations and to inform the participants of the efforts undertaken by the United Nations in general and the Mechanism in particular to ensure gender equality in all sectors of its work.

Mechanism representatives gave presentations on the manner in which the Mechanism is ensuring gender parity, pointing out that 56 per cent of the Mechanism’s professional staff are women. The Gender Focal Person for the Arusha branch explained more generally how the United Nations Secretary General, by means of the 2017 UN System Wide Strategy on Gender Parity, is seeking to ensure that managers across the UN are held accountable for achieving gender parity. Concluding the Mechanism’s presentations, the Mechanism’s representative stated that the Gender Strategy Initiative is particularly relevant in this day and age and that the Mechanism remains firmly commited to ensuring gender parity within its organization.

The visit was concluded by a tour of the Mechanism’s premises.