In February 2009, the GICHD established an internal Gender and Diversity Working Group comprised of representatives from different GICHD sections. The purpose of the group is to provide advice and guidance on how GICHD can mainstream diversity (which includes gender) within its internal policies and procedures and its external operational work. The following is a brief summary of outputs:
- The Gender and Diversity Working Group reviewed GICHD’s Internal Rules and Regulations (IRR) from a diversity perspective and helped develop new diversity-sensitive human resource policies.
- Several GICHD operational sections as well as the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) of the Mine Ban Treaty and the Support and Administration Division developed diversity action plans. The action plans outline specific ways in which each team will mainstream diversity within their external operational work as well as indicators for monitoring success.
- GICHD staff were provided with training on dealing with alleged incidents of harassment (physical, psychological and sexual) within the workplace.
- GICHD contracted the Gender and Mine Action Programme (GMAP) of the Swiss Campaign to Ban Landmine’s (SCBL) to conduct a gender review of all International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) in late 2008. As a result, all 45 IMAS were reviewed and specific recommendations were made to each IMAS where relevant for consideration by the members of the Review Board.
As of 1 April 2010, the GMAP is co-located in the GICHD premises as an independent programme. The GMAP is an advocacy, research, networking and expert assistance programme. It is an important international actor of mainstreaming gender into mine action and hence complements the activities of the GICHD in a most valuable way.
- Gender and Mine Action Programme website
www.gmap.ch - Gender Guidelines for Mine Action Programmes, UNMAS, March 2010
available on the UNMAS website PDF 3.8MB
