Fostering Increased Female Security Sector Participation in Challenging Contexts

It is critical to increase female participation in the security sector – a sector where women are under-represented at all levels and where this is acutely the case in more challenging contexts in high threat environments, where socio-cultural issues also frequently act as a barrier. Our session is designed to examine barriers to, and enablers of, greater female participation in the sector. We will use a real case study of the Women in Security program delivered in South Sudan, as well as explore how the learning from that program has application in many other contexts, including domestically in the US. Under the Women in Security program, female interns undergo training and undertake field placements that have enabled many to access security-related roles that would not have been open to them. 

Learning Objectives

1. To enhance understanding of barriers to increased female participation in the security sector.
2. To enhance understanding of enablers of increased female participation in the security sector.
3. To enhance understanding of practical approaches to increasing female participation in the security sector.

Presenters*

Veronika Polgar is the Chief of Party and Operations Manager for the Partner Liaison Security Operation for the USAID South Sudan Mission. Under her leadership, the team provided high quality security analysis to all aid and development organizations in one of the world’s most challenging contexts, enabling aid and development organizations to match their security posture to shifts in a volatile context. Veronika does not come from a military background, but from an academic and humanitarian route. She has subsequently spent the last 6 years in South Sudan and has been instrumental in driving forward the Women in Security program there, providing mentorship for the interns and coordinating all aspects of program delivery.

Simon Mallett is the COO of Sigma7’s Resilience and Security practice (Risk and Strategic Management, Corp). A former British Army officer, Simon is an extensively experienced security risk management practitioner and leads large operational security and capacity building programs across the aid and development and commercial spheres. The PLSO team in South Sudan – and a sister program in Nigeria – fall under his direct management, and he is excited to see how the learning developed there can translate to other contexts globally.

*Note:  Speakers and content are subject to change without notice.

Credit Information

Completion of this webinar is eligible for 1 CPE credit.  CPE credits for ASIS-sponsored webinars will be updated in your user profile within 48 hours of completion.  Self-reporting of CPE credits is not required.