The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) opened its fifth Gender Advisers Course on Monday in Accra, inviting participants from across the continent to learn how to integrate gender perspectives into peace and security operations.
Brigadier General Lawrence Deku, Deputy Commandant of KAIPTC, opened the programme and warned that gender mainstreaming must be a core element of every stage of peacekeeping, not an afterthought. “Gender mainstreaming should not be treated as an additional responsibility to be considered only after key operational decisions have been made,” he said.
The course, which follows a needs assessment of current and former gender advisers, aims to give advisers and focal points practical knowledge, analytical tools and strategic advisory skills to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Participants will undertake exercises, discussions and simulations designed to strengthen their advisory competencies and improve gender‑responsive decision‑making within their institutions.
Previous editions of the programme have trained more than 80 participants since 2021. An evaluation carried out with the Folke Bernadotte Academy highlighted successes such as stronger networks of gender experts across Africa, increased representation of women on peace councils and the deployment of gender officers to missions. Yet institutional resistance, cultural barriers and a need for stronger strategic advisory skills remain challenges.
Ms Theresa Kraft, Head of the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project, noted that Africa’s security environment—conflicts, displacement and weak institutions—makes gender mainstreaming essential. “You help translate commitments into plans, plans into practice, and practice into measurable results,” she told the trainees.
The training is organised in partnership with KAIPTC’s Women, Youth, Peace and Security Institute, the ECOWAS Gender and Development Centre and supported by Germany, the European Union and Denmark through the EPSG Project. Earlier editions were funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency via the Folke Bernadotte Academy.
Brig. Gen. Deku urged participants to use the skills gained to promote institutional reforms and strengthen accountability in peace and security operations. “The true value of this training will not be measured solely by what you learn while you are at KAIPTC. It will ultimately be measured by what you do with that knowledge when you return to your institutions,” he said.
As the programme continues, KAIPTC aims to narrow the gap between gender policy commitments and practical implementation, fostering inclusive and sustainable peacebuilding across Africa.
