Introducing a New Training Curriculum: A Women’s Guide to Security Sector Reform

By Megan Bastick and Nanako Tamaru

Women play important roles in fostering inclusive and lasting security. As leaders in civil society, government, and security sector institutions, they understand the diverse needs of their communities and possess a wealth of knowledge on how to make their communities more secure. But how do they make their voices heard? And how do they ensure that decision making is people-centered?

A Women’s Guide to Security Sector Reform Training Curriculum introduces a strategic framework for women in civil society to influence decision making. Security sector reform (SSR) can be an opportunity to build more inclusive and effective institutions. It aims to create more secure communities in a way that is efficient and consistent with the standards of civilian control, transparency, and the rule of law.

Security is complex and requires the perspectives of a broad range of actors. By actively involving civil society, we can ensure that all points of view are considered when deciding the best approaches to SSR.

Inclusive Security and DCAF wrote this curriculum because women are often excluded from SSR despite their important perspectives, strong networks in communities, and understanding of what is needed to build lasting stability.

Likewise, SSR processes often fail to properly consider and address the different needs of men, women, girls, and boys and how policies affect them differently.

But without the knowledge of how to engage, women in civil society risk missing out on opportunities to define in practical terms what would make them feel safe and how to build stable communities. As a result, service providers also often fail to create programs and projects that are more effective and responsive.

This training curriculum seeks to address these gaps by drawing on the rich and varied experiences of women in civil society from across the world and by sharing examples of practical and innovative strategies women have used to make their voices heard in SSR processes and programs.

The information and tools featured in the curriculum are drawn from A Women’s Guide to Security Sector Reform and have been transformed into highly-interactive activities and presentations. The seventeen modules are practical, field-tested, and grounded in adult learning methodologies. They include case studies, exercises, videos, and role plays to make the material accessible to a range of learning styles and knowledge levels. Sample agendas and training guidance are included in the Introduction.

Visit our training resources page for more details about the curriculum and to download the modules.

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