Ten days in Herat, Afghanistan. Over twenty interviews with local personalities, including members of the Security Forces, representatives of civil society, media, NGOs and local institutions. Result: "Women in international missions. The Italian experience in Herat". A particular research for the content, namely the role of women in international peace and security, and for the method: the first field research carried out by an independent Institute, the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense.
"A research born from a spontaneous idea had 10 last March 2016 when Minister Pinotti, presenting the international network 'Women in International Security Italy', emphasized the importance of women's contribution to international security by referring to how the adoption of a gender perspective in international missions produces positive effects. Positive effects not only in terms of effectiveness and safety of the mission, but also for the promotion of gender balance in society and in local institutions in operational theaters such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo and Lebanon. Hence the idea of carrying out a project which, by examining the Italian contribution in the Afghan operational theater and in particular in Herat, aimed to evaluate the results achieved in the context of civil and military cooperation activities"Said Alessandra Scalia, IAI researcher.
In Afghanistan, factors such as a deep-rooted tribal culture, the severe interpretation of sharia and the weakness of the central government have historically influenced the condition of women. Yet there have been periods in the course of Afghan history where women have enjoyed more freedom.
"The most substantial improvements - continued the Scalia - they registered with the 2001 onwards following the overthrow of the Taliban regime. In the security sector, Herat now represents the second province in Afghanistan in the number of female units in the Security Forces, with around 200 women. In the education sector across Afghanistan from the 2005 to the 2012 the level of female literacy has increased from the 29 to the 48%. In Herat today the 40% of over 14.000 students enrolled at the University are women. Within the civil authorities and national institutions, in the province of Herat they are 4 to date the heads of government departments and organizations led by women are becoming increasingly important. Finally, in the employment and economic sector, female participation in business and production activities stands at 82.5% in the province of Herat".
In a context such as that of Afghanistan, promoting women's rights and empowerment is also important in operational terms, above all because in some cases female staff perform tasks for which it is irreplaceable.
"Despite the progress, however, the condition of women still presents problems in areas such as security, education, public institutions, the economic sector and employment. From research and data analysis, important reflections emerge as to guarantee a continuous cooperation and interaction with the local population, to continue to engage in the implementation of CIMIC initiatives that the Italian contingent carries out in the Resolute Support mission and that are gender sensitive, maximize the impact of international investments, use of the media and radio to discuss the issue of women's emancipation and to ensure continuous and constant collaboration between the Armed Forces and the civil actors present in the field"Said Paola Sartori, IAI researcher.
Reflections that have been applauded by Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti: "Realistic and intelligent proposals"And that urged the Institute to continue its studies and the Armed Forces to open, wherever possible, to this type of collaboration with the outside world. The minister then underlined how in Italy the inclusion of women in the Armed Forces was, albeit with years of delay compared to other countries, positive, contributing also to the transformation of the Armed Forces model: from leverage to professional. "We still have low numbers: we are around 5%, but we are working to allow the woman to be able to make a career as men, to protect motherhood in the case of taking command and to open nurseries in barracks. Aspects that are important and for which having had a female defense minister certainly influenced".
General Claudio Graziano, Chief of the General Staff of Defense, also appreciated the research and debated on the role of women in international missions: "A welcome research that allows to expand the debate on the Armed Forces. The entry of women into the Armed Forces represents a multiplier of strength, experience and courage. Our soldiers are the most ethical in the world, a value that is recognized everywhere, and the presence of women has also contributed to this, because it is an element of normalization and management within a community".
