On February 29, 2024, WIIS hosted Dr. Stéfanie von Hlatky (Canada Research Chair on Gender, Security, and the Armed Forces, Professor of Political Studies, and Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Arts and Science, Queen’s University) and Inga Samoškaitė (Assistant Director, Transatlantic Security Initiative and Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council) for a discussion on Dr. von Hlatky’s recent book, Deploying Feminism: The Role of Gender in NATO Military Operations.
In Deploying Feminism, Stéfanie von Hlatky tells the story of how the military has been delegated authority to advance gender equality as part of its activities and has embedded these ideas in the planning and execution of its missions. However, because of the military’s focus on operational effectiveness above all else, von Hlatky argues that there is a distortion of Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) norms as gender equality concerns fade into the background.
Looking at NATO’s ongoing operations in Iraq, Kosovo, and the Baltics, Deploying Feminism details the process by which WPS norms are militarized and put at the service of operational effectiveness. Further, it shows why an adjustment is necessary for gender equality to become a true planning priority.