Skopje, 16 September 2022 (MIA) – Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska and Mark Remillard, the senior programme manager at the DCAF - Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, at Friday’s meeting, signed the cooperation agreement that foresees the implementation of a gender self-assessment in defence, a process that promoted the gender component in the ministry’s operation. This analysis will contribute to the development of the institutional culture in providing equal opportunities for men and women and will give specific recommendations in the realization of the gender action plan. Minister Petrovska firmly supported the implementation of the project and said that the Ministry has been working committedly on gender equality perspectives, whereat great progress has been made in the past period, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release. “The gender perspective is at the top of the Defence Ministry's priorities. We are confident that every individual is a vital part of the defence and we are convinced that focusing on the gender component is the only way we can use our full potential in delivering services to the state and the citizens,” Petrovska said. She voiced satisfaction with the signing of the cooperation agreement, which will give additional intensity to the efforts of achieving full gender equality. Remillard thanked for demonstrated enthusiasm for cooperation in this field and for the professionalism and commitment to gender equality. “By accepting this initiative, you are setting a positive example for all security sector institutions. Gender self-assessment is a step towards consolidating a gender-sensitive and gender-responsive institutional culture,” Mark Remillard, the senior programme manager at the DCAF - Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance said. The project, which starts today and will last until the end of next year, envisages six areas in the phase of data collection and their analysis, namely: performance effectiveness, laws, policies and planning, community relations, accountability and oversight, staff and institutional culture. Over the past period, the Ministry of Defence made a step forward in terms of integrating gender policies into the essential laws in defence, and the guidelines for protection against harassment in the workplace was adopted, which is fully aligned with the NATO policy on preventing and responding to sexual exploitation and abuse.