Advancing gender inclusiveness in Iraq’s police force

Country: Iraq © RCMP-GRC

RCMP Superintendent Marie-Claude Côté was deployed to Iraq as the Chief Gender Advisor (GENAD) to the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR). As the GENAD, she focused on 3 major areas: gender perspective in operational planning, gender training and strategic communications.

Her work in Iraq included ensuring that gender was included in the campaign plan and that a trained gender focal-point network was established across the coalition. She was also involved in supporting gender training. As GENAD, she also worked to ensure gender considerations were integrated into all strategic communications, key engagements with the Government of Iraq, UN, and NGOs, and all information-operations activities.

For example, as a police officer operating in a military environment, Superintendent Côté promoted inclusive security through support to the Female Police Academy. She also joined the Military Advisor Group to incorporate gender mainstreaming into Iraqi security-forces operations. In addition, she supported the incorporation of the “Gender Lines of Effort” in the mission campaign plan, which directed various units to support the Women, Peace and Security agenda, gather intelligence from the female population, recognize the impact of Iraqi gender norms on CJTF operations and measure gender results.