Gender, Peace and Security: Gender Mainstreaming of the Ministry of Defense

This study addresses issues of gender inequality within the Ministry of Defence of Mozambique, making the case that while women have participated actively in battlefields during the fight for independence, they were – and still are – excluded from senior positions and high-level decision-making bodies within defence institutions. It proposes the adoption of measures for the inclusion of gender integration, such as the establishment of annual quotas for the incorporation of women into the military and military institutions, the creation of gender units and policies that raise awareness and promote gender equality and the review of military codes of conduct so that they address gender-specific needs. This research paper shows that gender mainstreaming and integration would not only reduce discrimination against women in the defence sector but also help the development of the nation as a whole.