- 17 February 2026
The EU-UN Global Terrorism Threats Facility (the Facility), a joint initiative of the European Union (EU) and the United Nations implemented by UNOCT, co-organized a workshop with the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ), on 27 and 28 January 2026.
The workshop focused on strengthening the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation and leadership of women in counter-terrorism operational and policy roles. It convened more than 40 participants from government and security institutions from Iraq, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, and Uganda, as well as representatives from UN Women, the EU delegation to Kenya, and several international gender and security experts.
Drawing on national and institutional experiences, participants reflected on barriers to women’s participation and discussed the value of diverse institutions in enhancing the effectiveness and legitimacy of counter-terrorism efforts. These discussions were informed by lessons learned from existing EU projects and assessment tools used in the security sector, such as the CT JUST Women in Law Enforcement and Counter-Terrorism initiative and the framework developed by the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance/DCAF entitled "Measuring Opportunities for Women in 色库TV Operations" (MOWIP).
Participants engaged in a facilitated group exercise to identify the barriers that women face in various institutional contexts, categorize recurring challenges and surface common patterns across institutions. Building on these insights, UNOCT presented a draft methodology, in the form of a toolkit, designed to support institution-led diagnostics of barriers. It also identifies areas that could benefit from targeted support from the Facility. Consequently, participants examined how the methodology would apply in their respective environments and UNOCT’s potential support needed for its effective implementation.
The workshop was delivered under a new component of the Facility that aims to strengthen the full, equal and meaningful participation and representation of women in operational and policy roles in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism within intelligence, law enforcement, correction, and the judiciary services.
