Slovenia
Slovenia adopted its most recent National Action Plan (NAP) in 2018 for the period 2018-2020. The NAP was developed by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, based on the findings of the implementation review of the first NAP. The NAP is grounded in various national and international frameworks that pertain to gender mainstreaming in peace and security. The NAP approaches the implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda both domestically and internationally, while indicating that Slovenia’s capacity to integrate a gender perspective to peace and security in the international arena will bolster the country’s implementation of the WPS Agenda at the national level. The NAP also stresses the importance of a domestic focus to the action plan in order to address emergent issues of the increasing number of migrants and violent extremism. The NAP identifies five overarching goals: integration of gender in peace and security policy; women’s increased involvement in the peace and security sector arena; protection of women and girls from and prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV); education and training pertaining to WPS; and prosecution of perpetrators of SGBV. While the NAP has a monitoring and implementation framework, it does not include an allocated budget.
Slovenia’s second NAP is preceded by one other NAP, adopted in 2010 and implemented for the period 2010-2015. The NAP identifies gender mainstreaming in conflict prevention and resolution, including through strengthening women’s role in preventing conflict and post-conflict reconstruction; increasing the number of women in peacekeeping missions; and protection of women and girls from and prevention of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict and post-conflict settings. While similar in areas of focus, the second NAP expands these objectives. Whereas the first NAP does not focus on disarmament, for instance, the second NAP mentions promoting gender mainstreaming in disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) efforts. Additionally, the second NAP provides an overview of accomplishments in implementing the first NAP, both domestically and internationally, including through quantifiable measures. Nevertheless, the NAP does not specifically identify lessons learned in terms of challenges encountered during the first NAP’s implementation. Furthermore, while financing WPS actions is addressed within the second NAP, neither action plan has an allocated budget.
Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 after a brief conflict (also referred to as the “Ten-Day War”) between Yugoslav and Slovenian forces. The country has not had a history of conflict since then. Slovenia is a contributor to overseas military missions and peacekeeping operations. Additionally, a previous member of NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program, Slovenia became a full member of NATO in 2004.
At the national level, in 2015, Slovenia’s Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities adopted a set of Guidelines for Gender Mainstreaming in the Work of Ministries. In 2016, Slovenia established the Advocate of the Principle of Equality, which is an independent body charged with gender equality.
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National Action Plan (2018-2020)
CEDAW
1992
Global Gender Gap Index 2020
36 out of 153
Arms Trade Treaty Ratified
2014
Military expenditure (2019)
$569 million USD
Explore Slovenia's National Action Plan
NAP Development
The NAP indicates that “civil society and other stakeholders” were consulted about the draft text of the action plan. However, the NAP does not provide further details on how or which civil society organizations were consulted.
WILPF does not have a country section in Slovenia and was therefore not involved in the development of the NAP.
The NAP was developed by Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense; Ministry of the Interior; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Justice; and Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
NAP Implementation
The NAP does not indicate civil society involvement in the implementation of the action plan.
Several ministries, such as the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of the Interior, among others, are tasked with implementing various objectives of the NAP.
NAP Monitoring and Evaluation
The NAP indicates that non-governmental organizations and civil society will be invited to the inter-ministerial meetings at the working level to participate in the evaluation of the action plan. However, the NAP does not provide further details on how or which non-governmental and civil society organizations will be included in the monitoring and evaluation process.
The NAP indicates that Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be responsible for coordinating the preparation of evaluation reports.
The implementation period of the NAP is two years (2018-2020).
Slovenia’s NAP identifies five overarching areas of focus for the implementation of the action plan:
- Implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and the integration of gender in the peace and security policy;
- Women involved in peace and security area;
- Women and girls protection before the conflict, between and after the conflict, and elimination of sexual violence and gender based violence related to conflicts;
- Education and training in the field of Women, Peace and Security Agenda;
- Responsibility for the prevention and prosecution of perpetrators of sexual violence and gender based violence related to conflicts.
Slovenia’s NAP identifies five overarching areas of focus, with each area having its corresponding activity. For example, focus #5, “Responsibility for the prevention and prosecution of perpetrators of sexual violence and gender based violence related to conflicts,” lists “Commitment to prosecute those responsible for sexual violence and gender based violence, and to eliminate the culture of impunity within international forums, even when dealing with individual situations or countries” as an activity.
Slovenia’s NAP identifies five overarching areas of focus, with each area having corresponding activities, operators, and indicators. For example, activity #1 under the objective to end impunity for sexual and gender-based violence lists “appearances and statements of male and female representatives of the Republic of Slovenia, which include the importance of prosecution of those responsible for gender based crimes and the elimination of the culture of impunity in discussions in the UN (NATO, SSR and other UN bodies), NATO, the EU and the OSCE at various levels or at international events related to this area” as an indicator.
Slovenia’s NAP will be evaluated through a two-step process: 1) A reporting system and 2) Meetings of relevant governmental and non-governmental stakeholders. Two annual reports will be prepared in 2018 and 2019 to monitor the implementation of the NAP. Additionally, a final report, with an overview of the implementation and recommendations for the future, will be prepared after the NAP’s expiration period. Furthermore, implementation will also be evaluated through biannual inter-ministerial meetings. The NAP indicates that additional meetings will be convened, if needed.
The NAP does not contain an allocated or estimated budget. However, the NAP does mention financial support for the implementation of the WPS Agenda at the international level. Specifically, the NAP mentions “financial support to the various mechanisms of international organizations that support Implementation of Women, Peace and Security Agenda” and “earmarking relevant contributions that are not directly related to the topic of women, peace and security, in the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (example: the financial contribution of the Republic of Slovenia in support of the Afghan security forces was used specifically for the needs of the female members of the Afghan Security Forces).”
The NAP mentions disarmament once under the goal of “promoting gender mainstreaming in areas related to peace and security” within the context of Slovenia’s participation in discussions on international organizations and events, including disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration. Otherwise, the NAP does not have a substantive engagement with or plan of action to address issues of disarmament and demilitarization.