Gender and Leadership

European External Action Service (EEAS) European Centre of Excellence for Civilian Crisis Management (CoE) Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) Public Factsheets and infographics 2026

The CoE provides these summaries of two resources on leadership and gender for distribution among personnel at seconding authorities and to seconded experts in civilian CSDP missions. The frameworks discussed provide key guidance on leadership for creating gender-inclusive environments within civilian CSDP.

Proactive leadership is a crucial aspect in achieving gender equality. The Civilian CSDP Compact adopted in May 2023 commits to investment in leadership skills, including in gender-responsive leadership (GRL). Managers in civilian CSDP missions (anyone with a supervisory role, even when it is temporary) sometimes have to lead under intense pressure due to the volatility of the context, with high security risks for personnel and assets. This requires specific competences in addition to general leadership competences and behaviours. Therefore, CivOpsHQ/EEAS established in early 2023 a Reference Guide for the Leadership Framework for civilian CSDP Missions. The framework is being rolled out gradually both within the EEAS and civilian CSDP missions.

In addition, the Folke Bernadotte Academy, Sweden, has developed a framework for Gender Responsive Leadership. This framework has five core skills that leaders should use to achieve gender equality.

The Reference Guide on Leadership Framework offers guidance on leadership competences and behaviours that can help managers to create the conditions for an optimal work environment. It identifies thirteen competences, organized in four quadrants and includes gender perspectives. The GRL concept focuses on gender-related competences. The frameworks complement each other. Each of the five core skills is closely related to one or more of the quadrants of the Leadership Framework and explains clearly how the skill can be used to promote gender equality. As example: the “Leading Yourself” quadrant mentions “Being inclusive towards people and ideas” as competency. “The Lead by Example” is closely related to the mentioned Quadrant and mentions that good leaders make efforts to mitigate gender stereotypes and will be an ally to women.

Summaries of these two frameworks were prepared by the CoE and are recommended to be distributed by seconding authorities and agencies to all experts working in or going to work in civilian CSDP missions. It will help supervisors to understand how they can contribute to a more inclusive and gender equal mission work environment, but their supervisees can also benefit from understanding what to expect from their line managers.

We need gender-responsive leaders and managers to act and ensure that their organisations are effectively delivering on their mandate on gender equality.

References:

European Centre of Excellence for Civilian Crisis Management. (2026). Civilian CSDP Leadership Framework.

Based on: European External Action Service. (2023). Reference Guide to the Leadership Framework for civilian CSDP Missions.

European Centre of Excellence for Civilian Crisis Management. (2026). Gender-Responsive Leadership.

Based on: Folke Bernadotte Academy. (2023). Gender-Responsive Leadership Framework.