Often, political and military leaders are aware that sexual harassment in the armed forces has to stop for reasons that go beyond the well-being of the individuals concerned. Harassment weakens trust among, and interdependence of, armed forces personnel, and it erodes effectiveness in the field, as well as the attractiveness of the armed forces as an employer. 9. Policies for Promoting Equality Managing diversity and gender mainstreaming As mentioned before, the issue of women in the armed forces has to be seen as part of the wider issue of managing diversity, i.e., recruiting and retaining employees from different demographic backgrounds and using their qualities in an optimal way. Based on research in business and military settings, the generally accepted idea today is that diversity in groups or organizational units can be both advantageous and disadvantageous, depending on institutional measures within the armed forces, as well as variables at unit level (e.g., leadership, tasks, and group composition). In this context, gender is not an issue that can be consigned to a gender officer or a watchdog in a single office because no single office or officer can be involved in all phases and activities of all units in the armed forces. This is the essence of mainstreaming gender, i.e., “ensuring that gender perspectives and attention to the goal of gender equality are central to all activities - policy development, research, advocacy/ dialogue, legislation, resource allocation, and planning, implementation and monitoring of programmes and projects”.264 265 Box 13.7 Belgian Charter for the Promotion of Equal Opportunities for Men and Women in the Armed Forces and for the Implementation of the Principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325265 Since women first entered the Belgian Armed Forces in 1975, there has been impressive progress in terms of providing equal opportunities for men and women. On 8 March 2007, the Belgian minister of defence and the chief of defence signed a charter with representatives of women’s organizations in Belgium, with the aim of promoting a structural equal-opportunities policy, as well as gender mainstreaming in the armed forces. In particular, the Belgian Armed Forces will take into account UN Security Council Resolution 1325 for gender mainstreaming in its peacekeeping operations. The Charter lists 10 obligations and commitments for the Belgian Armed Forces, including formulation of a specific strategy (Art. 2), formulation of specific action plans (Art. 4), creation of budgets for gender mainstreaming (Art. 5), adoption of specific measures and maintenance of relevant databases (Art. 7), observance of UN Resolution 1325 and conduct of peacekeeping operations (Art. 9), as well as the conduct of “permanent and democratic evaluations” of achieved progress and results within the context of the charter (Art. 10). In this context, the following policies and positive actions contribute to women’s integration in armed forces. Women’s networks Organizations of female service personnel, such as the Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) in the United States or the Defence Women’s Network in the Netherlands, play an important role in this regard (see Box 13.8). These mechanisms exert pressure on the defence leadership to improve women’s conditions in the armed forces, inform women of their rights, and offer women help in case of 264  United Nations Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women, see <http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi>. 265  The Charter is available (in French and Dutch) at <www.mil.be>. 126 Handbook on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Armed Forces Personnel