Gender Associations is comprised of a network of national and international experts from a wide range of professional, social and geographic backgrounds around the globe. We select custom teams for each project to provide a comprehensive analysis of complex environments, with holistic solutions.
Despite global, national and local efforts, armed conflict, violence, discrimination and exclusion continue to exist in almost all geographic regions. Understanding unequal power relations in a specific socio-cultural context is key to understanding armed conflict, its roots and drivers, as well as the opportunities for peace and sustainable development. In order to work towards more effective security provision and lasting peace, one must consider the diverse factors of the population such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, religious background, political affiliations and diverse abilities and how they relate to power, privilege and decision-making processes.
International human rights and humanitarian law provide a relatively clear normative framework for realizing peace, security and human rights for all members of society. The implementation of these commitments has advanced significantly over the past two decades. Since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in 2000 and its subsequent resolutions, a large number of countries and international and regional organisations, as well as countless civil society organisations, implement the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. These efforts are vital for guaranteeing security for all during times of conflict and post-conflict, but also during peace, and can involve a variety of strategies, policies and interventions.
GAIC- Gender Associations International Consulting GmbH (Gender Associations) was established in March 2019 in Berlin, Germany to support governments and other relevant actors to uphold and professionalize their commitments to the gender, peace and security agenda. We provide highly professional services that fit the need, context and missions of our clients. Our diverse expertise is built on decades of experience working with international actors such as the United Nations system, civil society organisations, including women’s human rights and peace organizations, academia and national governments in different geographic regions around the world.
Gender Associations was co-founded by Nicola Popovic and Leigh Tomppert who work closely with the Lead Associates.
Nicola has mainly focused on issues such as the implementation of UNSCR 1325, international law at the domestic and regional level, on gender-sensitive security sector reform and on the prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence in peacekeeping missions. She holds a Masters (LLM) in International Peace Support Operations, as well as a degree in Political, Social and Communication Science. Nicola has lived and worked in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and South and West Africa. She has developed, implemented and evaluated training programmes, action-oriented research, projects, as well as policy development processes for the United Nations, different governments and NGOs.
Nicola has mainly focused on issues such as the implementation of UNSCR 1325, international law at the domestic and regional level, on gender-sensitive security sector reform and on the prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence in peacekeeping missions. She holds a Masters (LLM) in International Peace Support Operations, as well as a degree in Political, Social and Communication Science. Nicola has lived and worked in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and South and West Africa. She has developed, implemented and evaluated training programmes, action-oriented research, projects, as well as policy development processes for the United Nations, different governments and NGOs.
