Gender Equality in Defence

Operation Equal Opportunity: Canada as a Model For Women in Combat Leadership

In July 2024, General Jennie Carignan became Canada’s first woman Chief of Defence Staff. This article centers her appointment as both a symbolic and institutional milestone in Canada’s effort to operationalize the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. Tracing her leadership of the Canadian Armed Forces, the article demonstrates how offering equal access to opportunity is a prerequisite for military strength. Gen. Carignan’s leadership of the Canadian Armed Forces offers an example for NATO allies, who can similarly dismantle barriers to women’s leadership and embed inclusive military ethos. The article prescribes a series of pathways through which NATO allies can pursue institutional reform, thereby enhancing institutional quality and strengthening collective defence posture across the Alliance.

Christy Lorenz Women in Security

Special Report: In All of Us Command: Rethinking Conscription Through a Gender-Inclusive Lens

How could gender-inclusive national service shape Canada’s future defence posture? This article examines the growing debate around universal service in Canada, assesses its implications for Women, Peace and Security commitments under NATO, and draws lessons from Nordic models to consider whether compulsory service could strengthen societal resilience and women’s meaningful participation in defence.

Canadian Armed Forces NATO and Canada women in women in security

Canada’s WPS Credibility: Tested Within the Canadian Armed Forces

Canada has long championed the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda on the world stage, promoting gender equality in NATO missions and peace operations. Yet, at home, persistent structural barriers in the Canadian Armed Forces have created a gap between advocacy and action. Canada must address these domestic challenges and prioritize women’s meaningful leadership across all levels of the military to align its domestic practices with its global image.