With the deterioration of the security policy environment and Finland’s subsequent NATO membership, integration into the alliance has become increasingly central to Finland’s foreign, security and defence policy. The focus of Finland’s security policy has shifted to supporting NATO’s deterrence and collective defence. Finland’s Women, Peace and Security (WPS) work has yet to respond to this change. Correspondingly, the significance of military crisis management within NATO, where WPS work has been significantly developed over decades, has diminished in relative terms. NATO has nevertheless already shifted its attention to how WPS work could be advanced in the future as part of the alliance’s
deterrence and collective defence. According to NATO, Europe’s worsening security environment has gendered impacts on women and girls, and women have a significant role both in national defence and in building societal resilience.
This discussion paper seeks to identify concrete measures through which Finland can promote, in accordance with FSDP, an ambitious approach to NATO’s Women, Peace and Security agenda through its foreign and security policy and development policy. It was produced in collaboration between three independent foreign, security and defence policy experts under the DPC’s guidance.