By Janet Ekstract, WASHINGTON D.C. – The 2024 NATO Summit, celebrating NATO’s 75th anniversary focused on the most pressing challenges in the 21st century along with a new NATO policy that is a crucial part of the implementation of NATO’s 2022 Strategic Concept. A significant step forward is NATO’s commitment for the first time to advance deterrence and defense in cybersecurity with a focus on gender disinformation and technology-facilitated gender-based violence. This includes cyber-harassment, hate speech, video and image-based abuse. These have been pegged as especially critical challenges since they carry health and safety as well as political consequences where women are concerned. This harassment has included but not been limited to silencing women in online spaces with the aim of sharply reducing their engagement in public life and the democratic process. The striking effects of these challenges have already affected individuals as well as prominent groups to undermine democracy while furthering the widespread disinformation agenda of authoritarian countries and the extreme far-right in the U.S. and worldwide.
These challenges come in a variety of packages that include generative AI, cyber-attacks and drone-related warfare and will focus on the impact on diverse population segments and efforts to mitigate gender inequality. This is where the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda plays a prominent role on a global scale in deterrence and defense while being an “essential partnership tool.” This is precisely why NATO partnership is particularly relevant as it relates to how security information is disseminated with two key areas of focus Ukraine and Gaza. As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted at the WPS reception on July 9, women have been instrumental in every aspect in combatting Russian aggression in Ukraine while challenging societal norms and stereotypes. What Blinken pointed out is that when women are involved in collaboration with peace and security initiatives, those initiatives last.
As outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized, Russia is not simply a threat to Ukraine but to every single European nation in the vicinity and that’s why NATO has now bolstered its defense and deterrence across Europe. Stoltenberg underscored that European nations must continue to commit to consistent defense spending and realize that “an attack on one is an attack on all,” as Article 5 of the NATO Charter explains. A majority of NATO allies have committed to supply Ukraine with defense systems including increased financial packages for defense from the U.S. as well. Additionally, the toughest challenge includes countering growing threats from China, North Korea, Iran and Russia who, over the last decade, have made great inroads bolstering African economies and spreading their authoritarian influence. NATO’s greatest threat is not just worldwide conflict but the growing political influence of these authoritarian nations whose political agendas oppose democracy, To that end, NATO has been working on a plethora of programs to counter the increasing global cyber-attacks and global disinformation campaigns.
As outgoing NATO leader Stoltenberg underscored “The road ahead requires unwavering commitment and collective efforts at all levels. It demands that we, from the political and military leaders to the civilian and military staff, continue to champion gender equality in every sphere. As part of this new policy, I strongly advocate for a more gender-responsive and accountable leadership. This means that leaders, men and women alike, are called to lead by example and commit to fully advance the WPS agenda at NATO and beyond.” Stoltenberg added “I therefore call on you today to be part of the cultural change that is still needed. Together, we can create a future where every individual, regardless of their gender, can contribute to and benefit from peace and security.”
