Gender Equality Crucial For NATO Mission - Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday in an address at the Women Political Leaders Summit that indiscriminate participation of all of the society's talents was crucial for the alliance's mission

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st June, 2021) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday in an address at the Women Political Leaders Summit that indiscriminate participation of all of the society's talents was crucial for the alliance's mission.

"The best way to protect our security and way of life is to stand united and draw on all of the talents that our societies have to offer. Gender equality is not only the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do," Stoltenberg said.

He added that the military had long been dominated by men, with an average of 12% women in the alliance's armed forces and only 8 out of 30 NATO defense ministers being female.

However, according to Stoltenberg, these numbers, though still low, are significantly higher than a decade ago and further progress is being made every year.

The virtual summit was attended by leaders from around the world, who discussed how to support, increase and sustain female leadership and gender equality in the post-pandemic era.