Anette Schwitzke

Gender & Human Rights Adviser
European Union Advisory Mission in Iraq

Previous stations

• Studied political science and conflict resolution
• Peacebuilding Adviser at a local NGO in Afghanistan
• Ten years in various professional positions, including coordinating a European youth project for a foundation and a network of civil society organizations as part of the weltwärts volunteer service
• Since 2014 teaching at the German Armed Forces Command and Staff College, mainly on “Gender in Operations”
• Trainer and consultant for security and dealing with sexualized violence worldwide, as well as gender in international cooperation

The focus of my work as a gender consultant at EUAM Iraq...

is to promote greater representation of women in state security institutions. As Gender Adviser & Human Rights Adviser at EUAM Iraq, my work is based on two pillars: Firstly, I promote internal gender mainstreaming, which means I support my colleagues in the Operations Department to include a gender perspective in all their activities to implement our security sector reform mandate. Secondly, I work with Iraqi partners from various government institutions and occasionally with civil society to support the implementation of the Iraqi and Kurdish National Action Plans for Women, Peace and Security.

The biggest challenge of my job is...

my claim to provide “strategic” advice, but having hardly any access to the strategic level. In a country like Iraq, this level basically only consists of the prime minister, the ministers and the closest advisors. So I try to work “bottom-up” in order to reach people at the working level and stimulate reflection. The impact at the working level is then perhaps even stronger than a new policy that may be brought into the house but is not subsequently communicated or implemented.

Why join the peacekeeping mission?

I started my career 17 years ago in Afghanistan as a peacebuilding consultant. My dream has always been to be part of an international mission to promote peace and security, especially in the Middle East. Since 2014, I have also been working on the topic of gender in the security context, giving lectures, conducting trainings and accompanying exercises. Now it was time for me to gain my own operational experience and the Middle East has always been the region closest to me culturally.

My greatest success in the field...

There is no one big success, but instead many small successes. On the one hand, I have managed to build trusting relationships with many colleagues, and especially with the Iraqis. Relationships are always key, but with a cross-cutting issue like gender, which is politically and culturally sensitive, they are particularly important. I recently had an open conversation with two Iraqi colleagues about LGBTIQ* - an absolute taboo in this country. But in an informal setting over coffee, we were able to openly discuss different perspectives.

“For me, it is a privilege to be able to work in Iraq, I have great colleagues (especially the Iraqis), meet exciting people, learn a lot and am grateful for the trust that is placed in me.” 

On the road for ZIF 

In June 2024, I was at the Tellkampfschule in Hanover for Werkstatt Zukunft's “Peace Education in Schools” project and gave the students an insight into my work in Iraq and talked about the preparations for my next assignment. This video (German) was made in the process.