JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
The Inter-American Air Forces Academy is leading efforts to integrate a national framework into its curriculum that promotes the safety, equality and meaningful contributions of women.
In July, IAAFA cadre held the first training session on Women, Peace, and Security for approximately 160 students from the U.S. Air Force and seven partner nations across Latin America. The module consisted of a foundational lecture, small group discussions, and a question-and-answer panel with participation from academy instructors and U.S. Southern Command’s Gender Advisor Jennifer Typrowicz.
“Students walked away with an increased awareness of the WPS initiative, as well as a better understanding of the benefits of applying gender perspectives in defense and security institutions,” said Capt. Briana Winslow, 318th Training Squadron, who serves as the academy’s WPS representative.
The training is part of the larger strategic framework by the Department of Defense to implement the Women, Peace, and Security Act by integrating WPS into relevant training curricula and professional military education for the Armed Forces. The initiative directly supports the legislation that promotes the meaningful participation of women in mediation and negotiation to prevent, mitigate or resolve conflict.
IAAFA’s WPS program includes cadre development, 12 hours of student instruction, an implicit association test, and an end-of-course survey.
“These elements combined provide education to meet Security Cooperation requirements and measures of effectiveness to gauge the applicability of the module and areas for its improvement,” said Col. José Jiménez Jr., IAAFA commandant.
The training module proved most effective for the academy due to the varied length of courses that range from two weeks to three months.
“The module is flexible and can be rapidly integrated to ensure that 100% of the students receive the training,” Jiménez said.
IAAFA leaders plan to continue incorporating WPS into the academy curriculum into all future classes.