The process of globalization and new challenges in the world have brought forward the role of women in contemporary political and economic issues. In the political cultures of civilized countries, or in established democracies whose political cultures are referred to as "active cultures", the gender approach has become a truism, assimilated by politicians of both sexes. There is a transformation of women's interests into political courses, issues are put on the agenda of parliaments. Women politicians serve as "role models" for other women, youth, and children, as their lifestyle contributes to the destruction of old, inert traditions and stereotypes about the purpose of sexes in society. As a result, women's access to parliament is being facilitated (Generation of Equality, 2021).
The gender approach taking into account the interests of both socio-demographic groups of society presupposes equality between men and women. The principle of equality also includes the right to difference, which implies the need to take into account the distinctive features characteristic of women and men, as well as their differences associated with belonging to a particular social class, political currents, religions, ethnic groups, races, or sexual orientations. Equality between women and men is an integral part of individual rights. The right of the individual is a principle that must be constantly defended, protected, and strengthened. The right to equality can be achieved through the implementation of the following goals: full recognition and respect for women's rights as an integral part of individual rights and democratic representation of the sexes (a core element of equality) in decision-making processes at all levels and in all areas (Cickaric & Mrsevic, 2019).
A new concept of an integrated approach appeared in various international documents after the third UN Conference on Women (Nairobi, 1985). During the 4th UN World Conference on Women's Issues (Beijing, 1995), the concept of an integrated approach was supported and approved in the Action Program adopted at the end of the Conference. "An integrated approach is to organize (reorganize), improve, improve and evaluate the decision-making processes of persons mainly involved in the implementation of policies so that they incorporate the issue of equality between women and men in all areas and at all levels" (Shvedova, n.d.).
Integrating a gender perspective is also key to ensuring the effectiveness and accountability of the security sector, strengthening local initiatives in the SSR process, and ensuring the latter's legitimacy. The inclusion of gender aspects in national security policy helps to increase their relevance and durability. Strengthening local initiative through the application of participatory procedures in the development of normative documents. Large-scale consultations on security needs and priorities with a wide range of civil society organizations help to strengthen the local initiative, the legitimacy of policies in the eyes of the public, and the development of a national consensus on security issues. Gender mainstreaming in national security policy highlights the importance of addressing actual internal security threats such as gender-based violence. Non-Discrimination in Security Policies and Institutions in the Security Sector Reducing discrimination among security sector personnel contributes to increased trust, legitimacy, and quality of security and justice services. A security regulation can establish protective rules against discrimination within the security sector institutions themselves (OSCE, n.d).
The human rights of women relate to the issue of international security as well, as recognized in United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), which also points to the need for cultural interaction to ensure the participation of women in the peace process. Although the resolution does not cover all the issues, it points out that there are serious shortcomings in politics and calls for remedial action. Development and humanitarian actors need to take into account cultural factors when working with women who have experienced upheaval in armed conflict. Culturally sensitive approaches identify potential and actual deterioration in area gender relations and ensure that the progress made in the area of gender equality and, in particular, reproductive health and rights are maintained. The use of culturally sensitive approaches is especially necessary in the context of armed conflict when a man is deprived of the opportunity to show such masculine qualities as being responsible for protecting his family. Culturally sensitive approaches are also needed to help survivors meet the needs of refugees for sexual and reproductive health services, build partnerships with local organizations, and help people maintain or restore a sense of cultural identity in the wake of war (UNESCO, 2012).
Gender inequality is not only a pressing moral and social issue but also a huge economic challenge: if women, who make up half of the world's working population, fail to reach their full economic potential, the global economy will suffer greatly. Ensuring gender equality is one of the factors for achieving sustainable development and effective economic growth. Despite the close attention of international organizations to the problems of gender inequality, professional segregation, and underutilization of the potential and human capital of women in the economy, most countries are not able to overcome barriers to equal rights for men and women. Thus gender equality makes a positive contribution to the economic growth of territories, the inverse relationship is less obvious and, as a rule, only in countries with a high level of socio-economic development. Gender equality presupposes the existence of the same opportunities for the formation, accumulation, and use of human capital of each individual, regardless of gender (Kelly, 2020).