On 25 February 2025, the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF), in partnership with the International Gender Champions Secretariat, hosted a dynamic "pitch roulette" discussion at Maison de la Paix in Geneva. The event focused on breaking institutional barriers and strengthening gender, diversity and inclusion through concrete action, bringing together senior leaders, technical experts, and members of the IGC network.
In her opening remarks, Ambassador Nathalie Chuard, Director of DCAF and Gender Champion, underscored the need to intensify efforts and strengthen engagement for gender equality in today’s uncertain and turbulent times. She highlighted key DCAF milestones, such as the establishment of a Gender Focal Point network in 2023. She also reaffirmed her personal commitments as a Champion, including integrating an intersectional approach into DCAF’s 2025–2030 strategy and ensuring all staff receive training on addressing unconscious bias.
Following her remarks, speakers were invited to present their pitches within a seven-minute timeframe. Carole Frampton de Tscharner, Organisation Development Lead and International Partnerships Manager at the PeaceNexus Foundation, opened the session by emphasizing the transformative power of peer learning and support as a driver of organisational change. Next, Cristina Finch, Head of DCAF’s Gender and Security Division, detailed DCAF’s work on gender, diversity, and inclusion, notably the development of an online course on gender-responsive project design, available in English and French. She stressed that leadership buy-in is crucial to the success of such initiatives. Finally, Akshata Limaye, Associate Programme Officer for Trade for Sustainable Development (T4SD) at the International Trade Centre (ITC), and Abdoulie Wilson, Communications & Monitoring Consultant at the ITC, introduced two key ITC initiatives: Women’s Power Lunches and the ITC’s Diversity and Inclusion group work on Racial and Geographic Diversity.
Following the pitches, participants engaged in interactive discussions, exchanging best practices and exploring strategies to turn gender commitments into action.