Women in Civilian CSDP : The balance for peace and security

Camilla Eriksson is a monitor in the EU Mission in Armenia. Camilla is from Sweden, and this is her fourth mission – she has been deployed to the West Bank Palestine, Temporary International Presence in Hebron and EUMM Georgia before joining the monitoring mission in Armenia two years ago.

As a consequence of the war in Kosovo during 1998-1999, over 1,600 persons are still reported missing. The right of their family members to know the truth about the whereabouts of their loved ones is the driving force that moves Dr. Luisa Marinho, the Portuguese Head of the Forensic Medicine Team of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), to motivate her team to work, every day, shoulder to shoulder with their local counterparts at the Kosovo Institute of Forensic Medicine (IFM) and with other relevant institutions.

Since February 2023, Mafalda Siqueira has been serving as a Political Adviser (POLAD) for the European Union Advisory Mission in the Central African Republic (EUAM RCA). In this role, she plays a crucial part in shaping the mission’s strategy, ensuring alignment with EU policies, and facilitating political engagement with key stakeholders in one of the world’s most challenging environments.

From Kyiv to Chișinău, Kirsten Joppe brings her expertise, coordination skills and leadership talent to EUPM Moldova, one of the youngest and most flexible CSDP missions, with a unique mandate to build up resilience and capacities to respond to crises and hybrid threats.

Gilda Simion is a fifty-year-old Romanian national with a military background. She joined EUCAP Sahel Mali in 2017 as a Communication and Information Systems Expert.

Meet Alessia Zanda, a 39-year-old Italian State Police Inspector seconded to EUBAM Libya. EUBAM Libya works to strengthen Libya’s capacity to manage its borders and combat transnational crimes such as migrant smuggling and human trafficking.

The first thing you notice about Elizabete Vizgunova Vikmane is her calm confidence. She speaks with the kind of clarity that comes from experience in navigating complex situations, multitasking and negotiation skills. As the Executive Officer to the Deputy Head of Mission at EUAM Ukraine, she’s the person who ensures that every meeting, event, and high-level discussion is not only planned but executed to perfection.

Looking out of the window at her grandparents’ house in the town of Pori, Finland, Anu Aro, asked her grandma "What is that?", pointing her finger at a police car. “I want to be one of them”, said the then 4-year old Anu. It was the winter of 1974. By the age of 23, after having spent a sabbatical in Cyprus (1989-1990) working as au pair, Anu joined the Finnish Police, getting first a Diploma in Police Studies, then a Bachelor in Police Command Examination, and a master’s degree in social science studies from Universities in Finland.

“It can't be done or it's the others‘ fault” is not an option for Jovita, who comes from Lithuania. She works as a project management officer for the European Union Advisory Mission in Iraq (EUAM Iraq) which supports an Iraqi-led and Iraqi-owned security sector reform process towards stability and sustainable peace in Iraq. At 34, Jovita is one of the younger members of the Mission, but she brings a lot to the table and knows how to make herself heard.

Meet Madalina Argesanu, a Romanian national and the Head of HR Section at EUCAP Somalia, who has had a remarkable career spanning multiple organizations and missions, including the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, the Romanian Police, and the Romanian Anti-Corruption General Directorate. Her extensive experience in human resources, law enforcement, and international missions has shaped her professional principles and contributions to high-stakes, multicultural environments.

Meet Zita Mak, seconded to the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia by Hungary. Her career began in Budapest, where she worked as a police patrol officer for eight years, serving her community and building essential skills. She then joined the Hungarian Prison Service as an internal inspector, ensuring compliance and maintaining high standards. These roles laid the foundation for her move to the international stage.