Mali mission will emphasize role of female peacekeepers

Canada, other countries falling short of targets on women’s representation

OTTAWA— The Canadian military’s upcoming foray into Mali is expected to include a marked female presence as the Trudeau government looks to have Canada lead by example in the push to have more women on peacekeeping missions.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan on Monday will unveil details of Canada’s mission to Mali, which will centre around the deployment of up to six military helicopters.

The aircraft will include a combination of Chinook helicopters tasked with providing medical evacuations and logistical support and smaller Griffons to act as armed escorts for the larger transports.

The exact numbers are still being finalized, a senior government official said Sunday on condition of anonymity since an official announcement had not been made.

The decision to send military helicopters to Mali follows a direct request from the United Nations and fulfils the Trudeau government’s promise in November to make such aircraft available to a future peacekeeping mission.

But Canada will also take the opportunity to make good on another commitment made in Vancouver, the official said, namely to champion an overall increase in the number of female peacekeepers.

The UN has adopted a target of having women represent at least 15 per cent of military personnel serving as peacekeepers by 2020, and 20 per cent of police officers.

But many countries are falling short of those targets — including Canada, even though Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled several measures in Vancouver aimed at getting other countries to do more on the issue.

Of the 19 Canadian police officers deployed on UN missions at the end of February, five were women, which equates to 26 per cent.

But only two of 22 military personnel were women, which is just over 9 per cent.

Canada has a way to go, the government official acknowledged, which is why the military will attempt to ensure women are well represented among the 200 to 250 Canadian military personnel deployed to Mali.

“One of the key things that we committed to in Vancouver was to increase the participation of women in missions, and we will be seeking to meet our objectives as much as possible,” the official said.

“So within that entire deployment, we will seek as much as possible to meet our objectives to increase the number of women.”

The Canadian helicopters will be deployed later this year to the northern city of Gao, which serves as a main staging area for the UN into northern Mali where Islamic militants and Tuareg rebels are active.

Canada is expected to take over from the Belgians, who are currently in the midst of replacing the Germans after filling the gap for several years.

The plan is for Canada to hand the mission over to another country, perhaps Jordan or the Netherlands, in 2019.