Narrow the gender gap in global peacekeeping

India must help to bridge this lacunae and prevent crimes against women and girls in international conflicts

Ifeel much better prepared to be deployed as UN Peacekeeper to a peacekeeping mission, more accountable for preventing conflict-related sexual violence and responding to women’s socio-economic concerns in and post conflict,” said a graduate of a recently-concluded Female Military Officer’s Course, organised by UN Women and the Center for UN Peacekeeping, India. Recruitment, deployment and focused training of female officers is imperative to overcome existing barriers and for gender parity in UN peacekeeping. Women’s participation in UN peacekeeping is more likely to improve civilian protection, especially the prevention of sexual violence against women and girls. But UN Peacekeeping, whose mandate is civilian protection through military, police and civilian contingents from troop contributing countries, remains a male preserve. As of March 31, 2018, women constituted 5% of the 91,058-strong combined forces of military and police peacekeepers, making up 4% of the military and 11% of the police units.

This is despite women’s demonstrated contribution to peacekeeping worldwide. In January 2007, for the first time in UN history, the Indian first all-women UN peacekeeping police unit was deployed to Liberia, with subsequent deployments in 2008 and 2009. They provided security at local events, engaged in riot control and patrols with local and UN police. They communicated with local women, nurturing trust between the police and local communities through community outreach. While this was hailed by the then UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon and Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as precedent setting in peacekeeping missions, similar contributions of women peacekeepers from other countries have been recorded in West, East, North and South Africa, South America, and South and Central Asia.

From a rights standpoint, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2242 calls for doubling women’s participation in UN missions. While the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1,325 emphasises integrating a gender perspective in all peace efforts, a global initiative was launched in 2009 to increase numbers of women police in UN peacekeeping. As one of the largest troop contributors, India can further lead in bridging the gender gap in UN Peacekeeping and preventing crimes against women and girls in international conflicts. A starter could be adopting a national gender sensitive force generation policy on UN peacekeeping, and examining barriers to recruitment and advancement of female officers, which perpetuate inequality in this sphere.