Women in UN Peacekeeping Missions

In News

• An increasing number of women are joining Indian armed forces amidst long-standing calls to boost their presence in global missions.

Peacekeeping Unit of Women

• For the first time in the history of UN peacekeeping, India sent an all-female Formed Police Unit (FPU) to be deployed in Liberia in 2007 after a civil war ravaged the African nation.
• According to the UN, of around 95,000 peacekeepers in 2020, women comprised 4.8% of military contingents and 10.9% of formed police units. 

Image Courtesy: UN 

Importance of Women Peacekeepers

• Improved operations and performance: 
  • Greater diversity and a broadened skill set means improved decision?making, planning and results, leading to greater operational effectiveness and performance. 
  • The United Nations has said that with more women being a part of peacekeeping missions, the operations have become more effective.
• Better access: 
  • Women peacekeepers can better access the population, including women and children thereby generating critical information that would otherwise be difficult to reach.
• Reflecting the communities we serve: 
  • Diversity in United Nations peacekeepers allows engagement with all members of the communities we are there to protect.
• Building trust and confidence: 
  • Women peacekeepers are essential enablers to build trust and confidence with local communities and help improve access and support for local women.
• Help prevent and reduce conflict and confrontation: 
  • Diversity in peacekeeping helps to address the disproportionately negative effect that conflict has on women.
• Role models and Breaking Social Stigmas: 
  • Women peacekeepers serve as powerful mentors and role models for women and girls in post-conflict settings in the host community, setting examples for them to advocate for their own rights and pursue non?traditional careers.
• Awareness: 
  • Women’s presence in these missions itself makes a difference.
  • They can strengthen societies and make other women aware of the fact that they can do anything
• Increased presence: 
  • More women are joining Indian forces, following long-standing calls to boost their presence in international missions.
  • Around 34% of personnel in peacekeeping missions were women.

Way Ahead

• There is a need for more female participation in public life and the elimination of violence against them as a prerequisite for promoting lasting peace around the world.
• These female police officers from India could break stereotypes on the world stage.

Source: IE