Efforts to enhance women’s deployment to peace missions show varied results, with growth occurring but remaining sluggish. Currently, women comprise just 10% of uniformed personnel in UN peace operations, with only 8% of troops being female. This discrepancy persists despite a strong international framework, including the 25-year-old UN Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, which advocates for meaningful female participation in these missions.

Research Insights

Our recent study, supported by Global Affairs Canada and part of the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations, highlights ongoing challenges. Engaging over 90 peacekeepers from missions in South Sudan (UNMISS), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), and the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), as well as 400 additional uniformed personnel globally, we aimed to understand the barriers to women’s participation.

Women often report experiencing harassment, discrimination, and marginalization, which hinder their deployment opportunities. After deployment, challenges continue, including gender-based violence, lack of adequate resources, accommodations, and prevalent sexist attitudes.

Advantages of Women in Peacekeeping Roles

Despite these obstacles, many peacekeepers highlight tangible benefits stemming from women’s involvement in peace operations. Here are six key reasons identified through our research:

1. Building Trust with Local Communities

   Female peacekeepers excel at establishing vital relationships with local women and children, fostering trust and gathering critical community insights. A peacekeeper from MINUSCA noted that women have “changed completely the dynamics.”

2. Handling Gender-Based Violence Cases

   Women peacekeepers often effectively elicit testimonies related to sexual and gender-based violence, a prevalent concern in conflict areas. As one UNMISS peacekeeper remarked, cultural norms often necessitate a female presence for comfortable interactions with victims.

3. Conducting Sensitive Security Searches

   Women can perform searches on women and children, easing the process. A MONUSCO officer emphasized that her presence during searches is much more reassuring compared to a male officer, highlighting the importance of gender sensitivity in security operations.

4. Serving as Role Models

   Female peacekeepers act as role models for local women, challenging harmful norms. A MONUSCO peacekeeper remarked that their presence has changed local perceptions regarding women’s rights and roles.

5. Preventing Exploitation and Abuse

   Women in peacekeeping roles can help regulate potentially harmful masculine cultures within missions. A MINUSCA peacekeeper noted that the dynamics shifted positively when women joined, particularly in leadership roles.

6. Diversifying Skill Sets

   The increasingly complex nature of peace missions necessitates diverse skills. A female military general expressed that women can excel in all peacekeeping roles, asserting, “We can do so much more… I can equally protect men as I can protect women.”

Conclusion

Integrating women into peace operations offers multifaceted benefits. Not only do they fill an underutilized resource and skill gap, but they also enhance engagement with communities that might otherwise be inaccessible to male personnel. Additionally, their presence underscores the UN’s commitment to gender equality and responsive leadership, which are crucial for fostering lasting peace and stability in conflict-affected regions.