Written by Bonnie Ewart-Fisher, a Strategic Communications Intern from the United States of America serving with the Department of Peace Operations. She has a background in public affairs and advocacy on gender-related issues. She is working to advance the women, peace, and security agenda in UN Peacekeeping.
Women account for less than 10% of the military and police personnel deployed in missions. This is a huge increase from the 1% deployed in 1993, thanks to efforts from UN Peacekeeping and Member States who provide uniformed personnel to peace operations across the world. However, further improving gender parity in peacekeeping operations is a matter of both human rights and effectiveness.
Women have the right to full, equal and meaningful participation in all areas of peacekeeping’s work, including those that have historically been male-dominated. The presence of women in all aspects of peacekeeping is also essential to establishing sustained peace: it makes UN peacekeeping missions more approachable to the communities they serve, equips them to better support survivors of gender-based violence, and improves decision-making by broadening the mission’s skillsets and perspectives.
The Network for Uniformed Women Peacekeepers is one initiative launched by the UN Department of Peace Operations to increase the number of women peacekeepers on the ground, as well as the conditions of their deployment. Piloted in the mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), it is already showing results.
The Network has brought together more than 400 uniformed women peacekeepers since its launch in 2023. It has empowered them to share their experiences, elevate the challenges they face to UNMISS leadership, and propose solutions that create a more respectful and supportive environment for women to thrive in. The Network will be expanded to the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in the coming months.
“It’s important to ensure gender perspectives are built into planning, policy and decision-making processes. [...] Leadership [must] be gender-responsive to be effective,” said Lieutenant General Mohan Subramanian, Force Commander of UNMISS, during a recent meeting with the Network’s members. “I encourage all uniformed women to speak up and use this Network,” he added.
Leaders in the mission have played an important role in championing gender equity across UN Peacekeeping — including by implementing targeted actions identified by the members of the Network. For example, as a result of feedback provided by Network participants, patrolling kits now include private, mobile toilet facilities that allow women to participate more easily in long-range patrols that are key to the mission’s protection of civilians work. Other issues being raised are how to create respectful working environments, break gender barriers and address women’s health in the field.
Sergeant Epiphania Makaza, a police officer serving with UNMISS, noted that as the network helps more women to engage with challenges and take on leadership roles, it will improve conditions for all women peacekeepers: “women who become leaders can facilitate policies, guidelines, rules and regulations to support other female counterparts.”
The Network is just one way that UN Peacekeeping and its partners are working hard to adjust facilities, services, and practices to address the unique barriers faced by women peacekeepers. Continued support from Member States, mission leadership, and all UN peacekeepers will help empower more women to play critical roles in advancing peace worldwide.
This story is part of the “Action for Peacekeeping” (A4P) story series, which reports on efforts by the UN, its Member States, and other partners to strengthen peacekeeping operations, and the impact they have for people living in conflict areas.
Women, Peace and Security is a key area of the A4P agenda and its implementation strategy A4P+, which seeks to enhance accountability to our peacekeepers. Supporting women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in peace and political processes is central to enhancing operational effectiveness in peacekeeping and sustaining peace.