UNIFIL peacekeepers collaborated last week with Lebanese security institutions and local women leaders from south Lebanon in three separate events aimed at advancing the role of women both in security institutions and in post-conflict community settings.
Following a request from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), UNIFIL organized a two-day training on gender mainstreaming in military operations for their personnel deployed in south Lebanon (22-23 July). Nineteen LAF officers and soldiers joined the training UNIFIL gender unit organized in participation of UNIFIL military focal points . This was the second such training in the past three months.
This activity – which in part commemorates the 25th anniversary of the landmark UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women peace and security – is one of a series of joint initiatives between the LAF Gender Department and UNIFIL Gender Advisory Unit.
Addressing the opening of the training, UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Diodato Abagnara highlighted the importance of gender integration in military operations “at all levels of operations.” He also stressed the UN mission’s full commitment to the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
Ms. Rabab Sadr, who heads the Imam Sadr Foundation – the co-organizer of the training, said these joint activities bring “joy and positive energy” to the students and staff of the Foundation as well as to the officers and soldiers serving in both UNIFIL and the LAF.
“This activity centers around the role of women in building a protection network for women, children, and all vulnerable individuals during times of crisis and war,” she said.
Separately, on 24 July, UNIFIL organized a workshop with officers from Lebanon’s two leading security entities – Internal Security Forces (responsible for internal law enforcement) and the General Security (responsible for intelligence and border control) – to discuss roles of women in security forces. A key highlight of the event was the experience-sharing by representatives from the Spanish Civil Guard – hosted by UNIFIL’s Spanish contingent, UNIFIL civil affairs and gender units.
Participants discussed topics including women’s contributions to police operational effectiveness, their role in enhancing community engagement, and their impact on institutional transformation within multicultural security environments.
The third event, hosted at the main base of peacekeepers from the Republic of Korea on 26 July, brought together UNIFIL peacekeepers and local women leaders to discuss women’s roles in conflict and post-conflict situations. The event also saw Lebanese psychotherapists, supported by UNIFIL psychiatrists from the mission’s Sector West headquarters, lead five stations where local women affected by the recent conflict shared their experiences. About 150 women from local communities joined this event.
Addressing the gathering, UNIFIL head, Maj. Gen. Abagnara said, “Today is not only a celebration of your presence, it is an acknowledgment of your essential role in peace, recovery, and social cohesion.”
Women play a vital role in preventing conflict, helping communities recover, and building peace. UNIFIL will continue to support women’s participation in Lebanon’s security forces and at all levels in their local communities, as a crucial factor in the country’s long-term stability.