To ensure that the uniformed components of United Nations peacekeeping are diverse and inclusive of women, reflecting the communities the United Nations serves, the Secretary-General requested DPO to develop a Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy (UGPS).
This Strategy covers the period 2018-2028 and sets annual targets for the representation of uniformed women in United Nations peace operations for each category of uniformed personnel in military, police, and justice and corrections. The Strategy guides key actions for United Nations Headquarters in the areas of:
- Recruitment and Training: e.g. training and assessment exercises to increase the pool of women ready for deployment, such as the Women Police Command Courses, the Women's Military Peace Operations Courses (led by UN Women, in partnership with DPO) and the Corrections Officers Recruitment Exercises.
- Leadership and Accountability: e.g. Guidance on strengthening gender-responsive leadership through the Case-Study Handbook on Gender, Peace and Security and the UN Police Gender Toolkit.
- Enabling Environments: e.g. Strengthening gender-responsive camp designs, accommodations, facilities, healthcare and equipment as well as support mechanisms, such as women's networks; and
- Communications and Outreach: e.g. Providing empowering narratives through communications campaigns and recognitions, such as the Military Gender Advocate of the Year, Woman Police Officer of the Year and Trailblazer Award for Women Justice and Corrections Officers.
Review of UGPS implementation: Taking stock of progress, identifying priorities for the future
In 2025, 25 years after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, UN peacekeeping has taken stock of its efforts to enhance the participation of uniformed women (military, police, and justice and corrections). The UN has focused on reviewing the implementation of the Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy, launched in 2018. The result is a set of findings that will inform future discussions on peacekeeping reform and priority actions for 2025-2028. This comes in a context of renewed commitment of the UN and Member States through the Pact of the Future, under Action 19 to "Accelerate our ongoing efforts to ensure the full, equal, safe and meaningful participation of women in peace operations."
Findings
- Impact: Women’s experiences, perspectives and skills contribute to improved mandate delivery, including by strengthening community engagement, intelligence gathering and protection measures.
- Challenges remain: Despite progress, barriers to equal access to peacekeeping roles remain, particularly in military contingents and leadership, and in work culture and physical environments.
- Deepening instead of enlarging efforts: Focus on strengthening impactful actions and implementing existing policies; sharing of lessons learned; and enhancing accountability.
- Partnerships: with Member States, Elsie Initiative Fund, UN Women, training providers, research institutions, and more, are key.
Achievements
- Doubled share of uniformed women in PKOs, 4.9% in 2018 to 9.8% in 2024
- Increased representation of women in all categories of personnel
- Improved gender balance in police leadership
- Increased number of mission camps have gender-responsive designs
- Medical personnel better equipped to treat women peacekeepers
- Increased understanding by UN of women’s deployment experiences, which informs policy and practice
Priority areas 2025-2028
- Strengthening gender-responsive leadership and ensuring leaders at all levels take action to support uniformed women’s full, equal and meaningful participation
- Promoting women's access to uniformed leadership positions
- Continuing to enhance enabling environments in peace operations, including in regard to work culture, physical environments, health care and provision of gender-sensitive equipment
The Network for Uniformed Women Peacekeepers
To support uniformed women’s deployment experience, the UN Department of Peace Operations in 2023 launched the Network for Uniformed Women Peacekeepers. The Network connects
military, police, justice and corrections personnel for peer support and helps elevate the voices of uniformed women with leadership. The Network has been piloted in the UN Missions in South Sudan (UNMISS), Abyei (UNISFA) and Western Sahara (MINURSO). A priority for 2025-2028 is to expand the Network to other missions.
