Women Peacekeepers at the UN on High Demand
Only 8 per cent of Police Officers, 2 per cent Militaries are Female
Jun 5, 2009
While the international community’s reliance on United Nations peacekeeping continues to deepen critics and insiders alike are openly worried that the current peacekeeping model is overstretched—and at risk of failure. There are currently more than 113,000 peacekeepers, including 90,000 military and police personnel from 117 countries, serving in 18 operations on four continents, and their mission is more vital than ever.
The personnel who serve under the UN flag do so in some of the most difficult and inhospitable areas on earth, where they face instability, disease and violence on a daily basis. The outstanding men and women who actively contribute to international UN peacekeeping operations show tremendous dedication, making a tangible difference in the lives of many while demonstrating to the world the caring and committed face of the United Nations.
Highest Annual Death Toll of UN Peacekeepers in 2008
These efforts often come at high cost to the peacekeepers themselves. 132 peacekeepers lost their lives during the course of 2008 in the line of duty – the highest one-year total in the history of UN peacekeeping. Whether felled by acts of violence, disease or accidents, “each left an important legacy”, as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon phrased it in his message to the annual International Day of Peacekeepers, which is commemorated on 29 May every year.
Mr. Ban emphasized the loss of ten women among those who died as reminder that female personnel are playing an increasingly important role in peacekeeping, and that they now shoulder grave risks as well.
Female Blue Helmets and Police Offer New Skills and Styles
It has been nearly a decade since the UN Security Council adopted its landmark Resolution 1325 – the first comprehensive document to recognize that women bear the brunt of armed conflicts, and should have a commensurate role in their prevention and resolution.
Since then, the United Nations has pressed forward with intensive efforts not only to involve more local women in peacemaking and peace-building, but also to recruit more women into its own operations. It is not for achieving gender parity or a positive women’s quota for its own sake. The point is to draw on the unique and powerful contribution women can make. Female blue helmets, human rights monitors, election observers and other mission staff offer new skills and styles of functioning in the ever-evolving field of peacekeeping. Often, they can better communicate with local women, generating a greater sense of security while serving as an example of women’s empowerment.
India Responded With the Deployment of a 125-Member All-Female Contingent
However, women make up only 8 per cent of the United Nations police and 2 per cent of its military personnel. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations has urged troop and police-contributing countries to deploy more women. India answered the call in 2007 with the deployment of a 125-member all-female police contingent to Liberia. The United Nations is also working to increase the number of women in senior positions at Headquarters and in field missions.
“We have done a lot but we need to do a great deal more. Peacekeeping has become more multifaceted. We assist in providing security, reforming State institutions and supporting political transitions. Our women peacekeepers make a critical contribution in all of these areas and their work encourages others to participate in local peace processes,” said Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy. Of the 117 countries that provide uniformed peacekeepers to the United Nations, the largest contributors are Pakistan (10,626), Bangladesh (9,220), India (8,617), Nigeria (5,792) and Nepal (3,856).
And the UN Secretary-General in his message to mark the Peacekeepers’ Day concluded: There are still far too few women peacekeepers. With women joining national military and police in greater numbers, it is critical that Member States contribute even more female personnel to the United Nations.
