In News
- An increasing number of women are joining Indian armed forces amidst long-standing calls to boost their presence in global missions.
Peacekeeping Unit of Women
- For the first time in the history of UN peacekeeping, India sent an all-female Formed Police Unit (FPU) to be deployed in Liberia in 2007 after a civil war ravaged the African nation.
- According to the UN, of around 95,000 peacekeepers in 2020, women comprised 4.8% of military contingents and 10.9% of formed police units.
Image Courtesy: UN
Importance of Women Peacekeepers
- Improved operations and performance:
- Greater diversity and a broadened skill set means improved decision?making, planning and results, leading to greater operational effectiveness and performance.
- The United Nations has said that with more women being a part of peacekeeping missions, the operations have become more effective.
- Better access:
- Women peacekeepers can better access the population, including women and children thereby generating critical information that would otherwise be difficult to reach.
- Reflecting the communities we serve:
- Diversity in United Nations peacekeepers allows engagement with all members of the communities we are there to protect.
- Building trust and confidence:
- Women peacekeepers are essential enablers to build trust and confidence with local communities and help improve access and support for local women.
- Help prevent and reduce conflict and confrontation:
- Diversity in peacekeeping helps to address the disproportionately negative effect that conflict has on women.
- Role models and Breaking Social Stigmas:
- Women peacekeepers serve as powerful mentors and role models for women and girls in post-conflict settings in the host community, setting examples for them to advocate for their own rights and pursue non?traditional careers.
- Awareness:
- Women’s presence in these missions itself makes a difference.
- They can strengthen societies and make other women aware of the fact that they can do anything
- Increased presence:
- More women are joining Indian forces, following long-standing calls to boost their presence in international missions.
- Around 34% of personnel in peacekeeping missions were women.
Way Ahead
- There is a need for more female participation in public life and the elimination of violence against them as a prerequisite for promoting lasting peace around the world.
- These female police officers from India could break stereotypes on the world stage.
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Women, Peace and Security is a key commitment of the Action for Peacekeeping initiative
Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) Initiative
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