In UN Peacekeeping efforts, women continually remain in the minority. It is estimated that only 8% of women comprise UN police forces and just 2% of UN military forces are women. Still, while these numbers may paint a dire picture, the United Nations under Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is attacking the issue on a number of different levels. Those paying a visit to the United Nations can witness a multimedia project entitled “Women in Peacekeeping: The Power to Empower”.[1] This project attempts to highlight the talents, accomplishments and importance of female peacekeepers to rebuilding strong societies.
The role of UN peacekeepers in such recent conflicts as Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo exposes the importance of women in peacekeeping roles. It has been acknowledged that female peacekeepers can be more gender-sensitive, and often find female victims are more willing to trust them.[2] Conflicts that exhibit high rates of sexual violence find that female peacekeepers are invaluable to the healing process. Serena Tiberia, a UN officer who works for MONUC (the UN mission to the DRC) said that, “I think the fact of seeing women working [with the UN], driving cars and managing teams, it can be a good example for Congolese society.”[3] In this, Tiberia links higher rates of female peacekeepers to being a “model of women’s empowerment.”[4]
Furthermore, some believe that women peacekeepers would bring a new perspective to conflict situations. Women’s traditional roles as mothers and caretakers lead many to believe that women are more peaceful, and would advance peaceful methods of conflict resolution.[5]
The all-female police force deployed to Liberia may prove to be a strong example of these specific attributes. In 2007, 125 female UN peacekeepers from India were deployed to assist in Liberia’s post-conflict transformation.[6] While the women were engaged in all attributes of the peacekeeping mission, their presence there has been a welcome for the thousands of women terrorized by sexual violence during the most recent conflict. Patience Coleman, a local Liberian woman who heads an NGO, said in response to the new force, “It is important for us women to stand up and say we can do it. Women are more caring than men. They have a natural gift so you will get a more caring police force.”[7]
The multimedia project “Women in Peacekeeping: The Power to Empower” will continue to show in the United Nations until August 4th. [8]
[1] Theresa Braine, “UN Puts Female Peacekeepers On Display,” Women’s E-News, June 28, 2009, accessed from: http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/4047/context/cover/
[2] Ibid.
[3] “International Day spotlights need for more women in UN Peacekeeping,” UN News Center, May 29, 2009, accessed from: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=30957&Cr=peacekeep&Cr1=%0D%0D#
[4] Ibid.
[5] Braine, “UN Puts Female Peacekeepers on Display,”
[6] Will Ross, “Liberia gets all-female peacekeeping force,” BBC News, January 31, 2007, accessed from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6316387.stm
[7] Ibid.
[8] Braine, “UN Puts Female Peacekeepers on Display,”
