Page 20 - The CoESPU Magazine N 1 - 2018

A practical guide for increasing the percentage of

uniformed women in UN Peacekeeping missions

From 1957 through 1989 in UN peacekeeping operations there were a meager 20 uniformed women
who served in those missions. Today those numbers have grown substantially in terms of real
numbers with 4,059 serving
in uniformed positions and
3,623 serving in civilian
positions, for a total of
i
7,682 in service . Yet as a
percentage of the total, these
numbers represent only 22%
of civilians working in
ii
peacekeeping roles with less than 4% in the uniformed services and less than 10% serving in the
iii
formed police units .
In October of 2000, the United Nations adopted a landmark resolution on Women, Peace and
Security, UNSCR 1325. This resolution not only defined women and girls as a clearly vulnerable
and exploited population during conflict, but recognized the critical and important role that women
have to play in both negotiating for peaceful settlements of disputes and also the significant role
iv
that they play in support of peacekeeping following these settlements . Nevertheless, progress in
protecting women and increasing the number of women in peacekeeping has not been rapid nor has
it met the goals and expectations for increasing women’s roles in peacekeeping.
UNSCR 1325 calls for equal representation of women in all aspects of peacekeeping and the United
Nations has set a goal of
parity in UN staffing is yet
unmet. In an area that is
much tougher than
increasing women’s roles
in staffing, is the challenge
of increasing the
percentage of women
involved in military and
uniformed police roles
supporting peacekeeping
duties.
Clearly, there is much to be
done if we plan to
significantly increase these

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