Can peacekeeping do without women?

The first-ever United Nations Conference for Women Peacekeepers themed Women in Peacekeeping: A Global South Perspective was held in New Delhi on February 24-25, bringing together UN Women Peacekeepers from 35 troop-contributing countries. Organised by the Government of India and the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK), it highlighted the need for greater female participation and leadership in UN peacekeeping missions worldwide.

Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar noted that 2025 marks 25 years since the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. He stressed the importance of building on the progress so far to enhance and empower women’s roles in peace and security.

In 2003, the UN appointed the first ever woman Police Advisor, Kiran Bedi from India. Speaking at the conference, she reinforced why female participation is vital: “Our presence ensures the needs of women and children are addressed; we can advocate for the most vulnerable.”

Despite various initiatives, fewer than 10% of the UN’s approximately 70,000 uniformed Peacekeepers (military, police, and observers) are women. The UN aims to reach 15% women in military contingents and 25% women in police contingents by 2028 (under the uniformed gender parity strategy).

Gender parity in peacekeeping – especially among leaders and uniformed personnel – has long been a UN priority. The UN which relies on member states for military and police contingents has launched several initiatives urging and incentivising troop- and police-contributing countries to deploy more Women Peacekeepers.

In 2000, Security Council Resolution 1325 kickstarted the initiative to promote women’s role in conflict prevention and resolution, urging increased female participation in all UN Peace and Security efforts. Subsequent Women in Peace and Security (WPS) Resolutions (1820, 1888, 1889, 2122, 2242) emphasised women’s leadership in peace processes, post-conflict reconstruction, and preventing sexual violence.

Countries of the Global South are the largest troop contributors to UN Peacekeeping, with India as the world’s top troop-contributing nation. In the 1960s, Indian women medical officers were deployed in the Congo – initiating India’s legacy of women in UN peacekeeping. In 2007, India became the first nation to deploy an all-women police unit in Liberia. This groundbreaking move inspired local women to join the security sector and sparked broader UN efforts to increase female deployment.

Today, India leads with more than 150 Women Peacekeepers serving in UN critical missions, including those in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Lebanon, and the Golan Heights.

As role models, negotiators

Several participants at the New Delhi conference echoed how women often bring invaluable perspectives to peacekeeping operations. Inspector General Seema Dhundia, who led India’s first all-women FPU in Liberia, reflected on the experience, “We immersed ourselves in local society, communicating and practising inclusiveness. Our efforts motivated young Liberian women to join their national police. By the time we left, the number of women in the Liberian National Police had significantly increased.”

This success story inspired other nations – such as Bangladesh and Rwanda – to increase female police deployments to UN missions. Rwanda now boasts one of the highest percentages of women in its security forces, owing to proactive policies towards recruiting and training women for peacekeeping. Gorette Mwenzangu, a Rwandan Peacekeeper, highlighted the pivotal role of women’s inclusion in Rwanda’s post-conflict reforms.

Vice-Chief of Indian Army Lt Gen N S Raja Subramani stated, “Women are far better negotiators and mediators. They help resolve conflicts, and their presence enhances operational effectiveness, wherever missions are deployed. Their approach, combined with diverse perspectives, improves mission performance and credibility.”

Maj Thermite Mara, a UN Peacekeeper from Guinea, echoed this sentiment, “Women are the best negotiators in the world. We act as mothers, sisters, and family, which helps build trust. We understand when to use force, but we prioritise negotiation.”

From Liberia to Rwanda, Sri Lanka to Morocco, the stories of UN Women Peacekeepers showcase their transformative impact on host communities. They deliver operational effectiveness, empathy, and much-needed stability in conflict areas.

Col Dilya Akhmetova, a UN Peacekeeper from Kazakhstan, who served in UNIFIL, spoke about repairing a church, building roads, and organising school events, highlighting the community-centric nature of peacekeeping.

Studies indicate that the inclusion of women in peacekeeping forces enhances credibility, facilitates access to diverse communities, ensures more positive interactions with local populations, and more importantly, reduces the improper use of force.

The conference concluded with a renewed commitment to invest in women’s participation and leadership, reinforcing the global peacekeeping framework. Wrapping up the conference, Inspector-General Seema Dhundia, captured a simple truth, “The question is not whether women can do peacekeeping. The question is whether peacekeeping can do without women.”

(The writer is an honorary professor at the Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University, Gadag)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.