Women, Peace & Security
Co-Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science, Dr. Marsha Henry has recommended that more women should be allowed to participate in peacekeeping because of their multiple roles at a given time.
Such an arrangement would develop their expertise which could become a resource for other useful purposes.
She was speaking on the theme "Female Peacekeeping: Challenges or Conventions"? recently in Accra as part of a project dubbed "Reflection on Security Series"? under the auspices of the research department of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC). It is aimed at providing a private space within which serious and sensitive issues of female peacekeeping can be discussed by relevant stakeholders.
Dr. Marsha Henry noted that as peacekeeping evolved to encompass a broader humanitarian approach; women have become increasingly part of the peacekeeping process.
Deployed from all areas such as the police, military and civilian, females have made a positive impact on peacekeeping environments, both in protecting women's rights and supporting women's role in building peace.
"Women peacekeepers in all fields of peacekeeping have proven that they can equally perform the same roles to the same standards and under the same difficult conditions, as their male counterparts, yet women still face numerous obstacles to pursuing peacekeeping and military careers."
"Although majority of women are assisting through divers' efforts to help maintain peace in pro conflict countries, not much prominence is given them as compared to their male counterpart."?
She cited the Bridges and Horsfall 2009, Simic 2010, Harris and Goldsmith 2010 and the Girl Squad 2007 as some instances where female peacekeepers through hard-work, perseverance and co-operation helped to maintain peace in the pro conflicts countries they were assigned to.
Ultimately, she said the responsibility for getting more women into the military peacekeeping lies with the member state contributing troops and police.
For its part,?the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO)?continues to respond to women peace and security mandates to increase the numbers of women in peacekeeping by advocating for the deployment of more women.
However, the ultimate responsibility for getting more women into the military peacekeeping lies with the individual countries that contribute troops and police.
She therefore called for the need for female recruitment and retention in peacekeeping to be operational imperative.
Dr. Marsha Henry explained that the purpose of female participation in peacekeeping is to serve as an act of role models in the local environment by inspiring women and girls in often male-dominated societies to push for their own rights and for participation in peace processes.
Therefore, the increased recruitment of female peacekeepers is critical for empowering women in the host community, screening of female ex-combatants, assisting female ex-combatants during the process of demobilizing and reintegration into civilian life.
Others are to?widen the net of information gathering, perform the cordon and search of women, interview survivors of gender-based violence, mentoring female cadets at police and military academies and interacting with women in societies where women are prohibited from speaking to men.
Dr. Marsha Henry also indicated that, the presence of women peacekeepers also help to improve access and support for local women, provide a greater sense of security to local populations, including women and children, help create a safer and less fearful environment for women, highlight the UN's commitment to diversity, inclusion and gender equality and broadened the repertoire of skills and styles available within a peacekeeping mission.