UN Security Council Calls For More Women Peacekeepers

The Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution calling on UN members to boost the numbers of women peacekeepers, diplomats said, seeing the move as a way to improve the effectiveness and credibility of the missions.

The proposal put forward by Indonesia, a non-permanent member of the council, called on "Member States, the United Nations Secretariat and regional organizations to strengthen their collective efforts to promote the full, effective, and meaningful participation of uniformed and civilian women in peacekeeping operations."

The text specified that this effort must lead to the involvement of women "at all levels and in all positions, including in senior leadership positions."

UN member states are invited to develop "strategies and measures to increase the deployment of uniformed women to peacekeeping operations" through information campaigns, training and identifying obstacles to the recruitment and promotion of women peacekeepers.

The text highlighted the "indispensable role of women in increasing the overall performance and effectiveness of peacekeeping operations."

"The presence of women and better balance between men and women among peacekeepers contribute to, among others, greater credibility of the missions among the population," the resolution said.

Among the 13 peacekeeper missions currently carried out by the UN around the world, women make up about six percent of the 95,000 uniformed troops.