“A Female Approach to Peacekeeping”[i] by
New York Times reporter Doreen Carvajal illustrates the leaps and bounds taken
by women globally in peacekeeping operations especially in the West African
nation of Liberia currently headed by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf-an astute woman
who is known by the nickname “Iron Lady”.
According to the writer, women started pioneering in peacekeeping
missions during the Balkan Wars of the 90s and their numbers continue to
skyrocket. By the time the article was written in 2010, the Head of the U.N. Mission
in Liberia was Ellen Margrethe Loj of Denmark, a woman who was dedicated to the
preservation of peace and nation building in countries ravaged by wars. By then,
Nigeria and India were the leading contributors of women peacekeepers in the
world.
According to figures released by the U.N., women are edging
closer to men in peacekeeping missions. In the past five years alone, the
number of female police officers serving U.N. peacekeeping operations around
the world doubled with Liberia
and Darfur taking the lead. Of the 12,867 men
and women serving U.N. peacekeeping missions around the world as police
officers, women account for roughly 6% or stand at 833. Of the 1,159 peacekeepers from Nigeria currently in Liberia , 5% or 59 are women. The
need for the service of women in peacekeeping activities has gone global. Women
account for 14% of the 1,354 peacekeepers in Liberia .
Men peacekeepers tend to behave better when women
peacekeepers are present. Since women peacekeepers started arriving in Liberia , crimes
like armed robberies, rape of women and girls, child molestations, and other
types of startling transgressions have been considerably reduced with the help
of the locals. After a long day patrolling the dusty streets of Monrovia , Syalus Maharana, an Indian operations commander,
spends an hour of her time to mother her child in India by telling bedtime stories via
video conferencing.
Even though women peacekeepers suffer nostalgia and
depression during their tenure of duties overseas, to the locals they remain
intimidating and sober. The major endearing factor driving women to such
strenuous peacekeeping missions is the appealing financial opportunities offered
by the U.N.
Having marked the 100th anniversary of
International Women’s Day on March 8, the United Nations is intensifying its
recruitment efforts by finding more women for its global peacekeeping missions.
For many poor countries, contributing women peacekeepers to the U.N. global
peace efforts means added value in terms of moneymaking. As it already pledged,
the nation of Bangladesh
is expected to dispatch a new unit of women peacekeepers to the U.N. peace
initiatives. Thus, we learn from this story that women peacekeepers are as effective
and efficient as their male counterparts in global peacekeeping operations if not
profoundly more effective and that the demand for women peacekeepers will rise
in the future.
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