Indian women in UN Peacekeeping                                                                                     

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Context: The Indian Women soldiers are getting trained to be a part of a United Nations Peacekeeping mission.

• United Nations has called for more participation from women in conflict prevention, post-conflict peace-building and peacekeeping.
• The United Nations has asserted that with more women being a part of peacekeeping missions, the operations have become more effective.
• In some cultures where the female victims are not allowed to speak to men. In that particular scenario, women peacekeepers, makes it easier for the authorities to communicate with them.
• Women are good communicators and can establish a good communication channel with victims of conflict, building trust and confidence.
• Women peacekeepers can strengthen societies and promote lasting peace around the world.

India and UN peacekeepers:

• For the first time in the history of UN peacekeeping, India sent an all-female Formed Police Unit (FPU) to be deployed in Liberia in 2007 after a civil war ravaged the African nation.
• According to the UN, of around 95,000 peacekeepers in 2020, women comprised 4.8% of military contingents and around 34% of personnel in peacekeeping missions were women.
• India is the third highest contributor of personnel to UN peacekeeping, with 5,481 troops serving in 12 UN missions across the world.

United Nations Peacekeeping Force

• It helps countries torn by conflict create conditions for lasting peace.
• Peacekeeping has proven to be one of the most effective tools available to the UN to assist host countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace.
• UN peacekeepers provide security and the political and peacebuilding support to help countries make the difficult, early transition from conflict to peace.
• UN peacekeepers (often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue berets or helmets) can include soldiers, police officers, and civilian personnel.
• UN Peacekeeping is guided by three basic principles:
  • Consent of the parties;
  • Impartiality;
  • Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.