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International Business Times
a day ago
- General
- International Business Times
The Changing Face of UN Peacekeeping: Women on the Frontlines
Each year on May 29, the world marks the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, honoring the courage of those who serve under the blue flag in the world's most challenging environments. Since 1948, peacekeepers have stood as guardians of stability in conflict zones across the globe. Today, more than 72,000 personnel work in peacekeeping operations, but a striking imbalance in their ranks reflects deeper questions about representation in global security. For the past 25 years, the Women, Peace and Security agenda has played an instrumental role in advancing women's participation in peacekeeping operations around the world. The story of UN peacekeeping is not merely about numbers but about whose voices shape peace. In March 2023, women constituted 8.4 percent of the more than 76,700 uniformed peacekeepers at the time, 6.4 percent of military contingents and 21 percent of military staff officers and military observers, a significant rise from just 1 percent in 1993, yet still far from parity. These statistics tell a tale of progress and challenge, of institutional barriers and bold changes happening within one of the world's most significant security frameworks. The Slow March Toward Equal Representation Women remain starkly underrepresented in military contingents despite high-level commitments and strategic frameworks. By 2028, the UN aims to have women comprise at least 15 percent of military personnel, 25 percent of military observers and staff officers, and 20 percent of police units, ambitious goals that demand systemic change. A variety of barriers hold back women's participation in peacekeeping, ranging from limited career advancement opportunities to family constraints and deployment criteria. The challenge runs deeper than simple recruitment: it reflects how societies structure their security forces and who they deem suitable for frontline roles. Countries with stronger domestic records of equality between men and women deploy significantly more women peacekeepers. Ghana, which began enlisting women in 1958 and trained female officer pilots by 1965, contributed 14.1 percent female peacekeepers as of October 2022 according to UN peacekeeping. This pattern repeats across nations, demonstrating that peacekeeping gender balance begins with domestic military policies. Beyond Numbers: The Quest for Meaningful Participation However, the presence of women in peacekeeping missions does not automatically translate to meaningful participation. Too often, female peacekeepers find themselves limited to stereotypical roles: nursing, community engagement, administration, and domestic services, regardless of their skills and experience. Missions with higher percentages of combat-related forces typically have the lowest percentages of women, reflecting persistent beliefs that women cannot protect themselves in dangerous conflict areas. This underutilization creates a challenging dynamic where women rarely conduct patrols or interact with local communities, precisely the areas where their representation could have the greatest impact. The focus on simply increasing recruitment numbers without addressing how women are deployed and what roles they fill risks what experts call the "instrumentalization" of female peacekeepers. As researcher Nina Wilen notes, there's an urgent need to contextualize women's contributions and emphasize the benefits that gender-balanced teams bring to peacekeeping, rather than segregating personnel based on gender alone. Pathfinders: Countries Leading the Charge Several nations have significantly outpaced global averages in deploying women to peacekeeping missions. According to Women in International Security, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Tanzania all surpassed the UN's 2022 target of having at least 9 percent women among countries contributing more than 1,000 troops. Nigeria stands out with 21.5 percent of its peacekeepers being women, while Indonesia has deployed over 570 female peacekeepers to various UN missions since 1999. The contrast with other major contributors is stark. India, the world's second-largest troop-contributing country with 5,548 deployed personnel, included only 51 women a mere 0.9 percent of their contribution. This disparity highlights how political will and institutional culture, not just available personnel, determine a country's balance between men and women in peacekeeping operations. When examining specific missions, MINUSCA in the Central African Republic, UNMISS in South Sudan, and MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo have the highest raw numbers of female troops, though women still represent only 5.9-6.4 percent of these forces. The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) stands as an outlier with 40 percent female representation, demonstrating what's possible when intentional deployment practices are implemented. True progress will require more than symbolic commitments. Experts suggest the UN should consider paying premiums to countries based on the percentage of high-ranking women assigned to contingents, creating financial incentives for meaningful inclusion. Such incentives could be tied to specialized training and rigorous vetting procedures, addressing multiple reform priorities simultaneously. The story of women in UN peacekeeping operations reflects a broader narrative about security, representation, and whose perspectives shape peace processes worldwide. The Women, Peace and Security agenda emphasizes the critical role that women and their perspectives play in the success of peacebuilding and peacekeeping missions around the world. As the blue helmets mark another International Day of UN Peacekeepers, the question remains: Will the next decade bring tokenistic increases in women's participation, or genuine transformation in how peacekeeping missions operate? The answer lies not just in recruitment statistics but in systemic changes to deployment practices, mission structure, and the fundamental understanding of what effective peacekeeping requires in complex modern conflicts.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Hegseth stampedes through the Pentagon
On April 29, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that he was canceling Defense Department participation in actions generated by the Women, Peace and Security Act of 2017. Hegseth posted on social media that it was 'yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING. WPS is a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists. Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it.' Journalist Walter Pincus, who spent 40 years at the Washington Post covering topics ranging from nuclear weapons to politics, wrote in a recent column that Trump and Hegseth's defense strategy is riddled with irrelevant political considerations resulting in a series of strange moves that must surely weaken national security. In fact, as Pincus points out, what Congress had in mind in the Women, Peace and Security Act was to increase women's participation in preventing and resolving conflict, countering violent extremism and building post-conflict stability around the globe. It is hard to believe that the program was 'pushed by feminists and left-wing activists' when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem co-sponsored the bill when she was in Congress, and President Trump signed the measure in 2017. Perhaps reminded of this doctrinal dilemma, Hegseth pivoted in a later tweet, arguing that 'the woke & weak Biden Administration distorted & weaponized the straight-forward & security-focused WPS initiative launched in 2017.' Hegseth said he will try to end WPS programs at the Pentagon in the next budget. Asked whether he believed Women, Peace and Security to be a diversity, equity and inclusion program, new Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, at his confirmation hearing last month, replied, 'I do not,' adding, 'WPS helped us understand the full challenges that face us.' Hegseth unveiled another terrifying plan on May 5, when he announced 'General/Flag Officer Reductions' in a memo to senior Pentagon leadership to 'drive innovation and operational excellence unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers.' While the military may be top-heavy, it goes without saying that military firings should be based on merit, not political considerations or race-based policies. Hegseth's purge appears to be totally political. 'That's a recipe not just for a politicized military, but an authoritarian military,' Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a Marine officer in Iraq and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told Politico. 'That's the way militaries work in Russia and China and North Korea. And by the way, it's a big part of why those militaries are not as strong and capable as our own.' Trump's military purge began in February, when the president fired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs CQ Brown — an African American, whom Moulton describes as 'one of the most talented general officers of his generation' — for no articulated reason. In April, Trump fired the redoubtable Gen. Timothy Haugh, commander of the U.S. Cyber Command. Laura Loomer, a conspiracy theorist who for unclear reasons consistently has the president's ear, urged Trump to fire certain officials due to their perceived lack of personal loyalty. She posted a message on social media saying Haugh had been fired for being 'disloyal' to Trump. So far, the administration has fired five four-stars, including three women: the first female chief of naval operations, the commandant of the Coast Guard, and Navy three-star Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield, former president of the Naval War College, who was the U.S. deputy military representative to NATO's military committee in Brussels. Yet women make up less than 10 percent of general and flag officers. It is baffling what Hegseth intended to accomplish with the purge. We do know that he has accomplished a decided weakening of national security. The measures were apparently meant to root out diversity, equity and inclusion from the military. Instead, the administration is paring much of the core of our officer cadre, throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Along with the May 5 memorandum, Hegseth released a two-minute video announcing what he ungrammatically called the 'Less Generals More GIs Policy.' He defensively explained that 'this has not been a slash and burn exercise — nothing could be further from the truth … It's going be done carefully. But it's going to be done expeditiously.' Hegseth said he sought to remove 'redundant force structure, to optimize and streamline leadership by reducing excess general and flag officer positions.' He proposed a minimum 20 percent reduction of four-star positions across the active military and of general officers in the National Guard, plus an additional minimum 10 percent reduction in general and flag officers under the new unified command plan. So, who will mind the store? And who will call the shots in a national emergency? The nation's top generals seem unsure about the implications of Hegseth's moves to reduce the general staff. At a hearing before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James J. Mingus testified about the flag office, saying, 'We began a general reduction inside the Army several months ago, before this was ever announced … I think it's probably a little too early to tell in terms of what the overall impacts are going to be.' Air Force Lt. Gen. Adrian L. Spain said, 'It's too soon to say what the exact impact to the Air Force specifically will be with the reductions, but we look forward to seeing the exact language following the announcement.' Hegseth has proved himself to be a bull in a china shop. It is worrisome, now that he has sent troops to the Southern border, that the military could be used in politically partisan ways. In Trump's first term, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper refused an order to have soldiers shoot Black Lives Matter protesters. Hegseth would be unlikely show as much backbone. A nervous nation — seeing Hegseth's obsessive loyalty to Trump and all the weaponizing, the political sturm und drang, the cuts and the dismissals — has to be on edge about how all this will end. James D. Zirin, author and legal analyst, is a former federal prosecutor in New York's Southern District. He is also the host of the public television talk show and podcast Conversations with Jim Zirin.
Int'l Business Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Women's Role in Security and Peace: A Look at Recent Developments in the Women, Peace and Security Agenda
Recent statements concerning Women, Peace and Security (WPS) programs in the US government have sparked debates across political lines. While the Trump administration codified these efforts into law in 2017 through the US WPS Act, recent statements by key officials have drawn scrutiny. Administration Adjusts Defense and Diplomatic Priorities In late April 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced via social media the termination of the Department of Defense's Women, Peace and Security program. Both Democratic and Republican leaders responded to this social media post. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), a co-sponsor of the original WPS Act legislation, noted its origins under the first Trump administration, while Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Representative Lois Frankel (D-FL) expressed strong concerns about Secretary Hegseth's statement. In a statement, Representative Frankel, the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Women, Peace and Security Congressional Caucus whose establishment was spearheaded in 2020 by Our Secure Future (OSF), emphasized the risks of dismantling structures built to institutionalize WPS principles. "WPS reflects what our military leaders and national security experts have long recognized: including women in peace and security efforts gives us a strategic advantage. When women are at the table—whether in preventing conflict, negotiating peace, or leading recovery—peace agreements are more durable, communities are more resilient, and missions are more successful. This matters especially in conflict zones, where rape is used as a weapon of war, and women are often left to protect and provide for their families," says Representative Frankel. Internal documents from the US Department of Defense Joint Staff, reviewed by media outlets, offered alternative perspectives on maintaining military engagement with the program . Our Secure Future also produced a brief outlining the Trump and Biden Administrations' approaches to implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Parallel changes emerged at the State Department, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced an organizational restructuring including the elimination of the Office of Global Women's Issues. This move contrasted with Rubio's earlier praise for the US WPS Act at the International Women of Courage Awards in March 2025, where he highlighted its global significance. Enhancing Operational Effectiveness Through WPS The WPS framework stands as a cornerstone of modern security strategy, enhancing both tactical effectiveness and long-term conflict resolution. By institutionalizing women's participation in peacebuilding and defense operations, WPS contributes to sustainable security solutions. Over 100 countries have adopted National Action Plans (NAPs) to implement WPS principles, demonstrating its global utility as a mechanism for creating more peaceful and secure societies. WPS principles, when embedded in military operations, fill critical capability gaps. One example is the deployment of all-female Cultural Support Teams in Afghanistan, which enabled access to local female populations for intelligence-gathering—individuals often culturally inaccessible to male personnel. These teams became force multipliers by building trust, gathering actionable insights, and contributing to counterinsurgency efforts. This success stemmed not from ideology, but from strategic necessity, grounded in operational realities. WPS-informed training equips military advisors to adopt population-centric strategies, improving engagement with communities, reducing civilian casualties, and limiting insurgent recruitment. These approaches highlight that the inclusion of women is not ancillary to security—it's central to mission success. Legislative Codification: A Blueprint for Stability Beyond the U.S. context, WPS serves as a blueprint for enduring peace agreements. Data shows that peace accords inclusive of women are significantly more durable. For example, Colombia's 2019 WPS National Action Plan fostered more inclusive post-conflict reconciliation, resulting in deeper community trust and lower recidivism among former combatants. Global adoption of WPS frameworks reveals that cultural legitimacy and localized adaptation are vital. Programs succeed when they engage men and boys as allies and align with existing social structures. In practice, Cultural Support Teams exemplified this integrated approach, leveraging strengths while respecting local norms and strategic priorities. Recalibrating WPS for Measurable Impact As the WPS framework is implemented across diverse geopolitical contexts, its success depends on maintaining a clear focus on strategic outcomes and resisting shifts that dilute its core objectives. Effective programs must prioritize women's distinct contributions to conflict resolution and security. The United States remains the only country in the world to have enacted a law solely dedicated to Women, Peace and Security. This unique legislative commitment positions the U.S. as a global leader. To sustain and strengthen its influence, the U.S. must prioritize continued investment in the WPS agenda. Doing so will not only reinforce its national security goals but also support broader global efforts to build durable peace and resilient societies.
Euronews
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Lack of funding threatens women-led peace initiatives, UN warns
Amid growing pushback on women's rights in some countries and a general backsliding of gender policies, persistent institutional and societal barriers prevent women from equally participating in peace and security processes. But there is no peace or security without women — a statement the United Nations has been emphasising for the last quarter century. "We know that when women call it, peace follows. When women call it, peace is sustained," UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda said at an event co-organised by UN Women in Brussels on Wednesday. Policymakers, civil society leaders, and international organisations met in the Belgian capital on Wednesday to reflect on the progress made and challenges still faced by the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda since its implementation. On 31 October 2000, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1325, a landmark bill that acknowledged the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women and girls and called for women's equal participation in conflict prevention and resolution, as well as peace processes. The resolution laid the groundwork for the WPS programme, a framework that seeks to institutionalise the goals set out 25 years ago. The anniversary goes alongside the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which laid the foundation for the WPS agenda five years prior. While they have seen some successes over the past two decades, attendees said, they warned that not enough has been done to fully implement and actualise the agenda's aims. "Paper commitment is not enough, we must transform this into action that is visible, measurable, and inclusive," Poland's Minister for Equality Katarzyna Kotula said during her opening remarks. This year's anniversary is taking place in an increasingly complex and fractured geopolitical space and a changing security landscape marked by disinformation and hybrid warfare. "Conflict is no longer confined by borders," Kotula said, and warned of the threats posed by information manipulation and cyber violence. "Women bring their lived experiences to the table," Gumbonzvanda told Euronews. "They also come as experts who are able to contribute to the solutions," she added, noting that based on years of work by UN Women, it has become clear that peace talks including women tend to be more sustainable. The Deputy Executive Director of UN Women drew on her own experience — she was born during the 1964-1979 Zimbabwe War of Independence — to emphasise the important role women played during that time. "When early warning signs start to show, it is the women who care for each other and yet they struggle to be part of the solutions," she explained. Women-led grassroots organisations were at the core of Wednesday's discussions. "It's not just about the top level; it's the women on the ground," one panellist pointed out. Yet various barriers remain in place which prevent women from unlocking their full potential in peace and security processes. A lack of adequate funding and resources for women-led organisations was identified and unanimously agreed on as a key hurdle. Data by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) revealed that international aid from donors in 2024 fell by 7.1% compared to the previous year. The OECD noted that this was the first drop reported after five years of consecutive growth. Earlier this month, UN Women warned that the global aid cuts may force organisations helping women in crisis to shut down. A report they published found that 90% of the 411 women-led and women's rights organisations surveyed said they had been impacted by aid cuts. The report also predicted that half of the organisations may have to shut down in six months if current funding levels persist. "Resourcing community and women-led initiatives as part of WPS Agenda is an imperative, it is not a choice," Gumbonzvanda told Euronews. Kotula told Euronews that the European Democracy Shield, a special committee created to respond to new geopolitical challenges, should incorporate financing for women's organisations. Kotula emphasised the role civil society and women's organisations played when the European Union was hit with back-to-back crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which sparked a major refugee crisis. "First in line were usually civil society and women's organisations, it was on their shoulders. So that's why it's one of the reasons that when we now need the funding, it's because we know they passed the test when it comes to [handling] crises, and we know we can count on them," Kotula said. The Polish minister for equality admitted that the topic of gender equality and gender-based violence has been pushed under the rug for far too long, but assured her efforts to incorporate both into Poland's new national action plan. "Poland had been facing backlash for many years, then we won the elections, and we opened the window a bit," Kotula said. She referred back to last year, when the definition of rape was changed under Polish law, and added that she now hopes to use this "window of opportunity," to also crack down on the issue of gender based violence. In 2024, global military spending reached its highest year-on-year rise since the end of the Cold War, a study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) revealed. The start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the uncertainty of European security under US President Donald Trump pushed the continent to rethink its defence readiness. As a result, all European countries, with the exception of Malta, increased their military spending in 2024. However, Founder and CEO of International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, argued that shifting the focus to increased militarisation undermines the power of social defence. "We are reducing our own security in the name of militarised security," Naraghi-Anderlini told Euronews. Naraghi-Anderlini, who hosts the podcast "If You Were in Charge", said women peacebuilders take a radically different approach to conflict resolution. In stark contrast to armed conflict, they instead bring "a radical commitment to nonviolence." "Sitting and talking, not shooting, as a driving force," she said. The podcast host said women peacebuilders have the ability "to disarm intellectually, mentally and emotionally." Naraghi-Anderlini said that as a result, women are often stereotyped as soft, but in reality it is an extremely powerful quality when it comes to peace negotiations, where there's often a lot of "mistrust, existential fear, anger and trauma." During her opening remarks, Naraghi-Anderlini outlined how her organisation successfully supported local communities with $11 million (€9.75 million), emphasising the significant impact was made with "just a fraction of the cost of weaponry and military equipment." "This kind of peacebuilding work is actually quite cheap, but it's really important. So if it disappears, we're really wasting investment and good work," she told Euronews. Naraghi-Anderlini said that while conflict is natural, the use of violence is a choice. "And yet they've made it seem as if violence is inevitable, as if war is inevitable because it benefits the arms industry." US President Donald Trump's administration has rescinded Harvard University's ability to admit international students as part of its intensifying conflict with the Ivy League institution. The Trump administration says that thousands of current students are required to either transfer to different universities or leave the country. 'This means Harvard can no longer enrol foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,' stated the US Department of Homeland Security in a statement. The agency made the announcement on Thursday, stating that Harvard has fostered an unsafe campus atmosphere by permitting "anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators" to attack Jewish students on its grounds. Furthermore, it alleged that Harvard has collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party, claiming that it hosted and provided training to members of a Chinese paramilitary organisation as recently as 2024. Harvard University has nearly 6,800 international students enrolled at its campus located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which represents over a quarter of its total student population. The majority of these students are pursuing graduate studies and hail from more than 100 different countries. Harvard called the action unlawful and said it's working to provide guidance to students. 'This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard's academic and research mission,' the university said in a statement. The conflict between the Trump administration and Harvard, the oldest and most affluent university in the United States, has escalated since Harvard became the first institution to openly resist the White House's requests for changes at elite schools that have been labelled as brewing grounds of liberalism and antisemitism. The federal government has reduced federal grants to Harvard by $2.6 billion (€2.3 billion), forcing the university to self-finance a significant portion of its extensive research activities. Trump has expressed his desire to strip the university of its tax-exempt status. US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem says the decision to bar Harvard from hosting international students for the upcoming academic year stems from the school's inability to comply with a 16 April request demanding information on foreign students. The request from the Homeland Security department demanded the Ivy League university to provide data related to students who were involved in protests or dangerous activity on campus to be considered for deportation. Noem said Harvard can regain its ability to host foreign students if it produces the desired records on them within 72 hours. Her updated request demands all records, including audio or video footage of the students. Students in Harvard College Democrats said the Trump administration is playing with students' lives to push a radical agenda and to quiet dissent. 'Trump's attack on international students is text book authoritarianism — Harvard must continue to hold the line,' the group said in a statement. The administration drew condemnation from free speech groups, including the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which said Noem is demanding a 'surveillance state.' "This sweeping fishing expedition reaches protected expression and must be flatly rejected," the group said.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Experts Call On Security Council To Protect Women And Girls In Gaza And Restore Peace
GENEVA (21 May 2025) – The UN Security Council must urgently address Israel's unprecedented assault on civilians in Gaza and reaffirm its commitments to the Women, Peace and Security agenda, a group of independent human rights experts* said today. 'Ahead of the Council's open debate on civilian protection under Greece's presidency, we urge meaningful discussion of the grave and gendered impacts of the unfolding genocide on women and girls in the besieged Gaza Strip,' the experts said. The experts stressed that attacks have shattered every aspect of civilian life, with distinctly gendered consequences, and that Palestinian girls and women of all ages have suffered in staggering numbers, while Israel continues to deny critical humanitarian access. They noted that over 28,000 women and girls have been killed, thousands have been injured and nearly 1 million displaced. Close to 13,000 women are now single heads of households. The entire population is still confronted with a critical risk of famine. Nearly 71,000 children and 17,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women will need urgent treatment for acute malnutrition in the immediate future. Women continue to mourn profound losses while caring for families with little to no access to water, medicine, adequate food, sanitary products, or sexual and reproductive health care. Women and girls with disabilities face especially acute risks - disproportionately experiencing neglect, heightened exposure to violence, and significant barriers in accessing essential services, the experts noted. 'The destruction of civilian infrastructure and profound suffering inflicted on women and girls demands immediate and sustained action by the Security Council,' the experts said. 'The devastation experienced by women, girls, and entire communities is not incidental – it is the consequence of intentional policies and actions by Israel. The killings of thousands of women and girls may constitute the deliberate infliction of conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction, in whole or in part, of the Palestinian people.' The experts noted that while Palestinian women and girls in Gaza are victims of this indiscriminate and disproportionate military assault, women, as journalists, medical workers, teachers, lawyers, and aid workers, continue to care, document, and resist despite unbearable losses. 'Girls and other children report walking long distances for remote learning, even as they fear bombings along the way. They cling to uniforms and books, still hoping to return to classrooms—even when those spaces are no longer safe,' the experts said. Reiterating their repeated calls for a permanent ceasefire and the need for protection and accountability measures, the experts urged the Council to respond to the specific gendered impacts of the crisis. Women, Peace and Security commitments, they noted, must not be sidelined from core peace and security discussions. 'In Gaza, the rules of engagement and fundamental protections owed to civilians have been intentionally, persistently and flagrantly violated,' the experts warned. 'If the Security Council fails to confront this profound breakdown in compliance and accountability, and what it means for humanity and multilateralism, the very foundations of international law risk becoming meaningless.'
