Funding comes from the Elsie Initiative Fund (EIF), which supports the meaningful participation of women in UN peacekeeping overall.
The funding comes at a time when three countries that provide police officers to UN field operations — Nigeria, Senegal and Togo — have committed to increasing and sustaining the use of women in Formed Police Units (FPUs) in the years to come.
scale numbers
Senegal plans to increase this from the current 18 percent to 26 percent in 2025. Togo aims to double the use of women from 11 percent to 25 percent, while Nigeria aims to maintain its current share of 24 percent.
minus ma will use the grant to build seven housing units, 19 sanitation facilities, four laundry rooms and a dedicated recreation room, improving the working and living conditions for women peacekeepers.
Women should have equal opportunities to be deployed on the ground, and their contribution to the operational success of peacekeeping missions has been critical, according to UN Peacekeeping.
A supportive environment
Mixed-sex FPUs enhance collaboration with the communities they serve and improve the mission’s ability to carry out its mandated duties, including public order management and high-visibility patrols.
But “to reap the benefits of having more diverse peacekeeping teams We need to create an enabling environment this will support the meaningful participation of women,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations.
“This support from the Elsie Initiative Fund contributes to gender-sensitive peace operations that can better help build and protect peace and security around the world,” he added.
Breaking down structural barriers
Senegal is currently the largest contributor of police to UN peacekeeping operations.
In a statement last year commemorating the integration of women into FPUs, the Senegalese National Police proposed the provision of gender-specific shelters as a prerequisite for inclusive peacekeeping.
The Inspector General of the Force, Seydou Bocar Yague, welcomed this project as a milestone that will enable a sustainable increase in the use of women at MINUSMA.
Through its separate EIF-funded project, Senegal aims to remove structural barriers to meaningful women’s participation in the national police force by deploying gender-specific units to UN peacekeeping, establishing a roster of trained women for deployment, adopting a gender equality policy and recruiting women strengthened .
visions into reality
Togo’s Minister of Security and Disaster Relief, Brigadier General Damehame Yark, underscored the importance of the project.
“The operational efficiency and professionalism of female personnel in the security forces is a well-known fact. So I’m grateful for this project – it will allow us to turn our vision of increasing women’s participation in our FPUs into reality,” he said.
Togo is sixth in the list of countries providing police officers serving at the United Nations. The country also received an EIF grant to conduct a study to assess the barriers, opportunities and challenges faced by its women police officers to increase their meaningful participation in UN operations.
Nigeria is the 15th largest police contributor to UN peacekeeping operations.
“Nigeria has consistently contributed mixed-gender units to MINUSMA. We appreciate the support of the Elsie Initiative Fund, which will make a significant contribution to improving the living and working conditions of peacekeepers,” said Alkali Baba Usman, Inspector General of Police.
commitment to progress
MINUSMA is the first UN peacekeeping mission whose police component is led by two women – as Police Commissioner and Deputy Police Commissioner.
Over the past decade, it has made promoting meaningful participation by women a priority, in addition to incorporating gender perspectives into operations.
MINUSMA is the second UN mission after the organization’s force in Lebanon, UNIFILreceive an EIF grant to create a more inclusive, effective and sustainable environment.
