HeForShe for Peacekeeping: Advancing Gender Equality in UN Peace Operations

29 May 2024 is International Day of UN Peacekeepers and to commemorate this day, we look back at the “HeForShe for Peacekeeping” session held last year as part of the Korea Peacekeeping Forum for Women's Empowerment in Seoul, Korea. Military officials and diplomats from around the world met in Seoul to celebrate and support women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peace operations. The event brought together high and middle ranking military officials, diplomats, and UN staff, affirming the critical importance of the women, peace, and security agenda and promotion of gender equality in UN peacekeeping operations.

As the first of its kind in the Republic of Korea (RoK), the Forum was organized by the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality, in partnership with the Ministry of the National Defense (MND) of the Republic of Korea and followed the country’s election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2024-2025 term.

As the keynote speaker of the Forum, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recounted his appointment of Major General Kristin Lund as UN’s first-ever woman military chief in 2014, who became the UN Peacekeeping Force Commander in Cyprus. Following Mr. Ban’s historical action, more women military leaders were appointed thereafter as UN Peacekeeping Force Commanders.

The Forum highlighted the crucial role of military men to bring about structural changes in predominantly male-dominated armed forces and UN peacekeeping forces. Speakers of the “HeForShe for Peacekeeping” session powerfully made their case as to why having more women in peace operations is necessary and important, based on their own on-the-ground experiences as men in military leadership positions.

Speakers of the Forum also stressed some of the challenges in attaining women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peace operations. Recounting their service, Major General Cheryl Pearce, LieutenantGeneral Ingrid Gjerde, and Colonel B. Wood, spoke about gendered stereotypes that still exist, and made concrete recommendations on how to attract and enable more women to serve and thrive in UN peace operations and to develop their careers.

The Forum took place on the last day of the Women’s Military Peace Operations Course (WMPOC), an initiative of UN Women, supported by Member States and the Integrated Training Service of the UN Department of Peace Operations. The WMPOC is a unique training program specifically designed and targeted to prepare selected women military officers for deployment to United Nations Peacekeeping operations.

The Centre’s Director, Jeongshim Lee stated, 

"I would like to emphasize that “empowerment of women” should not be considered just a women’s issue, but it should be recognized, pursued, and honored as everyone’s business—because empowering women in peacekeeping and in all other areas of the society makes everyone safer, happier, and more prosperous. UN Women will continue to uphold its mandate of empowering women and girls everywhere around the world, and we will continue to partner with the Government of the Republic of Korea as well as with partner nations to achieve our mission.”

The Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality, established with support from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of National Defense to continue cooperation on the women, peace, and security agenda.

Read the original article from UN Women Asia and the Pacific