World's First All-Women UN Peacekeeping Unit

On September 21st, the New York Times ran an article titled Bangladesh Produces World’s First All-Women UN Peacekeeping Unit. It is indeed a significant step in what appears to be the United Nations’ Corrective Action Plan vis-a-vis their peacekeeping missions. However, despite the significance of this move, this news article received little attention in mainstream media. In fact, the New York Times dedicated all of one paragraph to the article and readers’ interest garnered but a single comment. This is the shameful state of affairs that women, peace and security still face, despite it being 15 years since the passage of UNSCR 1325.

As they embark on their mission, this group of all-female peacekeepers face three major challenges; rectifying past wrongs, setting the bar for future peacekeeping missions and shattering the gender glass ceiling within the United Nation’s structure.

The need for such an all-female unit is great and has been the case for a number of years. This unit of female peacekeepers must rise to the challenge faced by the entire UN peacekeeping system, resulting from numerous indiscretions on the part of male peacekeepers.  Rectifying past wrongs of their male predecessors is a surmountable task, which is burdened by incidents of criminality including engagement in rape and soliciting prostitutes. These women embark on a journey to the Caribbean island of Haiti where UN Peace Keepers have a bleak track record. As such, this unit of all-female UN Peace Keepers is not a mistake. Theirs is an unenviable task of resurrecting the corp for what it was originally created for from its current lows as a result of indiscretions by male UN peacekeepers.

But the international public perception is only one layer of a multi layered image issue. The second layer is that of the wrath of their own Bengali patriarchal culture whose shadow they must overcome in their engagement as UN Peacekeepers. In a patriarchal culture such as the one that these women come from in Bangladesh, theirs is an extremely bold step towards shattering the glass ceiling within a nation. The challenges these women will face as they depart from their homes on their mission to the Caribbean are worth applauding.

The third layer is the challenge of establishing their equanimity as they navigate the labyrinth that is the United Nations system. A hierarchy that is traditionally a white male dominated structure.

The overarching challenge remains in turning the complex issue of using power for the purposes of establishing peace. This is a step forward as peace can never be totally achieved without the input of women; a 50% of any society. Having a female peacekeeping force will allow for the integration of the typically marginalized half of societies plagued with violent conflicts. The same women that in many cases affect peace, studies show, will be able to interact positively with the peacekeeping mission instead of fearing them.

In general, while this is a significant step in the right direction, this is not a silver bullet of sorts. Appointing an all-female unit will not automatically resolve all of the issues that have plagued the UN Peacekeeping structure. As laid out above, the challenges these women will face as they engage the communities they serve and their male counterparts, are numerous. While this is a step in the right direction, the path these women have embarked on is a first step on a long and hard journey. As such, we in the world of peacebuilding should not become complacent.