India Hailed For Pioneering Role Of Women Peacekeepers

NEW YORK, NY – India’s women peacekeepers inspire women in conflict zones and improve civilian protection, the UN Peacebuilding Commission was told.

Indian women peacekeepers, who were pioneers in the UN mission deployments, “inspire women in conflict zones through example, that they, too, can be leaders and peacebuilders,” P. Wilson, Rajya Sabha member from the DMK said on October 27 at the Commission’s meeting on Women, Peace and Security.

“They build trust in communities and give hope to vulnerable populations, particularly women and children,” he said, adding that “most critically, they help address gender-based violence and ensure that peace processes reflect the needs and perspectives of all segments of society.”

The meeting was in observance of the 25th anniversary of the Security Council’s adoption of a landmark resolution that called for enhancing the role of women in UN missions, involving them in peace negotiations, and protecting them against violence.

Long before the resolution was adopted, Indian women medical officers served in the peacekeeping operation in Congo in the 1960s.

What makes India’s peacekeeping legacy unique is that it was among the first to recognize that women are “indispensable agents of sustainable peace,” he said.

The UN’s first all-women police unit came from India when it was deployed in Liberia in 2007, and this pioneering initiative inspired local women to join their national police and security services. (IANS)