on Thursday highlighted the growing participation of Peruvian women in United Nations peace operations —to such an extent that the percentage of national female personnel has exceeded the objectives set by the UN.
Currently 37 women are part of the Peruvian military personnel assigned to different peace missions in the world. Six (6) of them serve as General Staff officers, five (5) as military observers, and 26 make up the military group of the
Peruvian Engineering Contingent. All of them are part of the total of 236 Peruvian military members.
Taking into account Resolution No. 1325 of the
Security Council, the
United Nations has been implementing and executing strategies that seek to increase female military participation in its peace operations, with certain percentages of participation in each task.
For the cases of military observers and members of the General Staff, the proposal by the
UN —for the year 2020— was 17%, and 25% for 2028. To date, of 18 Peruvian military observers, five (5) are women (28%); and of 13 Peruvian staff members, six (6) are women (46%).
The presence of female personnel in peace operations has helped mitigate conflicts and confrontations, improve access to and support for local women, empower female citizens in the community, and foster a greater sense of security in the local population —particularly in the cases of women and children.
(END) NDP/CVC/MVB