Summary:
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The money comes from the Elsie Initiative Fund (EIF), which encourages women to participate in all parts of UN peacekeeping.
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Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo, three countries that send police officers to UN field operations, have agreed to increase and keep the number of women in Formed Police Units (FPUs) for the next few years.
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On the list of nations sending police to work for the UN, Togo comes in sixth place.
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A grant from the EIF was also given to the country so that it could do a study on the challenges, opportunities, and problems that its female police officers face so that they can be more useful in UN operations.
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In terms of police contributions to UN peace operations, Nigeria ranks fifteenth.
The money comes from the Elsie Initiative Fund (EIF), which encourages women to take part in all parts of UN peacekeeping.
Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo, three countries that send police officers to UN field operations, have agreed to increase and keep the number of women in Formed Police Units (FPUs) for the next few years. This is why the money is being given.
Increasing numbers
Senegal intends to increase its scale from 18% to 26% in 2025. Togo plans to increase the proportion of women in the military from 11% to 25%, whereas Nigeria wants to keep the present number at 24%.
With the grant, MINUSMA will build seven housing units, 19 bathrooms, four laundry rooms, and a place for soldiers to relax. This will make it easier for women to live and work there.
Women should have equal opportunities to deploy to the field, according to UN Peacekeeping, because they play a critical role in the operational success of peacekeeping missions.
A hospitable setting
Mixed-gender FPUs strengthen the Mission’s ability to carry out its statutory activities, including public order control and high visibility patrols, and increase engagement with the communities they serve.
But according to Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, “to reap the benefits of having more diverse teams in peacekeeping, we need to build an enabling environment that will encourage women’s meaningful engagement.”
He continued, “This funding from the Elsie Initiative Fund supports gender-responsive peace operations that can more effectively contribute to the maintenance and defense of peace and security across the globe.”
Addressing stumbling blocks
Currently, Senegal is the country that contributes the most personnel to UN peace operations.
In a statement last year recognizing the inclusion of women in FPUs, the Senegal National Police said that housing that takes gender into account should be a requirement for inclusive peacekeeping.
Seydou Bocar Yague, in charge of the force, praised this project as a milestone that will allow the number of women working for MINUSMA to keep growing.
Senegal plans to use a separate EIF-funded project to remove structural barriers that make it hard for women to do meaningful work in the national police. To do this, the country will send gender-strong units to UN peacekeeping missions, compile a list of trained women for deployment, adopt a gender policy, and increase women’s recruitment.
Realization of a vision
Togo’s Minister of Security and Civil Protection, Brigadier General Damehame Yark, stressed how important the project was.
The operational effectiveness and professionalism of female security force officers are well known. I’m thankful for this project because it will help us reach our goal of getting more women involved in our FPUs.
On the list of nations sending police to work for the UN, Togo comes in sixth place. A grant from the EIF was also given to the country so that it could do a study on the challenges, opportunities, and problems that its female police officers face so that they can be more useful in UN operations.
In terms of police contributions to UN peace operations, Nigeria ranks fifteenth.
“Nigeria has continuously provided MINUSMA with mixed-gender units. Alkali Baba Usman, Inspector General of Police, said, “We welcome the help from the Elsie Initiative Fund that will have a tremendous influence on enhancing the living and working circumstances of peacekeepers.”
A dedication to the advancement
The police component of MINUSMA is the first UN peace operation to be led by two women, the Police Commissioner and Deputy Police Commissioner.
In addition to taking gender into account in its operations, it has put women’s meaningful participation at the top of its list of priorities for the past ten years.
After the Organization’s force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, MINUSMA is the second UN Mission to get money from the EIF to help create a more open, efficient, and long-lasting environment.
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