United Nations Reform: Improving Peace Operations By Advancing the Role of Women

Report (PDF): United Nations Reform: Improving Peace Operations By Advancing the Role of Women

In November 2006, WIIS, in coordination with the Stanley Foundation, launched a new project to increase the numbers and opportunities for women in peace operations globally. The project identifies the obstacles (political, institutional, etc.) that prevent more women from attaining leadership positions in peace operations and develop mechanisms to facilitate the selection of highly qualified women to serve at senior levels in such operations.

This project is intended to provide useful quantitative and qualitative data on women’s participation in leadership positions in peace operations; encourage the development of more transparent procedures for identifying and selecting leaders of missions (at the national, regional and international levels); improve understanding of the qualities, experiences, and skills that are needed in multidimensional operations; increase the visibility of qualified, senior level women within institutions that lead peace operations for leadership roles, and encourage reform of bureaucratic and institutional structures to provide expanded opportunities for women.

With support from the Stanley Foundation, WIIS has convened relevant actors within international organizations, governments, and the NGO community in consultations in New York and Washington DC on this topic.

Following these consultations, an analytical study is now available, which examines the participation of women in UN and other peace operations since 1990. This study incorporates findings of the consultations and provides policy recommendations, including recommendations on the establishment of a roster of qualified female candidates.