Washington, DC – In 60 years of UN peacekeeping—from 1948 to 2008—only seven women have ever held the top post in peacekeeping operations, that of Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), according to a new study by Women in International Security, a non-profit organization that supports women in peace and security careers.

The report entitled Women in United Nations Peace Operations: Increasing Leadership Opportunities reveals multiple factors that impede the selection of women at the highest levels of leadership, including a non-transparent and highly political process and self-elimination, even among highly-qualified women. According to the research, women in the UN are concentrated in the junior ranks, and many are leaving the system before they can reach senior positions.

In an organization that includes 192 countries, women in the UN grapple with biases, negative attitudes, and discrimination. According to the report, “the lack of women in senior positions in the UN, particularly in peacekeeping missions, reflects the reality that significant cultural and institutional impediments remain to women’s entry and advancement within the UN.” With so few women at the top, there is tremendous pressure to succeed for those who reach leadership positions. But when women do serve in peacekeeping missions, they often exhibit styles of leadership that are consultative, inclusive, and collaborative. Women often serve as powerful role models to younger women – both inside the UN and in the countries in which peacekeeping missions operate.

Based on over 50 interviews in the UN Secretariat, in UN agencies in New York and in peacekeeping missions, as well as with key national governments and non-governmental organizations, the report includes data and analysis on the number of women who have served in senior-level positions in UN peace operations, and the impact of women’s presence on the operations—for the UN and the host countries. It includes key findings and recommendations for the UN, member states, and NGO’s to facilitate women’s leadership in senior-level positions.

With the support of the Compton Foundation, this report is part of the ongoing Women In Peace Operations Project, which was created in 2006 to improve the capacity of international and regional organizations to engage in peace operations by expanding the opportunities available to women with relevant expertise.