Research exercise: Timor-Leste, UN Women Peacekeepers, and the Gender Gap

This presentation examines the role of women in United Nations peacekeeping operations, using the example of recent operations in Timor-Leste, and makes the case that there is a need for more female United Nations peacekeepers to partake in post conflict peacekeeping operations, democratization and social and political reconstruction in order to promote gender equality. Women are mostly sidelined or alienated in the participation of various peacebuilding and societal reconstruction. This creates a false conception that women are ignorant in such areas and have nothing to offer to peacekeeping efforts. However, women have played a vital role at the grassroots level in soliciting for peace building, reconciliation and the promotion and protection of their fundamental rights and freedoms. They actually undertake many activities dealing with post war and conflict peacebuilding and socio-economic reconstruction. Women resort to different techniques and strategies than men in undertaking these tasks, focusing on agricultural, cultural and moral sectors. Most countries have taken bold steps towards the adherence and the recognition of these gender inequalities. Some countries have then entrenched and enshrined these political and economic rights of women in their codified constitutions. But these have helped a little but have not been able to solve the entire problem due to cultural misconceptions and financial constraints in governmental affairs. Also, the hierarchical structure of various organizations and institutions does not allow for the true realization or implementation of these policies.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stander_posters/1529/thumbnail.jp