Delivering WPS Protection in All Female Peacekeeping Force

Abstract

The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has been touted as one of the most successful UN Missions when it comes to providing peace, but also when it comes to gender equality. The mission was home to the first all-female–formed police unit and was one of the first to incorporate gender in its peacekeeping mandates. As such, it stands out as an example for other missions. Upon closer inspection, however, UNMIL still suffers from many challenges associated with implementing gender balancing and gender mainstreaming. This chapter explores the mission’s successes in increasing participation among female peacekeepers, as well as the protection roles that female peacekeepers occupied. It also highlights some of the existing challenges that UNMIL and other peacekeeping missions more broadly must overcome to better achieve the goals of the women, peace, and security agenda. While, UNMIL’s mandate noted the importance of WPS, female peacekeepers experienced restrictions to their mobility and interactions with locals that may have prevented them from reaching their full potential in providing protection and preventing violence.