Zambian peacekeepers during training (source)
In an effort to boost women’s participation in global peace operations, The Elsie Initiative
Fund for Uniformed Women in Peace Operations (EIF) announced that the Zambia Police
Service (ZPS) will receive a grant of $932,072 USD on February 7, 2023. The EIF was
established in 2019 by Canada to help meet the UN gender parity targets in the peacekeeping domain. The goal of this boost in funding is to create a more enabling institutional environment for women.
Zambia is amongst the top 25 highest contributors of uniformed personnel to UN
peacekeeping. In 2020, the country was one of seven that piloted an assessment study aimed to identify obstacles to women’s participation in UN peace operations. This study used a methodology called Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP), developed by the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. Based on the results of this study, the ZPS has begun different projects to address these barriers at the strategic and policy levels. For example, one project will tackle the lack of lodging infrastructure for women police officers by constructing new facilities and a daycare center to enable women to fully participate in training. Another project aims to foster a more gender-sensitive culture through the development of a mandatory Anti-Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) policy that will be disseminated in workshops for all ZPS personnel.
The goal by 2028 is as follows:
● 15% women working as military peacekeepers in troop contingents
● 20% women in formed police units
● 25% women working as military observers and staff officers
● 30% women working as individual police officers
Upon the completion of these projects, the ZPS is striving to assemble over 100 women
eligible to work as UN peacekeepers. Working towards gender equality requires systemic and policy-level changes, and Zambia has set an outstanding example with these projects.
Contributors: Suzanne Li
Sources: