Gender equality under threat: UN officials highlight dangers of withdrawing peacekeepers
Sima Bahous, CEO United Nations Womenadvocate for gender equality around the world, told ambassadors at Security Council that some governments are making cuts despite growing conflict and instability.
“Counterintuitively, in the face of unprecedented levels of conflict and violence, the number of peacekeepers deployed has been cut by nearly half. from 121,000 in 2016 to about 71,000 in 2024.”
She highlighted the growing misogyny and violence against women and girls, adding that wars were being fought without regard for their lives, rights, well-being or autonomy.
Shifting Hastily Between Volatility
In the briefing, Martha Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa at the Department of Peacebuilding Affairs, warned of the implications of rushing into a transition amid political tensions, persistent security threats, protection concerns and unprepared domestic stakeholders.
“If the transition is not well-designed, resourced and gender-responsive, women and girls will be at risk. of failures,” she said.
These risks can include loss of access to essential services, exclusion from decision-making processes and further vulnerability to violence.
Alarm sounds in Haiti
UN Women’s Bahous cited the case of Haiti, where calls to protect gender equality gains came soon after the UN peacekeeping mission left. MINUSTAH. The alarm has been raised about kidnappings, rapes and other acts of violence against women and girls by criminal groups.
Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, briefs the Security Council meeting on women, peace and security.
“It was April 2019. Ten months later, the peacekeepers left.…four and a half years ago,” she said.
“Nearly 5,000 rapes were reported to case managers and service providers in Haiti in 2023, while murders, kidnappings and sexual violence are increasing every year and show no signs of slowing down,” she added.
Profits fall in Mali
Ms. Pobee noted the situation in Mali, where a UN peacekeeping force MINUSMA closed in December 2023 at the request of the interim military government.
Before its rapid departure, the country had seen “transformational” progress that increased women’s political participation.
“However, the withdrawal of MINUSMA has had a negative impact on peacebuilding programmes focusing on women and girls and on sustaining gains made in the political sphere,” said Ms. Pobee.
Fears for DR Congo, Sudan
She also expressed concern about the recent departure of missions from key hotspots in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), resulting in security vacuums and greater vulnerability for women and girls.
Martha Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, briefs the Security Council meeting on women, peace and security.
The withdrawal has reduced the UN’s capacity to support national partners in addressing conflict-related sexual violence in a range of areas, including investigation, reporting and support for survivors.
Other challenges relate to limited funding and the ability to implement existing national action plans related to women, peace and security.
Close the gaps
Ms. Balhous called for significant steps to help address the gaps left by the rapid withdrawal of UN missions.
The Security Council needs to ensure that the transition protects gender equality and women’s participation through regular decisions and interactions with host governments and organizations, she said.
In addition, there is a need for regular engagement of women in civil society to chart the impact on the ground, while also facilitating monitoring by Informal Expert Group on Women and Peace and Security.
It should also prioritize funding for women’s peace and security work, partnering with financial institutions and ensuring adequate resource allocation when missions end.
“We fear for a future of increasing atrocities against women, their increasing marginalization in decision-making and ultimately the failure of the international community.,” she speaks,
“That prospect is, and I am convinced is, unacceptable to all of us.”
