UN chief calls for more women in UN peace keeping

(May 29, 2009) United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon has called on member nations to increase the number of female personnel deployed in UN missions, noting that the presence of women peacekeepers helps strengthen the peacekeeping operations. In a message to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Ban noted that UN missions need more female peacekeepers, as he admitted that the international community's reliance on UN peacekeeping “continues to deepen” amid a record high deployment of more than 113,000. He cited the valuable contribution of the female peacekeepers in the UN, saying that they help create a safe environment for fellow women who are victims of horrific acts of sexual- and gender-based violence during conflicts. The UN chief also recognized the travails of the UN personnel who gallantly face instability, disease, and violence on a daily basis. He noted that 2008 has had the heaviest toll on UN peacekeepers with 132 deaths among them 10 women. This, he said, "reminds us that female personnel are playing an increasingly important role in peacekeeping, and that they now shoulder grave risks as well." He therefore urged all to draw on the power of women to strengthen UN peacekeeping while helping women and girls themselves to transform their destinies – and societies – for the better."