Department of Peacekeeping Operations

Gender Unit: An updated Gender Equality and Women, Peace and Security Resource Package is being finalized which includes dedicated chapters on CRSV and SGBV. This comprehensive resource tool will act as the main comprehensive resource and a “how to guide” to integrate gender and WPS for all peacekeeping personnel across all components and functions of peacekeeping operations; and will provide good practices to enhance evidence based programming. 

Successful collaboration between DPKO and civilian police advisers has resulted in the establishment of special units within police stations to deal with violence against women, provision of private spaces for women to report gender-based violence, and establishment of safe houses for women victims of violence. Drawing from the experience in Sierra Leone, family support units have been established in Liberia. UNIFEM also supports the creation of specialised institutions, such as police gender desks.

DPKO gender units support regional and national initiatives to respond to gender-based violence, for example by working with national machineries for the advancement of women as is the case in Haiti, Timor-Leste, Kosovo and Burundi. DPKO civilian police advisers in missions assist local police in crime prevention and investigation.

The Civilian Police Section of DPA/United Nations Peace-building Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA) conducted training for national gendarme officers on human rights issues and gender-based violence. DPKO Gender Advisers have partnered with UNPOL to highlight gender-based violence in training for National Police.

In Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burundi and Haiti, DPKO gender units/advisors contribute to national consultative processes on reform and adoption of legislation on violence against women generally, or on issues such as rape or domestic violence. Such units/advisers provide support to national authorities, including ministries of gender equality or justice, and law reform commissions.

DPKO Gender Advisers support the adoption and implementation of laws to address SGBV at national level.

Peace Operations regularly support national legal, judicial and correctional institutions in gender-sensitive reform processes, including legal and policy reform. Peacekeeping missions, in partnership with the UNCT and the women civil society actors have been supporting gender responsive legislative development, including addressing SGBV and VAW. Particular missions to mention – Haiti (MINUJUSTH), CAR (MINUSCA), DRC(MONUSCO), Mali(MINUSMA) and Sudan (with  UNAMID) 

Several DPKO missions have supported, or implemented training activities for mission personnel and other stakeholders on gender-based violence against women, as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and Timor-Leste.

DPKO gender units/advisers collaborate and partner with different units within a peacekeeping mission to combat violence against women, in particular those dealing with human rights, conduct and discipline, children, or HIV/AIDS, as is the case in Burundi. DPKO gender units in peacekeeping missions increasingly participate in country-based United Nations inter-agency initiatives and mechanisms to address gender-based violence against women, for example in Haiti, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Sudan and Burundi.

In West Africa, DPKO Gender Advisers from missions in Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Liberia (ONUCI, UNIOSIL and UNMIL) have attended a regional meeting to share best practices and lessons learnt for addressing SGBV.