India co-sponsors Indonesia's women in peacekeeping resolution at United Nations

India co-sponsored a Security Council resolution in the United Nations seeking women's participation in peacekeeping missions on Friday, August 28. The resolution was tabled by Indonesia, calling for "full, effective, and meaningful" participation of women in peacekeeping operations.

India's Permanent Mission at the United Nations said that it was "proud" to support the resolution put forth by Indonesia and will continue to push for greater involvement of women in all areas. 

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Ever since Indonesia took charge as president of the Security Council in 2019, it has been advocating participation of women in UN peacekeeping operations. Indonesia had tabled the draft resolution regarding women in peacekeeping earlier and it was expected to announce the result of the voting on Friday. As per reports, the resolution has been passed by a consensus, however, the United Nations is yet to inform about the development officially. 

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India's women in peacekeeping

Meanwhile, India, which has a long tradition of sending peacekeeping forces to the United Nations, made history in 2007 when it deployed the first all-women Former Police Unit in the UN Mission in Liberia.

India is one of the largest troop contributors to the UN peacekeeping operations and it has been sending women forces for UN missions since the 1960s. Indian women served in the Republic on Congo in the early 1960s after the country gained independence from Belgium and a conflict ignited constituting a series of civil wars. Indian women served in the Armed Forces Medical Services of the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, which was a rare sight then.

(Image Credit: UN/Website)

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