Peacekeeping Experiences in Navigating Gender Mainstreaming and UNSCR 1325: Individual, Organizational and Operational Realities for Integrating Gender Equality into Peace and Security

Abstract

Gender mainstreaming in United Nations Peace Operations, mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, requires societal transformation for full implementation across diverse communities. Adopted in 2000, the resolution calls not only for increasing the representation of women in UN peace operations, as often understood within the United Nations (UN), but also for a deep commitment by UN member states to social justice to eradicate embedded inequalities and promote peace and security for all. My empirical research, based on interviews with peacekeepers from Bangladesh, reveals that UN peacekeepers encounter complex challenges in post-conflict societies, including navigating militarized institutional cultures, operating in risky settings, and confronting gendered protection norms that hinder effective peacekeeping and reconstruction. It also shows that the reinforcement of patriarchy, masculinity, and militarization creates significant obstacles for women, including inequality, restricted mobility, insecurity, and exclusion, preventing them from reaping peace dividends. UN peacekeepers are tasked with protecting civilians and maintaining peace and security through their operations, programmatic actions, and gender mainstreaming efforts. Therefore, understanding barriers to women's equal participation in UN peace processes remains crucial for identifying practical strategies to eliminate them. To this end, my research critically assesses the current effectiveness and inherent shortcomings of peacekeeping training as a tool for implementing the WPS agenda, with a particular focus on gender mainstreaming. The study's recommendations highlight the need to improve this training to be effective, gender-responsive, and transformative. As vectors for peace, peacekeepers must understand local specificities within cultural contexts and address the challenges to gender mainstreaming while navigating the broader systemic flaws of post-conflict reconstruction.