The representation of women in African-led peace support operations

Abstract

The discourse on the evolving nature of African-led peace support operations (pso) is not complete without asking how gender-inclusive they are. Women have historically been underrepresented within the peace and security space. While several interventions have been made to ensure that pso s on the continent become better, the same cannot be said for gender inclusion. This article examines the participation of women in African-led pso s. It draws on Rwanda as a case study to contextualize the discourse on how gender inclusive African police and troops contributing countries (p/tcc s) are. The analysis finds that efforts at improving pso s on the African continent have not translated into increased representation of women. In particular, African p/tcc s are yet to ensure a considerable number of women in their deployments. The article recommends that there needs to be concerted effort by African p/tcc s and other regional organizations to ensure gender-inclusivity in African-led pso s.