Who are the women leading peacekeeping?

Major General Anita Asmah is the first African woman to lead a United Nations Peace Operation. When she joined the military more than 30 years ago, she was only the seventh woman in Ghana to join in a non-medical capacity. Today, Major General Asmah is Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights (UNDOF), Syria, one of the United Nations’ most sensitive missions.

To be effective, United Nations Peace Operations must adapt to the evolving needs of communities in crisis. Major General Asmah explains why the presence of women across all ranks matters in this context: “Traditional peacekeeping was designed to observe, monitor and report. Now we are involved in activities such as Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration; we protect civilians, and deal with conflict-related sexual violence – these are sensitive issues that cannot be dealt with by men alone. Women and girls are often most affected by these issues and may feel more comfortable engaging with women peacekeepers when seeking support or sharing information.”

“It is also important not to stereotype peacekeeping roles,” she adds. “Today, we have women serving in logistics, communications and command roles – they are increasingly being employed in more meaningful ways. But more progress is needed. Diverse teams are stronger and more effective. A team with both men and women, from different backgrounds, brings different perspectives and solutions, which better respond to complex challenges and situations.”

Major General Cheryl Pearce is the highest-ranking uniformed woman in the United Nations. She currently serves as the acting United Nations Military Adviser in the Department of Peace Operations, where she ensures that peace operations get the military support they need.

From 2019 to 2021, Major General Pearce served as the Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Then she became Deputy Chief of Army in the Australian Defence Force, making her one of the most senior military leaders in the country.

Negative experiences can often be a key driver pushing women out of national security institutions. For uniformed women, these experiences can include implicit or explicit discrimination from peers, and even sexual harassment and assault. In over 40 years in the military, Major General Pearce has successfully navigated the military’s traditionally ‘hypermasculine’ space and emerged as a dynamic and authentic leader.

Upon entering the military, she explains, “It was the first time I was exposed to the idea that my gender was different in a negative sense – female soldiers were perceived to be holding the men back, or that we would never be as good as them.”

However, her solution was to develop a pragmatic approach: going around – not through – the wall.

As Commandant of Australia’s Defence Academy, where she oversaw the training of future leaders, Major General Pearce was able to use her leadership to transform some of the toxic and discriminatory ideas and attitudes that she had faced in her career.

“Becoming Commandant of our Defence Academy was a cathartic moment for me,” she shared. “Being responsible for developing and guiding the character of the next generation coming through was my chance to ensure they didn’t experience the same things my generation did. I set out to create resilience in the individual, with a sense of belonging to the Academy as a whole. I also held individuals accountable for negative behaviours.”

When Police Commissioner Violet Lusala was posted in the contested region of Abyei in 2021, her aim was to improve the lives of communities living in the oil-rich, conflict-affected region between the borders of Sudan and South Sudan. A transformational leader, Police Commissioner Lusala has applied her 31 years of policing experience to drive internal reforms and strengthen community protection initiatives.

She convinced the UN and local partners to establish an additional Community Protection Committee in the region’s northern area, because there was no local law enforcement service to handle crimes or conflicts among community members, which escalated tensions.

“In the absence of an Abyei Police Service, one of our priorities has been to support a community-based mechanism for upholding the rule of law”, explains Police Commissioner Lusala. “The system allows community members to monitor and report incidents that require further support or investigation. We’re now receiving regular updates from the region, helping bridge that gap between community and rule of law.”

In addition to advancing community protection, Police Commissioner Lusala has successfully expanded the policing presence across all 11 of the mission’s locations. Police Commissioner Lusala also established the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) Women’s Network, to create a forum for women peacekeepers to raise the issues they face and propose solutions.

“When I deployed to Abyei four years ago, it felt relatively deserted due to instability. But now the population is actually growing. It is seen as a relative safe haven for communities from Sudan, South Sudan, and neighbouring countries following the recent outbreak of violence.”

Doris Mogga is an Associate Rule of Law Officer in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Ms. Mogga organises mobile courts to help people in conflict areas get justice, especially survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Her work bridges the gap between local communities and national justice institutions, advocating for accountability, legal reform, and survivor-centred approaches. She also helped with the drafting of the country’s Anti-Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Bill, developed in partnership with UN Women, UNMISS, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The draft is still pending with the Ministry of Justice as it includes clauses on sex with minors, marital rape, and the age of marriage – all considered controversial issues.

At 33, Ms. Mogga is often one of the youngest in the room when dealing with court hearings or policy discussions. She makes it a priority to support junior staff and legal practitioners, visit universities and provide mentorship and advice. For Ms. Mogga, ensuring that young women are recognised for their skills and experience is essential, as she believes they hold the key to lasting peace in South Sudan:

“The most important advice I give is to follow your passion, maintain integrity, and stay focused,” she says. “In South Sudan, societal pressures can keep young women from a successful career – but they play a vital role in the constitution-making process, the peace process, and the country’s future.”

Inspector Samjhana Deuja has served with the Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) for nine years, patrolling the country’s borders to tackle organised crime and other threats to national security. After months of training and assessments, Inspector Deuja is now preparing for her first international peacekeeping mission with UNMISS, in South Sudan. As platoon commander, Inspector Deuja will lead 32 police officers tasked with patrolling and engaging with communities so that they can better identify risks and protect civilians.

Even when uniformed women meet the criteria for deployment to UN Peace Operations, social norms and expectations create significant constraints – especially in contexts where childcare is seen primarily as a woman’s duty. In Nepal, this dynamic is familiar. But not for Inspector Deuja.

“My husband is also in the APF; we were in the same class in officer training,” she shares. “He encouraged me to apply for the UNMISS deployment. Of course, we discussed everything—the security risks, the impact on our family—but he was my biggest supporter. We have two daughters, and he’s well prepared to parent them.”

Since 2019, the Elsie Initiative Fund – hosted by UN Women – has supported 21 projects across 14 countries including two UN Peace Operations in Lebanon and Mali. It has supported countries to deploy seven military and police units in which women comprised 19.6 per cent of personnel in leadership and operational roles. These women have played vital roles in advocacy, welfare, and efforts to address discrimination within their units.

Through barrier assessments supported by the Fund, ten national security institutions now have detailed knowledge of the challenges faced by their women personnel. To develop the pipeline of women in peacekeeping, EIF-supported public information campaigns have reached over 44,000 students – nearly 30,000 of them women – and informed 1,500 military personnel about peacekeeping opportunities and selection criteria.