The Uganda Police Force (UPF) has today, Thursday, June 29, 2023, launched an assessment report on barriers to the deployment of women officers in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations, where it pledges to enhance gender equality in the peacekeeping operations.
The report that was conducted by the Makerere University Rotary Peace Centre indicates information obtained from 28 Police regions in the country through a survey of 434 respondents and 31 Key informants between March 2022 and February 2023.
According to the police, this will inform gender interventions within the Force.
The Police reiterated their commitment to enhancing gender equality within the security force and promised to implement a number of recommendations.
“Implementing these recommendations will contribute towards achieving gender parity, especially in the deployment of officers to UN Peacekeeping missions,” a police statement read in response to the report.
According to the report, the biggest impediments affecting women’s deployment are eligibility and a lack of women in the police force to deploy. Women make up only 19% of the Ugandan police force, thus there aren’t enough to go around.
Women’s deployment has also been hampered by the deployment and selection criteria used, such as how selects are selected and whether they are influenced or based on merit. Household restrictions were seen as the most significant impediment to female deployments. Social exclusions, gender laws, top-down leadership, and career value were some of the barriers reported.
The security force appreciated the report and pledged to make an increased number of female police officers’ meaningful participation in UN Peace operations a reality.
