Women in Multilateral Peace Operations in 2021: What is the State of Play?

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security stresses the importance of women’s full and equal participation in all efforts towards maintaining and promoting peace and security, including peace operations. More than 20 years after the resolution was adopted, some progress has been achieved in improving women’s representation in multilateral peace operations, but there are still gaps to fill. Specific achievements include the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) launching gender parity strategies and establishing specific targets for women’s participation in their respective personnel. At the same time, the European Union (EU) affirmed its political commitment by increasing women’s representation in Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions.

This booklet provides a data-driven analysis of UN peace operations, OSCE field operations and EU CSDP missions and operations. It uses data visualizations to provide annual snapshots and averages of women’s representation in leadership roles, overall personnel numbers and member state contributions.

The booklet supports the efforts of multilateral organizations and their member states to increase the representation of women in peace operations. Having a richer, data-oriented picture of women’s participation in peace operations will help multilateral organizations to identify gender-parity strategies. Finally, it enhances transparency and provides insights into recent trends and developments in peace operations.

Please note that—following data updates to the figures titled ‘Top 10 contributors of women to the military personnel of UN peace operations, by highest number of women, 2021 monthly averages’ and ‘Top 10 contributors of women to the military personnel of UN peace operations, by highest proportion of women, 2021 monthly averages’, both on page 3—this publication, dated November 2021, supersedes a publication of the same title dated October 2021.