Largest contingent of Indian women peacekeepers reaches Abyei (WATCH)

The single largest platoon of women peacekeepers from India in recent years has arrived in Abyei to begin their deployment with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). To note, Abyei is a disputed zone with special administrative status on the border of Sudan and South Sudan. UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix welcomed the deployment, saying female troops meant efficient operations.

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"UNISFA is excited to welcome the deployment of the single largest all-women platoon of peacekeepers in recent years from #India. They join @IndBatt serving in #Abyei @UNISFA_1. The deployment reaffirms #India's continued commitment to implementation UNISFA mandate @UNPeacekeeping," the mission said in a tweet Monday.

The Indian all-women contingent comprises two officers and 25 other ranks. Besides performing extensive security-related tasks, the platoon specialises in community outreach.  Over the course of one year, the platoon will work towards the goal of durable peace in Abyei along with their counterparts.

There has been a recent spurt in violence in Abyei, which has triggered a spate of challenging humanitarian concerns for women and children. According to India's Permanent Mission to the UN had said earlier this month that the presence of women peacekeepers will be especially welcome in the conflict zone..

The deployment in Abyei is India's single-largest unit of women peacekeepers in a UN Mission since the first-ever all-women's contingent was deployed in Liberia in 2007. Deployment of female peacekeepers had a positive impact on peacekeeping environments in the past and has increased the overall peacekeeping performance, the mission said, adding that due to their natural outreach to communities, female peacekeepers add greater diversity and broaden the skillset across activities to ensure the success of the peacekeeping mission. 

The team underwent training in all aspects related to its mission as peacekeepers, including patrolling, functioning of the UN, community engagement, and language and was also briefed about the mission mandate. UNISFA said this step would be groundbreaking towards better-integrating genders into military peacekeeping.

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