Zambia’s police force will receive a grant of nearly $1 million to boost women’s participation in UN peace operations. The grant is funded by the Elsie Initiative Fund for Uniformed Women in Peace Operations and is in line with the UN’s commitment to achieve gender parity in peacekeeping forces.

The ELSIE fund was established by Canada in 2019 with the aim of levelling the peacekeeping playing field and helping to meet the UN's gender parity target by partnering with national authorities and UN operations in the field.  By 2028 it is hoped to achieve 15% female military peacekeepers in troop contingents, 20% female police in formed police units, 25% female military observers and staff officers, and 30% individual police officers.

The Zambia project will create a roster of more than 100 women eligible to be deployed as peacekeepers. The Zambian national police service will also train and expand its network of regional focal points to improve dissemination of information about deployment opportunities, particularly for women serving in rural and remote areas. Also planned is development of an anti-sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse policy, and the roll out of related training and gender-mainstreaming workshops to senior Zambian police personnel.

“We take very seriously our role in driving policy reforms,ensuring gender mainstreaming and accountability for gender equality and women’s empowerment within our institution,” said Lemmy Kajoba, Inspector General of Zambia’s Police. “My Command appreciates this recognition of female officers as a catalyst of systematic change within the Zambia Police Service.”

For the full story please see: Zambia: New grant gives boost to women peacekeepers | UN News