The United Nations is calling for urgent support for children born as a result of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) committed by personnel serving in peacekeeping missions. These children face significant challenges, including stigma, lack of legal recognition by their fathers, and limited access to essential services such as healthcare and education. The stigma they endure can also lead to lifelong exclusion and suffering, perpetuating cycles of poverty and social marginalization for both them and their families.

Efforts to address this issue include initiatives such as the UN's new paternity dashboard, which aims to promote greater transparency by publicly showing the status of all outstanding claims. The dashboard has provided a critical mechanism for tracking paternity cases. Challenges remain, however, as many cases are stalled due to bureaucratic hurdles in accessing DNA testing or slow action by some Member States, highlighting the need for stronger collaboration between the UN and Member States. To further address SEA, a UN Task Force was established to identify additional ways Member States can advance accountability with support from the UN. The Task Force is currently developing criteria to assess how Member States respond to SEA claims, which will influence decisions about their personnel's eligibility for deployment in peace operations.

Programmes providing victim assistance, such as the Trust Fund in Support of Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, have also helped mothers engage in income-generating activities and pay for their child’s school fees and uniforms. These programmes are lifelines for affected families, yet they remain underfunded and require more sustained financial and institutional support.

Addressing SEA’s root causes—like power imbalances and lack of oversight—requires a gender-sensitive transformation of peacekeeping.The underrepresentation of women in leadership and operational roles within peacekeeping can exacerbate environments where misconduct goes unchecked, while greater gender balance has been shown to improve trust with local populations and contribute to safer, more accountable missions. For SecurityWomen, this underscores that women’s inclusion in security forces is vital for preventing abuse, fostering accountability, and rebuilding trust in institutions meant to protect vulnerable communities.

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