Fiji has launched a Gender Barrier Assessment to look into women participating in peacekeeping operations.
The initiative is part of the global Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) framework.
“This gender barrier assessment is meaningful to our women participating in peacekeeping operations,” said Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Defence and National Security, Mr. Mason Smith.
“Effective policies need to be built upon a robust, evidence-based understanding of the experiences of our own uniformed women.”
“Undertaking these barrier assessments will allow us to understand what the current barriers are to women’s meaningful participation in peacekeeping operations and within our organizations more broadly.”
He also highlighted that Fiji is the first Pacific Island country to undertake such a comprehensive systematic barrier assessment.
“This is also the first time that the Ministry and the forces are jointly leading on a women, peace, and security-related initiative, which no doubt is a strong signal of the sense of ownership we share towards the need to address these issues and remove barriers, as well as the need to do so in a manner that is sustainable and future-looking.”
