Jakarta (ANTARA) - Over 2,500 female personnel of the Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) have participated in United Nations peacekeeping missions to date, according to the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas)."Indonesia has deployed around 2,556 female personnel for UN peacekeeping missions since 2008, out of a total of 24,000 Indonesian peacekeepers," said Colonel (AF) Ratih Pusparini, a Lemhannas official, in Jakarta on Friday.
Speaking at a public discussion on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) organized by The Habibie Center and the Canadian Mission to ASEAN, she noted that female personnel are often assigned to supporting roles such as medical, logistics, and administrative posts.
However, some female officers have also served in more prominent positions, including military observers tasked with conducting on-site visits and assessments in conflict areas under UN mandates.
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Pusparini, the first Indonesian female peacekeeper deployed in 2008, said she served as a military observer during her assignment in the Middle East. Despite these contributions, the number of Indonesian women in peacekeeping roles remains small compared to their male counterparts, she pointed out.
She emphasized that women peacekeepers offer different perspectives that contribute to mission success and serve as a safe space for vulnerable groups affected by conflict.
"Everyone knows the military is a man's world, and female officers must work harder to prove they can perform their duties well," Pusparini said.
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"In some cases, female officers even outperform their male counterparts," she added, calling for more women to be appointed to command positions in peacekeeping operations.
Pusparini also highlighted that increasing the number of women in peacekeeping missions aligns with UN Security Council Resolution 1325 of 2000, which promotes gender equality and equal opportunities for women in global peace and security efforts.