UNITED NATIONS POLICE

STANDARDIZED BEST PRACTICES

TOOLKIT ON
GENDER MAINSTREAMING
POLICING IN PEACEKEEPING

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 UNPOL GENDER
TOOLKIT

MODULE 1

LESSON 1

UNDERSTANDING GENDER MAINSTREAMING

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Structure of the lesson

•Gender concepts
1

•Policy framework
2

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 Learning outcomes

• Define gender-related concepts

• Explain how gender is relevant to the
mandate of UNPOL
• Apply gender concepts to policing in
peacekeeping
• Develop a training plan and content on
gender mainstreaming for police

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 SECTION 1

INTRODUCTION TO GENDER MAINSTREAMING

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 Basic concepts on gender

Mainstreaming Analysis

Equality Indicators

Gender

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 Learning activity

• Sometimes I'm glad I'm a woman

because…

• Sometimes I wish I were a man

because…

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 Gender stereotypes

Stereotypes
Men are Women are

Strong, arrogant, violent, domineering, Weak, modest, peaceful, submissive,

decisive, non-communicative indecisive, communicative

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Gender neutral alternatives

Policeman  police officer

Manpower  work force

Chairman  chair person

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What is gender?

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 Learning activity

Why is gender important

• What is the effect of gender stereotypes on
the police profession/organisation?
• What is the effect on police components in
peacekeeping?
• What is the effect on service delivery to
communities?
 At least five examples each
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 Impact on police

Men Women
• Strength / traditional • Weakness /
role  use of force traditional role 
• Double standards incompatibility with
• ‘Entitlement’ – sex use force
 sexual • Double standards
misconduct • Code of silence 
sexual misconduct

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 Impact on police peacekeeping

• Recruitment criteria based on male

standards
• Double standards in performance evaluation
• Sexual misconduct
• Segregation of gender-related activities
instead of mainstreamed

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 Impact on service delivery

• Police does not represent community 

decreased legitimacy
• Lack of diversity gap on skills and
competencies  lack of informed decision
• Potential increased abuse of authority + sexual
misconduct
• Loss of public trust + lack of confidence to
report sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV)
• Overall decreased operational efficiency

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 Operational efficiency

Better informed decisions + more effective

mandate implementation

Differential impact of conflict on women, men,

boys and girls

Police operations

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Do women and men have equal
opportunities in your police
organisation?

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What is gender equality?
Equality on paper
≠
Equality on practice

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What challenges do women face?

Barrier to
Facts Recommendations
equality
Women have Unequal access Undertake special
less access to to police ranks programmes to
education and posts, improve the
particularly education
command roles qualification of
women

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 What is gender analysis?

• A gender analysis
helps understand the
relationships between
women and men and
how they use, control
and own resources.

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Gender analysis

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What is gender mainstreaming?

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 Goal and strategy

Goal
Gender equality

Strategy
Gender mainstreaming

Integration of gender perspectives + gender balance

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 Learning activity

• Gender mainstreaming
 Police task
–Design
–Implementation
–Monitoring & Evaluation

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Gender indicators

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Identifying gender indicators
for police tasks

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 Discussion

• What are the challenges to gender

mainstreaming in each of these phases in your
experience?
• What strategies have you adopted in your
field mission or police service?
• What solutions and recommendations can you
suggest?

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 SECTION 2

UNDERSTANDING THE UNITED NATIONS POLICY

FRAMEWORK ON GENDER MAINSTREAMING

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UN Policy Framework

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 International Human Rights Law

• Universal Declaration of Human

Rights;
• International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights
• International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights
• International Convention on
the Elimination of all forms of
Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW)
CEDAW on discrimination against women
Any distinction, exclusion or restriction
made on the basis of sex that leads to the
violation of the human rights and
fundamental freedoms of women in the
political, economic, social, cultural, civil
or any other field.

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 Security Council Resolution on gender
mainstreaming and empowerment of women

Security Council
Resolutions
• 1325 (2000)
• 1889 (2009)
• 2122 (2013)

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1st Pillar: Prevention

Mainstream a gender
perspective into all
conflict prevention
activities and strategies.

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2nd Pillar: Participation

Promote and support women’s

active and meaningful
participation in all peace
processes as well as their
representation in formal and
informal decision-making.

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3rd Pillar: Protection

Strengthen and amplify efforts

to protect the safety, well-
being, economic security and
dignity of women and girls.

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4th Pillar: Recovery

Promote women’s equal access

to aid, particularly those
dealing with the specific needs
of women and girls in all relief
and recovery efforts.

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DPKO/DFS Policy on gender equality in UN
Peacekeeping Operations (2010)

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UN Police Gender Guidelines (2008)

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UNPOL Gender Guidelines:
Democratic Policing

Democratic policing means that

police officers perform their duties
under the rule of law, respect of
human rights and are accountable to
the communities they serve.

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 UNPOL Gender Guidelines:
Composition of National Police

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UNPOL Gender Guidelines:
Training

Induction and in-mission induction

training for UNPOL officers should be
mainstreamed with gender
perspectives.

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UNPOL Gender Guidelines: Executive policing
mandates and Formed Police Units (FPUs)

FPUs that are tasked for crowd

control management and the
provision of security for UN personnel
and facilities need to ensure gender
sensitive police practices.

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