Project Description:
The Uruguay Armed Forces (UAF) project aims to increase the deployment of women military peacekeepers to United Nations (UN) peace operations from 6.6% to 11% by 2024. Uruguay was one of the seven countries that piloted the DCAF – the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) barrier assessment study in 2020, funded by Canada and Norway. With this project, Uruguay Armed Forces will address barriers identified in the MOWIP report.
Uruguay’s project brings an innovative approach to address several high- and medium- level barriers faced by women including household constraints, peace operations experiences, gender roles and deployment criteria. Specifically, project funding will be used for the following activities:
- Pilot the provision of family support for women and men in single-parent households to enable their deployment to UN peace operations
- Launch an outreach campaign targeting women within the UAF to raise awareness of deployment opportunities to UN peace operations
- Conduct a communication campaign to recruit and retain women across all categories of the UAF
- Conduct a study to understand obstacles to women’s participation in combat roles
- Develop a training package to address peacekeeping and combat skills requirements for women interested in being deployed
In close partnership with Uruguay’s Ministry of Defense, this project will be managed by UN Women Uruguay – a long-standing partner supporting the Uruguay government in empowering women and advancing gender equality.