Lilongwe/New York, 27 April 2026 — The Elsie Initiative Fund (EIF) today announced that the Malawi Police Service (MPS) has been selected as the newest recipient of funding to conduct a Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) barrier assessment. It will be Malawi’s first application of the MOWIP methodology and represents a major step in strengthening the country’s meaningful participation of uniformed women in United Nations (UN) peace operations.
Implemented in partnership with UN Women Malawi, the research will generate the first evidence-based analysis of institutional and cultural factors influencing women’s deployment from the MPS. The assessment will examine ten issue areas—ranging from recruitment and deployment criteria to household constraints and leadership pathways—to identify barriers as well as good practices within the Service.
UN Women Malawi will provide technical support, coordinate stakeholder engagement, and ensure adherence to ethical and gender-sensitive standards throughout the research process. Cornell University’s Gender and Security Sector Lab will also provide technical guidance to ensure the study aligns with the MOWIP methodology. Malawi’s Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga has signalled senior support at the highest level confirming:
“The Malawi Police Service (MPS) recognises that the inclusion of women in policing, both at home and in international peace support missions, is not optional but essential. Advancing the women’s agenda is at the very heart of our institution. We shall always stand by our women police officers, empowering them professionally while equipping them to take up leadership roles locally and on the global stage. In doing so, we strengthen our service, our communities, and our contribution to sustainable peace.”
Malawi has over 25 years’ experience of police contributions to UN peace operations, deploying 440 officers to peace operations—140 of whom were women—in some of the world’s most challenging security contexts. Currently, 40 police officers (including 8 women) are on standby, having successfully passed the UN’s assessment criteria in October 2025. Despite this progress, recent deployment cycles have shown a decline in women’s participation.
The MOWIP barrier assessment will provide the MPS with a baseline to guide targeted reform and enhance readiness for deployment. These reforms will be developed into an action plan with a broader view to accelerate progress toward Malawi’s commitments under UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 2538.
About the Elsie Initiative Fund
The EIF is the only global fund dedicated to removing barriers and accelerating women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in United Nations peace operations. Hosted by UN Women, the Fund supports security sector reform; strengthens the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, and advances the UN Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy (UGPS). Progress towards gender-responsive peacekeeping is funded by contributions from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom. The Fund also benefits from in-kind support, including the provision of a Junior Professional Officer, funded by France. For more information on the EIF, please visit elsiefund.org or follow the Fund on X and LinkedIn.
For more information please contact:
Suparva Narasimhaiah – EIF Project Coordination Specialist
Luke Horswell – EIF Communications Analyst
