After more than four decades as a soldier serving in conflict environments around the world, few experiences have shaped Lieutenant General Subramanian’s advocacy for gender-responsive peacekeeping like South Sudan. As Force Commander of the United Nation Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) between 2022 and 2026, he witnessed first-hand how inclusive approaches to peacekeeping directly increases operational effectiveness on the ground.
How does women’s participation improve operational effectiveness?
Operational effectiveness improves when women participate fully, equally, and meaningfully across all domains of peacekeeping. Mixed-gender teams broaden skill sets and extend the mission’s reach into the communities we serve.
In South Sudan, women peacekeepers were often able to engage segments of the population that male peacekeepers could not reach as easily. Their presence increased the sense of security among civilians and improved information flow. This had direct operational consequences: community alert networks functioned better, and early warnings of physical or sexual violence reached us sooner and more reliably.
This is not about special capabilities tied to gender. It is about trust. Communities, particularly women, are often more willing to share their fears and concerns with women peacekeepers.
Why is the South Sudan context particularly relevant to this discussion?
Like in all other conflict zones in the world, South Sudan’s conflict has had a devastating and disproportionate impact on women and children. Depending on the survey, more than 60 percent of women report experiencing conflict-related sexual violence. However, unlike other conflict environments, where it is a byproduct of war, what is unique about South Sudan is that sexual violence is a deliberate objective in tactical operations of armed factions and communities. Certain operations are conducted solely for inflicting conflict-related sexual violence on communities, to exact revenge for earlier provocations.
Armed groups plan attacks specifically to inflict sexual violence on communities. When that is the threat, customary military responses are not enough. Our operations must be customized to prevent sexual violence directly, not only respond after the fact.
How did women peacekeepers contribute to preventing sexual violence?
The Force conducted two types of Patrols to Combat Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (PTCCs). The first focused on areas surrounding UN bases, with peacekeepers conducting frequent patrols to monitor vulnerable communities and respond to emerging risks. The second involved deploying larger patrols to violence hotspots, supported by smaller patrols that extended coverage to surrounding areas. In both approaches, women peacekeepers played a vital role, engaging with women in the community, identifying and supporting survivors, gathering information, and contributing to operational decision-making. These efforts not only helped counter CRSV but also strengthened trust and resilience within affected communities.
One incident illustrates this clearly. In late April 2025, a patrol composed of both men and women peacekeepers reached a boarding school where 96 girls were surrounded by 250 armed youth, intent on abduction and sexual violence. Because women were part of these patrols, we were able to calm the girls, stabilise the situation, and position ourselves between the attackers and those at risk.
Women military observers played a decisive role inside the facility, providing reassurance and control. At the same time, the visible presence of women in uniform signalled resolve and legitimacy. The attack dissipated. This outcome would not have been possible through a traditional military posture alone.
What barriers still limit women’s participation in peacekeeping?
Despite these successes, many peacekeeping bases remain fundamentally unwelcoming to women. Before the peacekeeping liquidity crises – affecting resources worldwide – UNMISS operated across 28 bases in a country twice the size of Germany, many in remote and austere environments. These facilities were often designed without a gender lens and without sufficient consideration of whether women could live and operate there safely and with dignity.
This affects participation in temporary operating bases and long-duration patrols, particularly those focused on preventing sexual violence. The absence of enabling facilities, equipment, and an inclusive operational environment places women at a disadvantage and limits overall mission effectiveness.
What would be your main message to peacekeeping leadership?
Very often the difference between success and failure in achieving full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in peacekeeping operations is strong gender-responsive leadership. Leadership is decisive. In UNMISS Force, we ensured that policies and directives were reviewed through a gender lens. Given that a significant part of the mandate addresses women’s suffering, we expanded the mission’s gender advisory capacity to ensure gender was central to decision-making rather than an afterthought.
Leadership also sets the tone for inclusion. When commanders actively support women’s meaningful participation — by ensuring policies, facilities, and equipment allow them to operate safely and effectively — it sends a clear signal across the force. That signal matters. It shapes attitudes, strengthens teamwork, and improves trust with communities.
Lieutenant General Subramanian’s reflections highlight that gender-responsive peacekeeping depends not only on leadership, but also on the practical conditions that allow women to serve. Through funding approved in 2025, the Elsie Initiative Fund is supporting UNMISS to strengthen those conditions through targeted investments in infrastructure and patrol equipment for uniformed women.
