This project profile page contains information about The Republic of Côte d’Ivoire Police project including project results, impact, and effective practices. This page will be updated annually in line with EIF project reporting requirements.
Data source: United Nations Peace Security Data Hub, a free public library of datasets on peace and security published by the United Nations
| T/PCC | Updates | |||||||||
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||||
| Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 43 | 7.24% | 68 | 7.46% | 54 | 5.57% | 39 | 6.36% | 37 | 14.92% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experts on Mission | 2 | 50.00% | 2 | 66.67% | 0 | / | 1 | 100.00% | 1 | 50.00% |
| Individual Police | 33 | 54.10% | 34 | 36.56% | 22 | 20.56% | 16 | 27.12% | 24 | 38.71% |
| Staff Officer | 1 | 5.88% | 1 | 5.56% | 4 | 26.67% | 1 | 20.00% | 1 | 25.00% |
| Troops | 7 | 1.37% | 31 | 3.88% | 28 | 3.30% | 21 | 3.83% | 11 | 6.11% |
Following years of internal conflict, Côte d’Ivoire hosted the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) from 2004 to 2017. This mission played a pivotal role in stabilising the country and supporting the peace process. After the successful conclusion of its own United Nations peace operation, Côte d’Ivoire transitioned from being a host country to becoming an active police-contributing country to global peacekeeping. Ivorian personnel have since been deployed to several missions, including the United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
The first recruitment of women into the National Police took place in 1987. To establish women’s participation within the National Police, the Police Personnel Statute, originally adopted in 1978, was revised to formally allow women to apply for entry into the police service. Efforts have also been made to ensure equality in training at police academies, enabling both women and men to acquire the skills required for their roles. Career days are often organised at least once a year to encourage women and young girls to consider joining the National Police. These initiatives have led to a steady increase in the number of female police officers. For example, between 2009 and 2020, their number rose from 1,665 in 2009 to 2,565, representing a 54% increase over the period. However, despite this upward trend, women remain underrepresented in the police service, accounting for only 13.57% as of September 2023.
Côte d’Ivoire is also one of first African countries to make the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security one of its national priorities, with the development of the first generation of its National Action Plan (NAP) in 2018.
In 2022, UN Women Côte d’Ivoire supported the National Police to conduct a Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) Barrier Assessment, funded by the Elsie Initiative Fund (EIF). The assessment helped identify the main institutional, operational, and cultural barriers limiting women’s participation in peace operations and led to a shared commitment between the National Police, UN Women, and partners to implement concrete measures promoting gender equality across the security institution.
The project builds directly on the 2022 MOWIP findings, which highlighted key barriers to women’s deployment: deployment criteria, selection processes, and career advancement.
Building on these insights, the project aims to expand the pool of Ivorian women eligible for UN peacekeeping missions by strengthening institutional frameworks and enhancing women’s readiness and access to opportunities:
EIF outcome 3
US$518,956.26
US$518,956.26
Côte d’Ivoire Police
UN Women Cote d’Ivoire
24 months
16 October 2025
16 October 2025
16 October 2027
None
24 months
The implementation of project activities aims to achieve major progress in advancing gender equality and women’s participation in peacekeeping within the Côte d’Ivoire National Police. The introduction of a 30 per cent quota for women and the reduction of experience requirements will open new pathways for female officers to serve in peace operations. In parallel, the development of a Gender Strategy with a budgeted action plan will institutionalize gender mainstreaming across all police operations.
Targeted training on peacekeeping, improved access to deployment information through new communication platforms, and awareness campaigns will collectively enhance women’s visibility, confidence, and readiness for deployment to United Nations peace operations.
