This project profile page contains information about the The United Mexican States – SEDENA, SEMAR and SSPC
projects including project results, impact, and effective practices. This page will be updated annually in line with EIF project reporting requirements.
| T/PCC | Updates | |||||||||
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||||
| Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | Total | % | |
| Mexico | 7 | 50.00% | 7 | 41.18% | 7 | 41.18% | 8 | 36.36% | 8 | 42.11% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experts on Mission | 6 | 60.00% | 7 | 58.33% | 7 | 58.33% | 8 | 57.14% | 8 | 44.44% |
| Staff Officer | 1 | 25.00% | 0 | / | 0 | / | 0 | / | 0 | / |
Mexico’s security architecture comprises two defence institutions—the Ministry of National Defence (SEDENA) and the Ministry of the Navy (SEMAR)—and a civilian law enforcement body, the Ministry of Public Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC). SEDENA oversees the Army and Air Force, while SEMAR is responsible for maritime defence and naval operations. SSPC manages national policing and public security functions and coordinates decentralised operational bodies such as the National Guard and the Federal Protection Service. Together, these institutions play a central role in safeguarding national security and supporting Mexico’s engagement in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations.
Across all three ministries, women serve in both administrative and operational roles. Institutional efforts to advance gender equality have included updates to internal policies, development of training pathways, and gradual expansion of roles accessible to uniformed women. These initiatives reflect Mexico’s broader commitment to building inclusive, gender-responsive security institutions in line with national frameworks and international obligations.
SEDENA, SEMAR, and the SSPC, in partnership with UN Women Mexico, undertook three separate barrier assessments using the Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) methodology, developed by the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF), to better understand the challenges affecting women’s meaningful participation in United Nations peace operations. The project was implemented under Partnership Model C.
The methodology was applied by the Latin American Security and Defence Network (RESDAL), while the Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP) oversaw data collection, analysis, and the preparation of the final reports. The assessments aimed to:
1. Identify the main barriers to women’s meaningful participation within the ten issue areas outlined in the MOWIP methodology;
2. Identify existing good practices within each institution that can be leveraged, scaled up, or disseminated more broadly;
3. Formulate a set of evidence-based recommendations for future activities to increase women’s meaningful participation in peace operations; and
4. Provide a baseline to measure future progress in addressing barriers to women’s participation.
The project is also expected to support future participation in the Elsie Initiative Fund (EIF) and strengthen strategic, operational, and tactical planning to enhance the meaningful participation of uniformed women in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations.
surveys
1,235 surveys administered by the MOWIP enumerator team (605 women and 630 men)
interviews
44 interviews conducted with senior leadership, decision makers and program officers (17 women and 27 men)
MOWIP Reports
3 MOWIP Reports launched on 9 January 2023
EIF Outcome 1
US$318,736
US$318,736
SEDENA, SEMAR and SSPC
UN Women Mexico
12 months
11 February 2021
4 March 2021
31 August 2022
18 months
The project generated three ministry-level barrier assessments to examine the challenges and opportunities related to women’s meaningful participation in United Nations peace operations. The findings provided a baseline and offered evidence-based recommendations to guide institutional reforms within SEDENA, SEMAR, and SSPC. The reports highlight both barriers and existing good practices, and are intended to inform planning within each institution, support efforts to address identified challenges, and contribute to broader efforts to strengthen gender-responsive deployment practices in line with national and international commitments.
RESDAL – Comparative Atlas of Defense in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2024 Edition
