Zimbabwe Urges UN to Strengthen Gender Equality and Peacekeeper Protection

21 February 2025

By Kenneth K. Nyika

Zimbabwe has called on the United Nations to intensify efforts in promoting gender equality and ensuring the safety of peacekeepers during the UN General Debate of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C-34).

Addressing the committee, Defence Attaché Group Captain Tirivavi Mawire stressed the need for full and equal participation of women in peacekeeping missions.

“The participation of women in peacekeeping missions, as well as their inclusion in decision-making and high-level positions, brings added value,” Mawire said. “In some cases, women peacekeepers have negotiated and engaged better with communities, thereby contributing to peace processes aimed at resolving conflicts between political parties and communities.”

He added, “Zimbabwe currently nominates more than 60% women officers in its deployment of individual police officers, military experts on missions, and staff officers.”

Zimbabwe also pushed for stronger measures to eliminate impunity for crimes against peacekeepers and highlighted the dangers of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech in conflict zones.

The C-34 provides a platform to assess peacekeeping strategies. Zimbabwe’s call reinforces the urgency for collective action to protect peacekeepers and promote global stability.