1. Introduction
1.5. Outline of the Thesis
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will make sure that the used literature is in accordance with high-quality research standards. The consulted literature will include official documents and reports from the UN, media reports and press interviews with the all-female Indian unit, gender and sexual assault statistics, the previously mentioned case studies, and journal articles.
1.5. Outline of the Thesis
This thesis is composed of five chapters, including an introductory chapter, a Literature Review (chapter 2), and the Conclusion (Chapter 5). After the first two chapters the author will present chapters on the background of the case study chosen for this research (chapter 3), and on sexual assault in Liberia and the effect of the All-female Indian Unit (chapter 4). This thesis will end with the Conclusion (chapter 5). All chapters have been arranged in a manner that will make it easier for readers to follow along and quickly find desired information.
Literature Review
The literature review focuses on how to justify the inclusion of more women in peacekeeping missions. Sources available are not sufficient to make solid statements for the pro or contra side and more in-depth research is needed. For instance, the argument for more female peacekeeping forces is made based on the idea that women are natural peace-lovers. This however is essentialist and implies that men cannot possibly be peace-loving, currently best conclusion that can be given, is that peacekeeping missions need to be gender sensitive, and people should not be deployed because of skills that are solely attributed to them because of their gender. Since effectiveness is a main argument for adding more women into peacekeeping missions this chapter will also provide a glimpse at what effectiveness within a UN peacekeeping mission actually
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entails. The troops in the fields are only one of several factors that can influence success immensely.
Case Study Background Information
This chapter will provide detailed background information as to why the UN decided to send a peacekeeping mission to Liberia. Starting from the causes of the long lasting civil war this chapter will also introduce the role female Liberians played during the war. Before the UN’s first ever all-female unit is introduced, section three and four of this chapter will explain the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and the role the United Nations Police (UNPOL) plays within this peacekeeping mission. UNPOL is of special interest since the all-female unit is actually a so called Formed Police Unit (FPU). The all-all-female Indian unit was deployed to UNMIL in the beginning of 2007 and was accompanied by a lot of media attention, which gives extensive insight into how people perceived the unit and how it perceived itself.
After some initial problems, the unit became engaged in many community projects and was celebrated as a success story by the time it ended its deployment in 2016. Since the unit is credited with having had lots of influence on local women, the last sections of this chapter will introduce three studies that had a focus on the effects of either the all-female unit or female peacekeepers within UNMIL in general. The all-female unit definitely had a hand in opening up the security sector to local females, but many additional effects were reduced by different barriers. One main barrier was their limited access to the local communities, an all-female unit is usually restricted to a certain region, and the unit is not necessarily stationed where it is most needed.
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Sexual Assault in Liberia and the All-female Indian Unit
The last main chapter of this thesis will provide an overview of the situation in regards to sexual assault in Liberia. It will attempt to explain why increasing numbers of sexual assault cases are actually seen as a good thing, and why the battle with sexual assault is not over yet. The second section talks about sexual exploitation and abuse by UNMIL peacekeepers, and introduces as study that found transactional sex between peacekeepers and young local women seemed to be a norm rather than an exception. Subsequently, the next section will connect what we know about the all-female unit with the information that has been previously provided in this chapter in order to gauge whether any effect can be established for the all-female unit. In regards to sexual assault in general, the all-female unit’s advocacy of institutional change in connection to gender equality and female empowerment can be seen as a major influence. No proof could be found to support the argument that more female peacekeepers prevent their male colleagues from committing sexual exploitation and abuse. The fourth section of this chapter will develop a new theory for future research. Based on the claim that the local population perceives local and foreign women in a different way, the author wonders whether a similar difference in perception is also possible for male peacekeepers. The chapter will finish with policy recommendations on how female peacekeepers can help prevent sexual assault in general, and how the UN can counter sexual exploitation and abuse among peacekeepers.
Conclusion
The Conclusion will provide a comprehensive summary of the main findings of this thesis, and argue why the rights-based argument is better suited to back up increased female participation in peacekeeping than the effective-based approach. This thesis will come full circle with recommendations on how to train peacekeepers on gender equality and research
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recommendations about how the UN can ensure that troop supplying countries to send more women.
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