02/26/2005

Mothers around the world face the problem of providing child care while they work to support their families. Women in peacekeeping forces are no different. “It is difficult for me to leave my husband and child,” the Nigerian civilian police officer in this photo told RI. “I am lucky because my family supports me and he is very progressive. He is also a policeman and he knows that this work is important. However, it is difficult because I cannot afford to fly home to Nigeria to see them very often.” Women make up only four percent of the total number of civilian police in UN peacekeeping missions worldwide. Still, the presence of women is beneficial to peacekeeping missions. It ensures that issues, especially those related to gender-based violence, are addressed from a female perspective, and provides additional inspiration to local women who have often borne the brunt of the conflict.