As part of activities celebrating the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), Joana Osei-Tutu, the Acting Deputy Director of the Women, Youth, Peace and Security Institute (WYPSI) at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), joined a high-level panel organised by the International Peace Institute (IPI) to discuss “Lessons Learned from Gender Research and UN Peace Operations.”
Drawing on her extensive field experience from the work the KAIPTC has undertaken under the Elsie Initiative, she stressed the importance of experiential and scenario-based learning in equipping peacekeepers to implement gender perspectives in practice.
Highlights of her presentation, which focused on effective gender training methodologies, innovative learning tools, and addressing resistance and cultural barriers, emphasised the importance of experiential and scenario-based learning in preparing peacekeepers for their roles. Drawing from years of field experience, she highlighted how real-life case studies from missions are effective in helping participants connect theory to practice.
She spoke extensively about the challenges faced by both women and men, including those related to care responsibilities when deployed to remote areas. She reiterated that access to the internet and regular rest and recuperation were identified as significant obstacles that hindered peacekeepers’ ability to perform their duties effectively.
She highlighted innovative learning tools such as video simulations, role-plays, and participant-led sessions and their effectiveness in deepening understanding of gender perspectives. She mentioned, for example, that incorporating video simulations of gendered incidents and engaging in role-plays and group discussions enables participants to connect to their actions or inaction in mission settings.
Another key aspect for effective training practices, she mentioned, was participant-led learning. This encourages peacekeepers to share their personal experiences and national contexts, promoting a deeper understanding and ownership of gender roles and principles. This approach fosters a sense of inclusivity and promotes an environment where participants can reflect on gender dynamics in real time.
Resistance and cultural barriers were some of the challenges she addressed during the panel discussion. Mrs. Osei-Tutu acknowledged that there are some individuals who would always resist the idea of gender integration, often due to misconceptions or stereotypes. However, this emphasises the importance of engagement rather than exclusion in addressing these challenges.
“By allowing participants to voice their doubts openly, trainers can debunk myths, demonstrate the operational relevance of gender perspectives, and show how they improve mission success and safety for all,” she said.
Mrs. Osei-Tutu further highlighted the institutional and leadership gaps that still exist in integrating gender perspectives into peacekeeping operations. She mentioned that leadership buy-in is essential to ensuring gender integration remains a mission priority rather than just a compliance checkbox.
She highlighted the need to link training to behavioural change and to measure post-training outcomes to assess the effectiveness of gender-sensitive decision-making in real deployments.
Mrs. Osei-Tutu finally emphasized the need to shift future training towardsaccountability embedding gender perspectives into performance indicators, mission planning, and after-action reviews. The ultimate goal, she said, should not just be to raise awareness of gender issues, but to train peacekeepers to think and act through a gender lens in every operational context. She concluded that these processes will ensure peacekeeping operations are more inclusive, effective, and sustainable in the long run.
Watch the full discussion via this link https://youtu.be/8fEOSXr-sOI?si=mB0y-KvO6qG-8Pw7