New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said “we are strengthening policies” to encourage women’s participation in the armed forces and peacekeeping contingents to ensure that they have equal opportunities to “lead and serve”.
Singh said this in his address during an interaction with women officers of 15 countries, alongside India, who are participating in a nearly two-week long United Nations Women Military Officers Course (UNWMOC-2025) being held here. Organised by the Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs from August 18-29 at the Manekshaw Centre, the course aims to build professional capacity of woman military officers for effective participation in multidimensional UN missions, the defence ministry said in a statement.
Addressing the participating officers at South Block, Singh said, as the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping missions, India has been a “strong supporter of women’s participation and their integration into these missions”, and initiatives such as UNWMOC prepares woman officers for complex peacekeeping environments.
“We are strengthening policies to encourage women’s participation in our armed forces and peacekeeping contingents, ensuring they have equal opportunities to lead and serve,” he said.
“We will continue to work with the UN and troop-contributing countries to advance gender parity, foster inclusive leadership, and create a world where peace is not just sustained but thrives through diversity and equality,” Singh was quoted as saying in the statement.
UNWMOC has brought together participants from Armenia, Congo, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uruguay and Vietnam, alongside 12 Indian woman officers and five interns, making the course a vibrant international platform for training and exchange, it said. Singh described the presence of officers from 15 countries as a “reflection of a microcosm of the UN and its enduring spirit of unity and cooperation”.
“You are the torchbearers of change. Your dedication strengthens not only peacekeeping, but also the very fabric of global security. India stands with you, proud of your contributions...” he told the officers.
On the vision of the UN to increase the participation of woman officers in peacekeeping missions, Singh said this commitment stems from the recognition that woman peacekeepers are essential to making the missions more effective, inclusive, and sustainable.
“Woman officers bring invaluable perspectives and approaches to peace operations. They are often able to foster deeper trust with local communities, particularly with women and children, whose voices are vital in rebuilding conflict-torn societies,” he said.