 "Veenu Sandhu")
 "Women serving in the Indian Armed Forces Medical Services interviewed by UN Radio before being deployed to the Republic of the Congo in 1960 (PHOTO: UN)")
Women serving in the Indian Armed Forces Medical Services interviewed by UN Radio before being deployed to the Republic of the Congo in 1960 (PHOTO: UN)
It was the Cold War era, a time of such intense geopolitical rivalry between the two superpowers that the United Nations Security Council would find itself paralysed time and again. It didn’t help that besides the several proxy wars orchestrated by the United States and the Soviet Union, West Asia, too, was on the boil.
United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping was formed to bring some semblance of stability to this fractured world. Its birth coincided with the first Arab-Israeli War of May 1948. Independent India was not even a year old, but if there was any country with experience of peace, it was this. It had secured its freedom through largely non-violent means, but had also endured the horrors of Partition. Having chosen resilience over despair, it was determined to engage constructively with the world.
So, in 1950, during the Korean War, India joined UN Peacekeeping. Initially, it deployed medical units, but eventually also helped with troops to oversee the repatriation of prisoners of wars.
It wasn’t long before Indian women also became central to UN peacekeeping missions, starting with the Congo Crisis. It was a turbulent five-year period, from 1960 to 1965, in which 250 UN personnel died, including Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold, who was killed in a mysterious air crash.
Indian women doctors, who were among the first female peacekeepers, provided medical care to both UN troops and civilians. They continue to serve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to this day in various roles. For instance, as female engagement teams, they conduct patrols in conflict areas, engage with local women to understand their security concerns, and cultivate grassroot networks that can encourage communities to report violence, which, in turn, can provide intelligence into threats and high-risk zones, thereby helping shape security strategies.
 "New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addresses the concluding session of the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave (KEC 2026) on 'India and the World: Adaptive by Design', in New Delhi, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (PTI Photo)")
In the years since, they have played significant roles in Liberia, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, the Golan Heights, and in Western Sahara, besides other regions. According to the external affairs ministry, as of 2025, there were around 150 Indian women peacekeepers deployed in six UN missions.
A landmark moment came in January 2007, when India deployed the UN’s first all-female Formed Police Unit. This contingent of over 100 women was stationed in Liberia and continued to serve on annual rotations until its repatriation a decade later in February 2016.
The presence of this unit, which carried out patrols, trained local police forces, dealt with riots and ensured the security of government buildings and staff, had a deeper social pact. It inspired Liberian women to join security services.
In Abyei (Sudan-South Sudan border), too, India deployed an all-women platoon in 2023 — 27 peacekeepers, including two officers, a major and a captain.
Time and again, a case is made for having more women in peacekeeping. However, according to UN Women, as of January 2025, only 10 per cent of UN uniformed peacekeeping personnel
are women. They account for just 8.8 per cent in military roles and 21 per cent in police roles. Also, 97 per cent of generals or equivalent ranks are men, and fewer than one in 10 senior officers is a woman.
Written By
Veenu Sandhu
Veenu Sandhu is the Resident Editor at Business Standard. Based in New Delhi, she has been a journalist since 1996 and has worked in some of India's leading newsrooms across print, digital and television media, including NDTV 24x7, Hindustan Times and The Indian Express. At Business Standard, she writes, commissions, edits, and gives direction to special, in-depth articles for the newspaper and the digital platform across beats and sectors. She also hosts video shows for Business Standard. Before this, she edited BS Weekend. She is a 2017-18 batch Chevening South Asia Journalism fellow.
 "Veenu Sandhu")
First Published: Oct 10 2026 | 5:35 AM IST
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