The Women Peacekeepers have broken the stereotypes, shattered barriers, and risen above challenges to become leaders and protectors of their nation and also in the communities, where they have been engaged in for peacekeeping- Lt. Gen. N.S. Raja Subramani, Vice Chief of Army Staff
India’s commitment to United Nations peacekeeping operations is a core part of India’s foreign policy and a tool of soft power diplomacy. India has over the decades shown its unwavering commitment to global peace, contributing more than 290,000 troops in 50 UN missions. This participation not only underscores India’s commitment to global peace but also functions as a tool of India’s soft power that projects it as a responsible and humanitarian global leader. However, in this context, the growing deployment of Indian women peacekeepers serves as an especially potent narrative of India’s propensity for its progressive values, which establishes India’s stance on gender equality, security and a more inclusive approach to conflict resolution. Indian Women Peacekeepers have been transforming conflict zones by providing security, building trust and serving as role models for local women and children. During the recently concluded Conference on Women Peacekeepers of the Global South, held in New Delhi at Manekshaw Centre on 2025 February 24 and 25, India reaffirmed its leadership in the promotion of gender inclusivity in peace operations. The conference brought together women peacekeepers from 35 Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) and gave the opportunity to discuss the emerging challenges that peacekeeping involves as well as strategies that should be employed to better utilize women’s contributions to conflict zones through the use of modern technology. This move, combined with India’s recurrent role of deploying women in UN peacekeeping, shows India’s use of peacekeeping as a soft power means to pursue its international diplomatic and strategic interests.
UN Peacekeeping as India’s Soft Power Strategy
The idea of ‘VasudhaivaKutumbakam’ (The world is one family) of India is reflected in India’s participation in UN peacekeeping, which goes beyond troop contribution and has become a diplomatic outreach strategy that signifies India as a country devoted to humanitarianism, international stability and collective peacebuilding to serve humanity. According to Joseph Nye, soft power describes a nation’s power to affect others through cultural attractiveness, political values and legitimate foreign policy without the need for coercion, force or military dominance. India’s involvement in peacekeeping aligns perfectly with this principle. Unlike great powers, which often intervene in military interventions based on strategic interests, India’s contributions to peacekeeping serve as a nonaligned, humanitarian approach, frankly bringing in global goodwill, particularly amongst the nations of the Global South. One of the key elements of this strategy is India’s ability to bridge the North-South divide as it aligns with countries sharing historical and developmental experiences.
India’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions aligns with its broader foreign policy objectives. Firstly, it aims to Strengthen South-South Cooperation. India has always focused deeply on the interests of the Global South and values of equitable development and security. India harnesses global south solidarity through not only training peacekeepers from other developing nations and providing capacity-building programmes but also actively engaging with peacekeeping missions in global south countries. Secondly, India’s engagement in UN Peacekeeping increases its grounds for obtaining a permanent UN Security Council (UNSC) seat. India’s commitment to global security and peace through active participation in peacekeeping missions thus shows its credentials for being a responsible global leader. Thirdly, it is focussed on to project a Humanitarian image of India as per the philosophy of ‘VasudhaivaKutumbakam’. Lastly, India’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia not only contributes to regional stability but also provides an opportunity for securing its national interests.
India’s Gender Diplomacy in UN Peacekeeping Missions
“Excluding women means ignoring a major segment of the population. Our presence ensures the needs of women and children are addressed, and we can advocate for the most vulnerable.”- Kiran Bedi
India’s pioneering role in deploying women peacekeepers is amongst the most compelling aspects of India’s peacekeeping endeavours. The deployment of Indian women troops for peacekeeping missions has transformed the image of security forces and has a direct impact on women, children and other people in the conflict-affected areas. Indian women have been part of the UN missions since the 1960s with Congo being the first mission where they served as medical personnel in operational roles. In 2007, India played its part in global security by despatching the first-ever all-women Formed Police Unit (FPU) to Liberia. In addition to its security impact, this was also a stimulus for local women to join law enforcement and take part in rebuilding their society. The presence of women in peacekeeping is often disproportionately related to greater access to vulnerable populations in contexts where gender norms constrain male soldier interactions with local women. Indian female peacekeepers are role models allowing trust to be built up and encouraging women in times of war to take on leadership roles. Women’s involvement in peacekeeping therefore is more than a symbol; it brings practical benefits to conflict zones by serving as role models for local women to engage in active participation in the process of rebuilding their societies and creating lasting peace.
Table 1- India’s Women in Peacekeeping-Key Contributions & Achievements
| S. No | Mission/Initiative | Year | Impact | ||
| 1. |
|
1960s | Marked India’s first deployment of women in UN peacekeeping as medical officers. | ||
| 2. | All-Women Formed Police Unit (FPU) in Liberia | 2007 | Pioneering initiative that boosted local women’s participation in security forces and reduced crime rates. | ||
| 3. | South Sudan- Major Suman Gawani | 2019 | Trained military personnel on gender-sensitive peacekeeping, winning the UN Military Gender Advocate Award. | ||
| 4. | Democratic Republic of the Congo-Major Radhika Sen | 2024 | Led engagement patrols, formed Community Alert Networks, and empowered local women with security concerns. | ||
| 5. | Women Peacekeepers Conference, New Delhi | 2025 | Reinforced India’s leadership in gender-inclusive peacekeeping, promoting policy reforms. |
In various missions, the impact of India’s women peacekeepers can be seen. The all-women FPU in Liberia had a major impact on the security landscape of the country by reducing crime rates and getting the locals to join the security forces. Indian women peacekeepers have also served in South Sudan, Lebanon, the Western Sahara and Abyei to deliver humanitarian, medical and social development services in their areas of operation. India’s growing global influence is being reinforced through the stories of Indian women peacekeeping. In 2019, for instance, Major Suman Gawani was awarded the UN Military Gender Advocate Award for her lead in training military personnel on gender-sensitive peacekeeping in South Sudan. Another example is Major Radhika Sen, who was awarded UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year in 2024 for her work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by conducting engagement patrols which she was able to use to build up Community Alert Networks run by local women and youth which owned security concerns. There is more than just credit to individuals given in these recognitions, it also puts India on a gender sensitive peacekeeping map. Indian women’s peacekeeping missions have been successful and demonstrate that including gender in the equation is a necessity to secure lasting peace. India with its gender diplomacy and championing the participation of women in global security occupies a new position by sending Indian women to peacekeeping operations and so has increased its soft power appeal making itself a leader.
India as a Voice for Developing Nations: The Global South Perspective
India’s commitment to a leadership role in south-south cooperation is evident from the recently concluded conference on ‘Women in Peacekeeping: A Global South Perspective’ in New Delhi. The two-day conference offered women peacekeepers from India and another 35 countries a chance to examine the changing role of women in peacekeeping and work together on ways of increasing their presence in difficult operations. The conference addressed matters pertaining to sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping and the use of modern technology to enhance operational effectiveness and women’s peacekeeper capacity-building programs. India’s decision to host this discussion offers an opportunity not only to debate women’s peacekeeping problems but also to propose an agenda to reform future peacekeeping policies that promote the continued presence of women as an extension of global peace force-building efforts essential to ensure that greater female participation and leadership is evident in future peace missions worldwide. This approach has proven to reflect India’s soft power image in the field of gender diplomacy and its role as a mentor and enabler for building a peaceful world with the idea of gender inclusivity.
Conclusion
India is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions, and its participation goes beyond military operations and conforms to the nation’s historic legacy of embracing the philosophy of VasudhaivaKutumbakam while upholding humanitarian values and working to promote global peace. India’s active participation in peacekeeping missions has enhanced its soft power along with the global south as well as the developed western countries. The participation of Indian women in UN peacekeeping missions and the recent organisation of the Conference on Women Peacekeepers from the Global South in New Delhi symbolises India’s stand on the empowerment and inclusion of women in building a just, secure and peaceful world.
Author is Research Analyst, Roger Hansen Institute for Global Interchange of Perspectives, Netherlands
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