The United Nations is sending its first-ever all-female peacekeeping force to Liberia.
The United Nation’s first all-female peacekeeping force — made up of 105 Indian policewomen — is set to deploy to the troubled west African country of Liberia, an official said Friday. The team, which has been training since September, leaves for Liberia on Sunday, said Abhishek Dayal, a spokesman for India’s Central Reserve Police Force, which contributed the officers.
[…]
“Women police are seen to be much less threatening, although they can be just as tough as men. But in a conflict situation, they are more approachable and it makes women and children feel safer,” Seema Dhundia, a unit commander, said recently.
They are also less likely to be taken seriously as authority figures, especially in the developing world, and might be more likely to spark violence as a result. A Liberian man is likely to take orders from a woman as a challenge to his manhood.
This reminds me once again of a sketch Bill Murray did about a quarter century ago on “Saturday Night Live” when draft registration was being reinstated and there was a debate about whether to include women. He said it was a swell idea and that, in fact, we should draft only women. That way, if we got into war with the Soviets and lost, we could rub their noses in their getting beaten by “a bunch of women.” Conversely, if we lost, we could just say, “Big deal. So you beat a bunch of women.”
via Jessica Valenti
