Gender and Police Mandates in Field Operations

The document defines key gender concepts and outlines the policy framework—specifically UN Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security—that mandates the integration of gender perspectives in peace operations. It provides a four-part operational framework for police personnel to implement gender mainstreaming, improve participation, and ensure professional conduct in the field.

• The document distinguishes between four core gender-related concepts: 'gender' refers to social attributes and relationships between sexes; 'gender equality' concerns equal rights and opportunities; 'gender mainstreaming' is the process of assessing implications for both women and men in all planned actions; and 'gender balancing' focuses on increasing the representation of women in the security sector.
• UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and subsequent thematic resolutions establish the necessity of women's participation and protection in peace processes. Research suggests that women's participation increases the sustainability and durability of peace, while gender inequality is linked to a higher risk of armed conflict.
• The document proposes a four-area framework for police personnel to apply a gender perspective: external integration (mainstreaming the mandate), external participation (consulting with local men and women), internal integration (organizational capacity for gender awareness), and internal participation (equal opportunities and professional conduct for personnel).
• Effective gender mainstreaming in the field requires the collection and use of sex-disaggregated data to inform planning, execution, and reporting, as well as the utilization of specialized roles such as Gender Advisers or Gender Focal Points.
• Professional conduct and the prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) by mission personnel are critical for the credibility of the mission and its ability to support non-discriminatory behavior in host state police services.

APA

Olsson, L. (2018). Gender and Police Mandates in Field Operations. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/9c699788-68c4-4a97-b519-6958892965a3/Olsson Louise - Gender and Police Mandates in Field Operations PRIO Paper 2018.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Olsson, Louise. Gender and Police Mandates in Field Operations. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2018. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/9c699788-68c4-4a97-b519-6958892965a3/Olsson Louise - Gender and Police Mandates in Field Operations PRIO Paper 2018.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Olsson |first1=Louise |title=Gender and Police Mandates in Field Operations |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2018 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/9c699788-68c4-4a97-b519-6958892965a3/Olsson Louise - Gender and Police Mandates in Field Operations PRIO Paper 2018.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{olsson2018gender, author = {Olsson, Louise}, title = {{Gender and Police Mandates in Field Operations}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2018}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/9c699788-68c4-4a97-b519-6958892965a3/Olsson Louise - Gender and Police Mandates in Field Operations PRIO Paper 2018.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }