Thank you Mr. President,

 

I would like to thank the German Presidency for organizing this important open debate and the briefers for their comprehensive insights. 

Nineteen years ago, this council adopted resolution 1325, calling for enhanced efforts by the international community to increase the participation of women in peacebuilding and peacekeeping operations. 

As the Secretary General stated two weeks ago at the opening of the Peacekeeping Ministerial conference, women play an essential role in improving peacekeeping missions’ effectiveness and their engagement with local communities. Women are often the first victims in conflicts and wars, more vulnerable to physical and sexual violence, but often they are also the first to advocate for peace. 

When women are in the front line of peacekeeping operations, and part of peace building teams, they function as a catalyst of trust and cooperation, thus enhancing the UN's ability to fulfill its mandates for peace and security.

Mr. President,

Since the establishment of the State of Israel, women have been an integral part of our country's Defense Forces. Initially, only few positions were open to women. However, throughout the years, their opportunities were expanded through IDF reforms as well as individual pioneers who fought for equality within the military.

 

One such pioneer was Alice Miller, whose attempt to become an IDF pilot was denied based on her gender. Miller's appeal to the Supreme Court in 1995 brought about the acceptance of woman into the air force academy. A few years later, the IDF appointed the first Women's Affairs Advisor to the Chief of Staff. This was born of the recognition that the IDF would not be able to reach its full potential without ensuring a supportive and inclusive environment for woman to serve.

In the past decade, we have witnessed how changes within the system to accommodate women helped us advance towards gender parity. Today, over 85 % of the positions in the IDF are open to women and more than 30% of the IDF officers are female. Of all the women serving in the IDF, 20% hold officer positions, while of all the men serving only 10% are officers. We may not have achieved full gender-parity yet, but we are well on our way and efforts are still ongoing. 

Mr. President,

We all agree that there is a need for more woman in UN peacekeeping, and Israel is pleased to see that the seeds planted 19 years ago by resolution 1325 are starting to grow. 

More women are taking on key managerial roles in the UN and the number of woman in Peacekeeping has doubled. However, despite these achievements, as was mentioned in the Peacekeeping Ministerial, we still have a long way to go. 

We commend the Secretary General for his leadership on gender parity thus far, and recognize that the UN is making tremendous strides. However, in our view, there is an essential component missing in order to encourage the full inclusion of women in peacekeeping settings, and that is the adjustment of the environment and facilities in the field missions. It is not enough to simply set targets. If we want more women to serve in the field we must create an inclusive environment by ensuring their safety within the UN compounds and providing them with the facilities and services necessary, such as on-base women’s health services, accommodation for families and more. Our continued focus should be on increasing the number of women in key positions throughout the organization by adjusting the working conditions and services available to accommodate them. 

Mr. President,

If we are to encourage woman to serve in peacekeeping, the UN and its member states must endeavor to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment in the field. The UN will only be able to reach its full potential when both halves of the world's population are involved and contributing.

Thank you