Peace-keeping missions can only be successful if women are brought on board.

The call was made on Tuesday by the Minister for Gender and Family Promotion, Oda Gasinzigwa at the closure of a two-day workshop on building capacity of prisons warders on international peacekeeping missions.

The workshop attracted delegates from 25 countries and representatives of international organisations. The event aimed at exploring reforms on how to train warders for peace-keeping missions. 

Rwanda hosted the meeting in its capacity as chair of Troika, a UN-backed body aimed at providing correctional personnel to peace-keeping missions.

"Women are traditionally icons of peace, so their role in any post-conflict situation cannot be ignored,” the minister said.

Gasinzigwa said Rwanda has not only  taken global leadership in as far as participation in peace keeping missions is concerned but has also ensured  considerable women participation.

Figures from the Rwanda National Police indicate that about 150 females are part of the nearly 500 police personnel on deployment.

The minister commended Rwanda’s security organs for being at the forefront of fighting for the rights of women.

"This has been demonstrated by the establishment of Isange One Stop Centre by the National Police; which supports victims of Gender-Based Violence,” Gasinzigwa said.

Andrea Huber, the Policy Director of Penal Reform International, a London-based non-governmental organisation, noted that globally, gender insensitivity is still rife in peace-keeping missions.

"We need to understand that each gender type is unique and requires distinct treatment,” she said.

The meeting drafted mechanisms that will ensure increased sensitisation and recruitment of more women into prison services. Troika consists of three countries; Rwanda, Sweden and Canada. 

Rwanda assumed its leadership in July last year during the fourth UN international corrections conference in Berlin, Germany, due to the good performance exhibited in other peace-keeping components of the army and police. The chairmanship will end in 2014.

The three countries were selected by the UN to make a change in correctional service as it is the fourth pillar in the justice system, according to Deputy Commissioner General of Rwanda Correctional Services, Mary Gahonzire.