Mandate of the Gender Unit

The United Nations Security Council decided to include gender in MINUSMA's mandate through Resolutions 2100 and 2164. These resolutions are the basis for the mission of the Gender Unit within MINUSMA.

Gender equality must be considered as a cross-cutting issue in all aspects of MINUSMA's mandate and the mission is mandated to support the Malian authorities in ensuring full participation and representation of women at all levels, from the beginning of the stabilization phase, and including in the context of the reform of the security sector, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, national political dialogue and reconciliation, and elections.

Mandate of the Gender Unit 

The mandate of the gender unit is based on Security Women, Peace and Security Resolutions 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000 and the six others that complement it, namely Resolutions 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013) and Resolution 2122 (2013) on Women, Peace and Security (2242). The mandate of MINUSMA's Gender Unit is also based on the DPKO/DFS Policy on Gender Equality in Peacekeeping operations

Role of MINUSMA's Gender Unit

  • Support senior management in the development of a gender strategy for the mission
  • Provide technical support to the various components of the mission on gender issues
  • Strengthen the technical capacities of MINUSMA staff on gender issues through training
  • Support the Malian authorities and civil society organizations working in the field of gender, in cooperation with United Nations agencies in the country

Areas of intervention:

Taking into account the mandate of the mission, the Gender Unit focuses primarily on four priorities:

  • The inclusion of a gender perspective in MINUSMA policies and strategies
  • The promotion of political participation of women
  • The promotion of human rights, prevention and response to violence against women, especially with regard to conflict-related violence
  • The inclusion of a gender perspective in the reform of the security sector

External partnerships:

Ministry of Women, Children and Family

Ministry of the Interior and Security

The Malian Defense and Security Forces

UN agencies, in particular UN Women and UNFPA

Civil society organizations and women's networks in Mali  

Internal: The Working Group on Internal Gender Issues (Gender Task Force)