Practically this study suggests that the United Nation’s quest for gender equality in all aspects of peacekeeping is applicable in the context of the Ghana Armed Forces. It specifically notes that the potentials of both male and female personnel could be integrated in performing any activities in peacekeeping without hindering the ability of the military to achieve set targets. Findings in this study could serve as a first step in a process of policy reform within the Ghana Armed Forces when it comes to opening up leadership and combat related duties in peacekeeping environments to equal participation of males and females. This study may not be applicable in situations of war. My study was not designed to look into gender integration in an environment where the Ghana Armed Forces has to engage in war fighting against an enemy. I looked at gender integration in peacekeeping environments under the auspices of the United Nations.
7.2 Implications for Further Research
Theoretically this study implies that the functionalist explanation of male dominance in the areas of military peacekeeping operations -if at all relevant- must be contextualized.
Therefore the general view among scholars that the military limits the participation of females in peacekeeping mainly due to concerns of operational effectiveness (Heinecken, 2002:715; Rehn and Johnson Sirleaf, 2002:65) does not apply in the context of the Ghana Armed Forces. The discourse above implies that the search for why the involvement of female personnel in military peacekeeping operations remains limited needs extensive research. This study may be replicated in the Ghana Armed Forces and other military contexts to either refute or confirm the findings. Such replication may be interesting to the Ghana Armed Forces in particular. Also, other researchers interested in the gender differences argument in the context of the armed forces and students in the area of peace and conflict issues may find the study interesting for replication. This will strengthen the discourse on gender integration in all aspects of peacekeeping operations.
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APPENDIXES
Questionnaire on Gender Integration and International Peacekeeping
Preamble
The following questions are intended to assess some parameters on Gender Integration and International Peacekeeping. This is purely a social academic research and therefore very confidential. Please, do not provide any indication of your identity such as name or signature apart from the biographical details required in section A. Feel free to provide your opinion as accurate as possible based on your experience in international peacekeeping and do not disclose your responses to a third party. Your responses exclusively make-up your personal opinion needed for the accuracy of this research. You will not be held liable for any statements you make herein. Try as much as possible to express your views on each question. Tick one option from a five or two point scale for each question and provide short explanations where applicable for you choice.
Thank you for cooperation.
Section A: Biographical Data
Sex: Male………….Female……… Age: ………..
How many times have you been on international peacekeeping? ……….
Department in the military………..
How long have you served in the Military ………
Section B: Perceived of gender differences in military peacekeeping
1. During some peacekeeping missions, personnel may face critical situations that may need active defense. Are both men and women given the same training for such situations? Yes… No…
How would you agree that if women were given the same level of motivation, guidance and training they would perform equally effective as men in such volatile peacekeeping situations?
Strongly agree…… Agree……Uncertain………..Disagree………..Strongly disagree………
2. Do you feel the men and women are given equal opportunities to lead in peacekeeping?
Yes…NO…
Do you agree that women should be given equal leadership opportunities as men in peacekeeping activities?
Strongly agree……….Agree………Uncertain………Disagree……….Strongly disagree……...
Why? ...
3. How do you agree that deploying as many women as men on peacekeeping missions could have any good effect on the total effectiveness of peacekeeping activities?
Strongly Agree….Agree…Uncertain………Disagree……….Strongly Disagree…...
4. With your experience in peace keeping, choose the gender mix that you think could be best for
5. With your experience in peacekeeping, kindly list at least five major operations/activities that are carried out for effective peacekeeping.
………
6. From the activities stated above kindly indicate those that are best performed by A) Men only………
8. Are there other special functions in peacekeeping that you think only women should be allowed to perform?
Yes………No……….
If yes, list those functions………
Give short reasons for your opinion.
………
9. Would you suggest that the increased involvement of females on peacekeeping activities could pose some special limitations to effective peacekeeping operations?
Very likely ……. Likely ……… uncertain ... Unlikely ………very unlikely Why? …..………
10. Would you suggest that modern peacekeeping provides equal opportunities for men and women in peacekeeping operations?
Yes……… No………..
11. How would you feel if you were deployed on peacekeeping missions under the leadership of..
I) A woman? Very happy…Happy…Uncertain…Unhappy……Very Unhappy…
II) A man? Very happy …Happy …Uncertain Unhappy…Very Unhappy……
Why? ……….
12. In your opinion, do you feel that you are given equal opportunities as the opposite sex in peacekeeping activities?
Yes………..No………
13. Could a gender difference in leadership, thus whether the leader is a man or woman, affect your motivation and efficiency in any way during peacekeeping operations?
Very likely……likely…..uncertain…..unlikely….very unlikely………..
16. In your opinion, which group best accepts, respects and cooperates with you as equal partner to them in all aspects peacekeeping operations?
Men……….Women ………….
17. If you were given a leadership position in peacekeeping operations, who do you think would give you the greatest problems?
Men …………..Women ……….
18. Peacekeeping requires leadership in all aspects of operations. In your opinion, do you think that the sex of the leader, thus whether man or woman, matters so much for the person to be an effective leader in peacekeeping operations?
Yes…………..No………
19. Taken that your leader in peacekeeping operations were a woman do you foresee any special problems that are likely to emerge just because the person is a woman?
Yes………..No………..
If yes, briefly state some examples.
………
20. Do you think such problems would not emerge if the leader were a man?
Yes………No……….
If yes, kindly explain why.
………
21. With your experience in peacekeeping, do you have any special issues you would like to share with us on gender integration in peacekeeping?
23. How convinced are you that a woman who is well trained in military skills could perform very effectively as a man in all peacekeeping situations including fluid or volatile situations?
Highly convinced….Slightly convinced…..uncertain…Slightly unconvinced…Highly unconvinced. Why...
24. It is being said that the more women that are deployed in peacekeeping operations the more likely it is that the concerns and needs of local women and children in wore-torn countries would be catered for. How far do you agree with this statement?
Strongly agree…Agree…Uncertain…….Disagree…Strongly disagree …...
Why? ...
25. It is being advocated that women should take comparative leadership positions such as commanders etc in all spheres of peacekeeping operations just as men are permitted to do. How
27. Would you be differently ready to respect the authority of a man in similar regard as in
29. It is said that women and children are more vulnerable during conflict situations. Kindly state any known reasons why you think women within the military could better help those vulnerable people during peacekeeping operations.
………
30. With your experience in peacekeeping, do you think that women are generally ready to accept all duties in peacekeeping?
Yes………No………..
If no, state the areas that you know that women do not generally want to be deployed in.
………
End of questionnaire. Thank you
A Sample Interview Guide for Officers in the Military
1. To what extent does the Ghanaian Army enhance equal opportunities and representation of men and women in peacekeeping operations?
5. Would you suggest that the increased representation of females on peacekeeping activities could pose some special limitation to effective peacekeeping activities? Why?
6. Are there any duties in peacekeeping operations that you think women are currently not allowed to participate in? Which duties do you should not be allowed to perform on equal bases as men?
7. Are there any special advantages that you think the increased representation of women in peacekeeping could bring to the total effectiveness of peacekeeping operations?
8. Looking at modern peacekeeping, do you consider physical strength as more important in active combat situations than tactics and skills?
9. Do you think women are significantly different from men in acquiring the tactics and skills necessary in fluid or volatile peacekeeping situations?
10. What are the identifiable leadership roles relative to international military peacekeeping?
11. How many women are leaders in these positions? What is the ratio of men to women?
12. Do you think women could not be very effective as men in those positions? Why do you say so?
13. If it is suggested that women should be appointed at random as men to take leadership responsibilities, what would you have to say about that? Do you think such a move could pose some threats to peacekeeping? Could you foresee any special advantages these could bring to peacekeeping?
14. How would you evaluate the general effectiveness of women in leadership positions for peacekeeping?
15. Could you give a brief history of women involvement in international peacekeeping activities?
16. Are women normally deployed in volatile peacekeeping situations? What is the main reason why it is so? What is your impression about women in volatile situations? If women suggest that they could equally deploy in active volatile peacekeeping situations as men, would you have any special reservations on that?
17. Military peacekeeping now involves several areas where women are most needed. Could you
17. Military peacekeeping now involves several areas where women are most needed. Could you