Canada has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing gender equality in global peacekeeping operations, praising Ghana’s Armed Forces for making significant strides in promoting women’s participation and leadership within the military.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Gender Advisors Course on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Ms Elsa Mouelhi-Rondeau, Political and Public Affairs Counsellor at the Canadian High Commission, highlighted the importance of inclusive peacekeeping and the tangible impact of gender-balanced deployments.

The course, hosted by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and the Ghana Armed Forces, forms part of broader efforts to strengthen gender integration within military operations.

Ms Mouelhi-Rondeau drew attention to Canada’s Elsie Initiative, launched in 2017, which seeks to increase the meaningful participation of uniformed women in United Nations peace operations in line with the UN’s gender parity targets.

She stressed that gender parity is not merely about numbers or fairness, but is central to operational effectiveness.

“By deploying more women to UN peace operations, troop and police-contributing countries are in a better position to deliver on their mandates and to protect civilians,” she said.

She explained that mixed-gender units are often better able to build trust within conflict-affected communities, enabling them to gather critical intelligence and respond more effectively to the needs of diverse populations.

The Canadian diplomat praised the progress made under the initiative, noting that between August 2022 and December 2024, KAIPTC supported the Ghana Armed Forces in developing its first-ever gender policy framework.

She described the achievement as historic, providing a clear strategic direction on issues such as addressing sexual harassment, introducing parental leave for male personnel, and promoting gender-responsive budgeting.

According to her, these reforms have been complemented by increased awareness campaigns, training programmes and institutional engagement across all levels of the Ghana Armed Forces.

She also highlighted efforts to strengthen the capacity of gender advisors and focal points, as well as initiatives aimed at removing structural and cultural barriers that have historically limited women’s participation in peacekeeping missions.

“These achievements demonstrate not only the commitment of the Ghana Armed Forces, but also Ghana’s strong leadership in advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda,” she stated.

Looking ahead, Ms Mouelhi-Rondeau revealed that Canada will continue its partnership with UNITAR and KAIPTC to implement a series of activities over the coming year.

These will focus on strengthening institutional mechanisms, enhancing personnel capacity through training, and ensuring that gender perspectives are fully integrated into military planning, operations and leadership decision-making.

She also noted recent collaboration between the Canadian Armed Forces and the Ghana Armed Forces, including a training programme delivered just weeks ago under the Military Training and Cooperation Programme.

The initiative equipped 50 Ghanaian personnel with specialised skills to engage effectively with local communities and gather reliable situational awareness during peace operations.

Describing the newly launched Gender Advisors Course as a significant milestone, Ms Mouelhi-Rondeau emphasised the critical and strategic role played by gender advisors in modern armed forces.

She commended Ghana for its standing as one of the world’s leading contributors to United Nations peacekeeping missions and for its continued progress in deploying women in meaningful roles.

“Ghana remains one of the world’s top troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping operations, and Canada deeply values Ghana’s long-standing partnership, professionalism and dedication to global peace and security,” she said.

She encouraged participants to fully engage in the two-week training, noting that their work would contribute to building a more inclusive, professional and operationally effective military.

“Your role as gender advisors is vital. You are helping shape a Ghana Armed Forces that continues to serve as a model in the region and beyond. Canada is proud to stand with you in this work,” she added.