To celebrate the 50th anniversary of International Women’s Day, we interviewed women based in duty stations globally and working in security across the United Nations Security Management System (UNSMS). Since the establishment of the UNSMS, efforts have been made to achieve gender equality. Nonetheless, even with the improvements, women still figure as an underrepresented group inside the security sector compared to their counterparts who are men.
Thus, we are amplifying our security colleagues’ voices by giving them a platform to share their stories and thoughts about their work in security. All interviews surfaced four main topics: the career paths, their thoughts on gender equality within the security field, and their advice to women and girls interested in security. We start by trying to understand how they began their careers in security.
There is a vast array of reasons our colleagues chose to work in security. Their stories come together in their drive willingness to enable UN organizations to deliver their mandates.
Therese Orou, Deputy Regional Security and Protection Specialist for Africas at UN Women, was young student when she first saw a woman police officer. This moment inspired her to pursue a career in this domain. Her main goal was to defend women and girls against gender-based violence. After years in the police force and completing her law studies, she decided to take her career to the international arena to further her goal of supporting women and girls.
Ekessah Akwata, Senior Security Inspector at UNDSS Kenya, also opted for military training at an early age: “I was a little girl and watched the military parade [...] I have always admired the work of the military”. For this reason, she joined the military academy after graduating from high school. Once in the army, she was deployed as a peacekeeper in East-Timor, where she had her first contact with UN Security, joining UNDSS years later. Although some women working in the UNSMS come from a security background, many colleagues began their careers differently and bring a wealth of experience to the UN Security Management System.
Aji Fatou, Security & Safety Training and Administrative Analyst at UN Women, started her career in security through a leadership program for young professionals to work in different divisions at UN Women. Aji explained: “I was then placed in the Security & Safety Team, as my skillset aligned with that required of a security specialists – that’s when I would say an amazing journey started for me.”
Celia Araya, Security Communications Support Analyst at IOM Panama and comes from a computer science background. Her skills in computer science proved to be essential to the IOM security team, where she began her work on security communications systems, in particular SCAAN – IOM’s digital security communications platform.
The recruitment of women from diverse professional backgrounds to the UNSMS not only broadens perspectives but also fosters innovative approaches to security. Their contributions are invaluable, bringing new points of view and enhancing the security field.
