BRAZIL
Brazil adopted their first National Action Plan in 2017 to cover a two year period. It was reviewed in 2019 to cover a further period of four years 2019-2023.
Objectives of the 2017-2019/2023 NAP
Brazil’s NAP objectives are organised under four pillars, each supported by several objectives, and in turn supported by stated activities with indication of which agency is responsible for implementation:
- Pillar One: Participation – Increase and enable the presence and leadership of women in activities related to peace and security, including members of the local civilian population.
- Pillar Two: Prevention and Protection – Protect the human rights of all women and girls and prevent gender-based violence in situations of pre-conflict, conflict or post-conflict in which Brazil is engaged.
- Pillar Three – Consolidation of Peace and Humanitarian Cooperation - strengthen the gender perspective in Brazil’s peacebuilding and humanitarian cooperation work, taking into account the different impacts of armed conflict on men and women, in order to achieve sustainable peace.
- Pillar Four – Awareness and Engagement with WPS Agenda - deepen and disseminate knowledge within Brazilian society about the WPS agenda, raise awareness of its importance; and engage the relevant actors in implementation of the NAP by deepening cooperation with civil society.
Commentary:
Before the adoption of their NAP, Brazil was an active participant in discussions on Women, Peace and Security internationally, and had begun to incorporate elements of the agenda into domestic policies and institutions. They adopted their first NAP in 2017 to continue advances in gender equality and in recognition of the importance of, and the opportunity for, greater focus on the promotion of equality in international peace and security.
However, it has been argued the international focus comes at the expense of consideration of domestic issues. Brazil is facing an epidemic of violence, including domestic and sexual violence, and has one of the highest rates of femicides in the world. These domestic issues are not addressed in the NAP.
Civil Society involvement in developing the 2017-2023 NAP:
The plan was prepared by a Working Group, which included representatives from the Armed Forces and was supported by members of Civil Society and UN Women. The Working Group organised events to broaden discussions on the Brazilian NAP and receive input from other relevant institutions and actors. This included a workshop organised in collaboration with the Alexandre de Gusmão Foundation, the Igarapé Institute and UN Women.
UN Peacekeeping Statistics
As of May 2023, Brazil contributed 83 UN peacekeeping personnel:
Women in Peacekeeping
As can be seen in the above table women are fairly well represented in Brazil as mission experts, though less well in other roles.
Brazil’s NAP outlines extensive objectives and required actions in the area of women’s participation in Peace and Security. it highlights measures that must be taken to address how Brazilian women access, remain in, and advance in the relevant institutions, and pledges to assess barriers to women’s participation, improve training, and empower women to serve in international peacekeeping missions.
References and Sources
Brazilian National Action Plan (English Translation): Brazil-NAP-2017-English-translation-DP160100212.pdf (wpsnaps.org)
United Nations Peacekeeping. (July 2023): Troop and police contributors | United Nations Peacekeeping
Contribution of Uniformed Personnel to UN by Country, Mission, and Personnel Type (May 2023): 05-Missions Detailed By Country
Uniformed Personnel Contributing Countries by Ranking Experts on Mission, Formed Police Units, Individual Police, Staff Officer, and Troops As of: 30/04/2023: 02-Contributions by Country (Ranking)
Giannini R A, and Pereira, P A, LSE UK, March 2020, Building Brazil’s National Action Plan: lessons learned and opportunities : https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/wps/2020/03/03/building-brazils-national-action-plan-lessons-learned-and-opportunities/
