ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First, we would like to thank the Secretary of National Defense (SEDENA) of Mexico for their openness, interest, and support throughout this assessment. Their commitment and willingness to allow an open dialog and honest reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of current institutional practices for the incorporation of women in UN Peace Operations and within this institution. We witness the hard work that SEDENA has undertaken to achieve the distinction of being an institution of discipline and quality. is a testament to how they strive for excellence through continuous improvement, including the area of gender equality. We also emphasize the serious institutional commitment to gender equality policies within the ministry and its responsibility to support the UN efforts to increase the participation of women in Peace Operations.

Secondly, we would like to thank the Red de Seguridad y Defensa de América Latina (RESDAL, Latin American Defense and Security Network) for their collaboration. The international implementation team was composed by of Marcela Donadio, Felipe Estre, Victoria Gómez, Samanta Kussrow, Elisa Rial, Rosario Rodríguez y Rodrigo Sánchez. As well as the local RESDAL team formed by Josué Leyva Arce and Laura Rodríguez Ruiz (CONASE), Saida Moguel Damián and Alejandre Vergara Pérez (National Guard), Gabriel Macías Ortega and Claudia Villegas Hernández (Decentralized Administrative Body for Prevention and Social Readaptation), Moisés Morales Flores, Yuri Nava Ollúa, Nohemí Navarro Medina and Montserrat Silva Hernández (SEDENA), Jorge Cárdenas Casarrubias, Marco Hernández Cas- tillo, Daniela Trejo Cruz and Leticia Zamora Nicolás (SEMAR), and Mariel Fragoso Jiménez and Ana Lorenzo Vázquez (Federal Protection Service).

Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Chancellor Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón, who has been a strong promoter of the “Women, Peace and Security” agenda, to the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, Martha Delgado Peralta, to the General Director for the United Nations Organization, Eduardo Jaramillo Navarrete, and for his accompaniment to Counselor Roberto de León Huerta, Coordinator for Political Affairs and Peacekeeping, and to Ifigenia Argueta Martínez, Director of Peacekeeping, both from the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, for his assistance. We also thank Martha Rebeca Gutiérrez Estrella, Program Assistant for the Implementation of the Elsie Initiative, liaison between the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, UN Women, UDLAP and RESDAL.

This report was compiled by Dainzú López de Lara Espinosa, Gerardo Rodríguez Sánchez Lara, Naiki Guadalupe Olivas y Renata Chabert Bravo from Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP), with the collaboration of Xchell Celeste Sánchez Cruz, María del Rocío Lozano Solana, Antonio Montes Magaña, María Fernanda de la Cruz Sánchez, Edgar Darién González Vivanco y Jonathan Roberto Maza Vázquez.

This evaluation was funded by the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations, through the office of UN Women (Mexico), with the collaboration of the National Women’s Institute during the early stages of implementation.

The views expressed in this report are those of the authors, based on the best information available to them. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Armed Forces of Mexico, UN Women, UDLAP or RESDAL. The Secretary of National Defense of Mexico approved the publication of this report which integrates the comments and opinions of a representative group of this institution.

Main good practices that can be scaled-up and replicated elsewhere

Main barriers to women’s meaningful participation in UN Peace Operations

INTRODUCTION

Why do we need more women meaningfully participating in UN peace operations and in Mexico’s Armed Forces?

Mexico: National characteristics and institutional profile of the Secretary of National Defense

The Mexican contribution to UN peace operations

METHODOLOGY

Overview of the MOWIP Assessment

RESDAL: the national research partner institution

Implementation of MOWIP in the Mexican Secretary of National Defense

THE 10 ISSUE AREAS THAT AFFECT WOMEN’S MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION IN THE INSTITUTION’S PEACE OPERATIONS