The first peacekeeping infantry battalion formed by * * * went to South Sudan to prepare for war. This morning, a swearing-in meeting was held in Laiyang, Shandong. At the meeting, the order to go out was read out and the flag was awarded to the peacekeeping infantry battalion. The battalion will go to South Sudan in the near future to carry out the peacekeeping mission entrusted by the United Nations. This is the first time that China has sent troops to participate in UN peacekeeping operations.

The officers and men of the peacekeeping infantry battalion are well-equipped, well-trained and have high morale. The battalion is equipped with light weapons for self-defense, highly mobile armored personnel carriers, bulletproof vests, helmets and other protective equipment. The personnel are mainly a brigade of the 26th Army and a regiment of the 54th Army, and some professional forces such as communication and medical treatment are strengthened. It has three infantry companies and 1 support company. 30 people have peacekeeping experience, and 99 people have won third-class merit or above. What is particularly striking is that there are 13 female soldiers in the infantry battalion, who will perform combat tasks such as patrol alert and humanitarian rescue together with male soldiers, mainly responsible for the mass work of local female groups. This will be the first time for Chinese female soldiers to carry out combat missions in UN peacekeeping operations.

Brigadier General Jean Bayo, Chief of Staff of the Military Office of the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, once said that China has made important contributions to international peacekeeping operations, and female peacekeepers in China have played an important role in peacekeeping operations.

When talking about female peacekeepers in China, he said that female peacekeepers in China have played an important role in peacekeeping operations. They can do some important work related to women in host countries and strengthen communication and understanding with local women, which is something that peacekeeping forces must do.

Female soldiers of China's first peacekeeping infantry battalion took a group photo.

Bayo said that female soldiers can engage in all kinds of peacekeeping work, including leadership. They can be stationed as military observers to deal with and solve some very sensitive situations. They can also play a role in some of the most difficult tasks, such as protecting civilians, because female peacekeepers can easily win trust through communication with local people.

Bayo stressed that high quality and strong ability are the characteristics of peacekeepers in China. They are well-trained, dedicated and disciplined. Peacekeepers in China can not only improve the efficiency of peacekeeping operations, but also be regarded as "treasures" by local people, because they help local people in engineering technology, road construction, medical services and transportation, which are also very important for peacekeeping operations.

In 2003, Chinese female soldiers went abroad for the first time to participate in the United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At present, many UN peacekeeping missions have Chinese female soldiers performing peacekeeping missions.

Training of female soldiers in China's first peacekeeping infantry battalion.

Spanish female peacekeepers: enjoy the most "equal" treatment.

In the United Nations peacekeeping mission area in southern Lebanon, it is common to see female soldiers of Spanish peacekeeping forces, wearing thick bulletproof vests and bulletproof helmets with the word "UN" printed on them, or driving cars or armored vehicles, patrolling the roads with male soldiers and participating in solving various problems and disputes.

In the Spanish army, female soldiers enjoy the same treatment as male soldiers. Most positions in the army are open to female soldiers, and female soldiers can also serve as men. No wonder we can be seen everywhere in Spanish peacekeeping forces. Female soldiers and male soldiers stood guard at the observation post and doorpost of the tower together. On the training ground, conduct military training with the same subject and intensity; In the garage, the female soldiers covered in oil stains and the male soldiers got under the car to repair the car. A female officer humorously told the author: "In our place, except for bathing and sleeping places, female soldiers are the same as male soldiers in other aspects."

She also told us that in Spain, if you want to be a female soldier, you must go through two months of basic military training, learn the knowledge of military institutions and legal framework, and carry out physical and military training to pave the way for adapting to military life as soon as possible. Similarly, because of equality, if Spanish female soldiers want to perform well in the army, they must pay more efforts and hardships than male soldiers and give full play to their talents in order to be recognized by people.

Lebanese peacekeepers from Asia, Europe, America and Africa (data map)

Belgian peacekeeping female soldiers: mine-sweeping blasting does not make eyebrows.

Every step of demining along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel will be life-threatening. In UNIFIL, mine clearance and explosive ordnance disposal operations are called "more meticulous work than walking a tightrope". Among the seven demining teams of UNIFIL, the Belgian women's volleyball team in the Belgian-Luxembourg battalion demining team (composed of soldiers from Belgium and Luxembourg) is unique. They are brave and fearless in the minefield of life and death, no less than the male minesweepers.

During the mine-clearing operation, these female soldiers quickly put on protective clothing, debugged mine-clearing equipment, detected mine detectors, made careful preparations, and then calmly walked to the job site. Sometimes they bend down and use mine detectors to detect back and forth, mark them by painting or inserting small red flags, and sometimes kneel on the ground and dig with special tools for mine clearance, almost in centimeters. Lieutenant Colonel Debra Barrymore, the female battalion commander of Biluying, proudly said: "In the minefield, they are all soldiers, and they have accomplished their tasks well. They have never flinched because of fear! "

Data map: Belgian female soldier

Kenyan Women Peacekeepers: Thin and Strong "Black Pearl"

Located in Wau, Sudan, in the Kenyan protection camp of the Soviet Union during World War II, whether it is to organize the camp, keep watch on duty, military training, or go out to perform protection tasks, male soldiers and female soldiers are all together.

On one occasion, the peacekeeping transport detachment of China went to Rumbek to carry out a long-distance transport mission, and it had to pass through several sensitive areas and checkpoints. Local vehicles and gunmen jumping out of the dust make this road full of adventure and tension. In the convertible, the Kenyan peacekeeper on the protection mission was covered with dust, and a thin "black pearl" turned into a "yellow pearl", but like the male players, she clung to the steel gun and forgot to brush her clothes.

At noon, when we got off for dinner, the female soldier stood under a big tree 10 meters away with a dusty gun and kept looking around. She is slim in the vast and empty jungle, but her eyes are firm, calm, alert to the surrounding situation, very professional and dedicated.

Data map: Kenyan female soldier

Nigerian female peacekeepers: the allowance is quite attractive.

On the outskirts of Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, a team of Nigerian peacekeepers is stationed. Nigeria began sending peacekeepers to Liberia in 2003, including female soldiers.

There are 59 Nigerian female peacekeepers stationed in Liberia, accounting for about 5% of the total number of Nigerian peacekeepers. According to Joseph Ogbona, the highest commander of this unit, these female soldiers engaged in various jobs before coming to Liberia to perform their duties, including chefs, nurses, police, teachers and refugee workers. Ogbona pointed out that female peacekeepers are more disciplined.

Some male soldiers joked that female soldiers are quite influential here. Soldier Abiovi Abala said that he noticed a change in himself, that is, when a female soldier was present, he would inadvertently lower his voice and change to a soft tone.

In the narrow dormitory of Nigerian female soldiers, photos of smiling children are plastered. When they are on duty in Liberia, their children can only be left in the care of their fathers and relatives.

There are many reasons why female peacekeepers are willing to stay in Liberia far from home. Some people are trying to help a war-torn country, while others are attracted by generous subsidies.

Data map: Nigerian peacekeeping forces entered Monrovia.

Ole Ebola Oranik, 50, said, "I came here to bring peace to this country." Oranik is a mother of two children and used to be a nurse. She came to Liberia five months ago and received patients in a free clinic. The days when I first came to Liberia were very sad. Oranik misses his family and is worried about catching malaria.

Chariti Charamba from Zimbabwe said that she almost wanted to give up before going to Liberia because her husband and two sons were in great pain. "Leaving your family is a difficult decision," she said. "This is why it is difficult for most female soldiers to perform peacekeeping tasks." Charam Ba said that her son once called at two o'clock in the morning and asked his mother to mediate a family dispute. The son said, "Mom, Dad won't listen to me."

For many soldiers from poor countries, the allowance paid by the United Nations to peacekeepers is quite attractive, which is a great motivation for them to participate in peacekeeping operations. According to the regulations, peacekeepers can receive an allowance of about $65,438+0,000 yuan per month. For some peacekeepers from poor countries, the money is equivalent to five times their usual salary.

Indian female peacekeepers: dual identity of day and night

As night falls, female UN peacekeepers can still be seen patrolling the streets of Congo Town, Liberia. They are dressed in neat uniforms, carrying Kalashnikovs, with long black hair and blue hats.

This special peacekeeping force is composed entirely of Indian female soldiers. These female soldiers have dual identities: patrolling in the scorching sun during the day, returning to the camp at night, restoring the roles of mother and wife, and telling stories to children far away from home through video calls at the camp.

In the past five years, the number of female UN peacekeepers has doubled to 833. Nigeria and India are the countries that send the most female peacekeepers. In Darfur, Sudan and Liberia, female soldiers account for a high proportion of peacekeeping soldiers. For example, there are 1354 peacekeepers in Liberia, and women account for 14%.

Gerard J. Degroot, a professor of history at the University of St Andrews in the United Kingdom, once wrote a monograph on female soldiers. He believes that sending female soldiers in war-torn areas will have a "more civilized effect."

In 2004, in a report, the United Nations condemned some illegal acts of peacekeepers in Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti, including prostitution and sexual assault. According to statistics released by the United Nations, in 2005, 47 peacekeepers in Liberia were prosecuted for sexual crimes, and in 2009, the figure was 18.

United Nations officials hope that the arrival of female soldiers will play a role in maintaining the peacekeeping force. In Liberia, peacekeeping forces from different countries have been looking for the best way to let female soldiers play their roles.

Indian female peacekeepers