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ndonesia has underlined the importance of having more women deployed as UN peacekeepers in areas of conflict, arguing it would provide an enabling environment for development through the empowerment of women.

Briefing a new batch of “Blue Helmets” — the moniker for UN peacekeepers — from the Indonesian Military (TNI)’s Kontingen Garuda (Konga) XXIII-K mechanized battalion on Monday, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said the government was committed to increasing the number of female personnel in the line of duty.

Retno raised the issue of gender mainstreaming to 854 troops getting ready to be deployed under the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), of which only 18 personnel were women.

“The deployment of women [in peacekeeping missions] can be regarded as exemplary and inspire the local women to fight for their rights while building world peace,” she told the soldiers at the Indonesian Peace and Security Center (IPSC) in Sentul, West Java.

Konga XIII-K is expected to replace the Konga XIII-J in December.

Indonesia envisions contributing 4,000 peacekeeping personnel by 2019 — an increase from the current 2,867 currently serving in UN peacekeeping missions since 2014.

Since the first deployment of Indonesian peacekeepers in 1957, 34,371 Indonesian soldiers have served around the globe, risking their own lives to save others — to date 34 Indonesian soldiers have lost their lives in the service of peace and humanity, according to the UN.

UN representative to Indonesia Douglas Broderick has said the UN expects the TNI to include gender mainstreaming into training and a military career progression scheme.

Retno revealed that women only accounted for 1 percent of all personnel in the military in 1993, then called the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI). In 2014, the representation of women reached 3 percent in the TNI and 10 percent in the National Police.

Furthermore, the inclusion of female personnel may help break down barriers in traumatized societies where it is difficult to communicate with women, while also providing a measure of safety for the women and children, who are often counted among the most vulnerable.

Other than the mechanized battalion, Indonesia has seven more peacekeeper contingents of various duties deployed in Lebanon.