A group of uniformed participants described a network that links women peacekeepers across military, police, justice and corrections components to share lessons and improve deployment experiences, saying it has strengthened peer support and contributed input on policy gaps at the United Nations.

Speaker 1, an unidentified participant who introduced the discussion, asked participants to describe the benefits the network has provided to female peacekeepers and to wider peacekeeping operations. Speaker 2 said the network has "enabled programs…mostly online programs" that have been "very beneficial," and Speaker 3 called it "an amazing way to learn from other women how to solve problems within the mission." Speaker 4 said, "Through the network, we feel empowered. Our voices are heard and elevated." These comments framed the participants’ account of the network’s primary effects: peer support, information-sharing, and increased influence on mission-level concerns.

Why it matters: participants said the network helps identify practical gaps — in training, equipment, accommodation and leadership opportunities — and turns individual experiences into collective insight that can be used to improve deployments. Speaker 5 said the networks "provide a real sense of peer support" and emphasized that connecting women with similar experiences "can make the difference between a positive experience and a frustrating [one], especially for those serving in small numbers." Speaker 9 added that "when they speak as a group, their voices are better" and that those voices "contribute to the development of the policies to make them more suitable and facilitating for them to keep on participating and not just participating, but meaningful participation."

Program delivery and career impact: participants noted the network has enabled sharing success stories and exchanging ideas that contribute to career-building. Speaker 2 said members "get to learn and exchange ideas…to help you build your career," and Speakers 6 and 7 described the platform as a place to bring success stories and lessons learned from different missions and roles.

Integration and command connections: speakers said the network has helped integrate police and military women as a common group within missions and has become "another tool for connecting to women about their specific perspectives and challenges," including enabling commanders to connect with women under their command and surface concerns that might otherwise go unaddressed.

Limitations and outcomes: the discussion described benefits in qualitative terms but included few quantitative measures. Participants reported mostly online programming and anecdotal improvements in empowerment, peer support and policy input; no formal vote, motion or funding decision was recorded in this transcript. The session closed with participants emphasizing unity and the belief that "when women thrive, teams perform better, and in the end, everyone wins for better peacekeeping operations."