Gender Mainstreaming In Peacekeeping Operations ... - Resdal

Number of Women in the ESP programme at Stella Maris
ESP YEAR
LNP
Class #
ESP Initial
Enrollment
No shows
for ESP
Drop- outs/
Failed
ESP
Comple-ted
ESP
Additio- nal
LNP Female
Recruits
Total Sent to
Acade-my
Joined
LNP
Drop- outs
once in LNP
2007-MAR 32 105 14 9 127 5 111 105 5
2007-OCT 33 104 4 12 82 41 115 104 0
2008-FEB 34 111 0 10 101 31 100 NA NA
Recruitment and support did not end when the students entered
the ESP, but continued throughout the programme. Keeping
the students actively engaged proved difficult, as challenges
from society, family and logistics regularly arose. However,
troubleshooting by partners to keep women in the programme
was dynamic and creative. Most of the women who complete
it stated that the support received from UN counterparts was
the reason they stayed in the programme. Creative examples:
an add-on course was introduced to assist the handful of
students who failed, with two more months of training, after
which all passed the final test. Funding was obtained so that a
local orphanage could take care of the students`children, free of
charge, while they completed the programme.
The ESP recruitment effort has promoted equality for women
and girls in Liberia - by providing education, sustainable income,
improved security, and a new sense of women’s rights. According
to female officers, there has been an increase in livelihoods
for women who have participated in ESP and a new inspiration
to seek further educational opportunities.
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