Resolutions however, do not always lead to de facto action. In this case equal partnership between men and women in peace operations, which have traditionally been male dominated, will not happen overnight, but will hopefully be a well-directed process till parity is reached. Challenges are still faced. I shall mention three. The first is to have more women in leadership positions as defense ministers, deputy defense ministers and Secretaries of State for Defense.
Today there are few.
One former one is our distinguished Deputy Secretary-General, Louise Frechette. Yesterday, in the Commission of the Status of Women, we heard about the appointment of many new ministers, including one deputy minister of defense, a woman, in Israel's newly appointed cabinet. The second challenge is to raise awareness of the advantages of having a gender perspective in peace operations. Currently you have half of the population, with half of a country's community building and nurturing skills totally ignored. These skills have to be incorporated.