Fieldwork
As part of the Gender and Security Sector Lab’s Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) project, I worked in Fiji alongside the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), the Fiji Police Force (FPF), UN Women, and the Elsie Initiative Fund to adapt, implement, and train on the MOWIP methodology for the Fijian context. While in the field, we collaborated with local stakeholders to localize survey instruments for police and military personnel, introduced the five phases of the MOWIP Barrier Assessment, and trained enumerators and security sector personnel in research ethics, safety planning, sampling design, and survey administration. We conducted pilot surveys with police cadets and military personnel, facilitated discussions with senior officers on gender mainstreaming, and co-developed an enumerator survival guide to ensure safe and effective fieldwork. The mission concluded with a review of findings, a focus group and validation workshop framework, and actionable next steps for advancing gender-sensitive practices in Fiji’s security institutions. This work strengthens Fiji’s integration of gender-sensitive approaches in UN peacekeeping and contributes to the global evidence base on barriers and opportunities for women in peace operations.
Fieldwork in Fiji — MOWIP Barrier Assessment with the RFMF, Fiji Police Force, UN Women, and the Elsie Initiative Fund.