On the occasion of International Peace Day, the Dutch Consulate General and the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs (MoPA) on Sunday launched the “Women in the Peshmerga” photo exhibition in the Erbil Citadel.

The International Day of Peace is a global day to commemorate the founding ideals of the UN: to promote peace, end conflict, and foster global cooperation. 

With this photo exhibition, the Dutch Consulate General celebrates the strength of diversity within the Peshmerga, and promotes female participation in the Peshmerga forces.

Read More: Ministry of Peshmerga Aims to Increase Female Participation

One key focus of the Dutch military advisor attached to the Dutch Consulate General is promoting gender equality.

The gender equality project is one of 28 reform initiatives being carried out by the MoPA and supported by the Multinational Advisory Group (MNAG), which assists in the unification of Peshmerga forces.

Dutch Army Col. Linda Kapelle, a military advisor for the Dutch Consulate General, told Kurdistan Chronicle that the event was intended to make the women of the Peshmerga visible and commemorate what they have done in the past and what they do now.

“I really hope that in the next generations we’ll see what Peshmerga women can do and they’re going to join the Peshmerga and be proud,” Col. Kapelle said.

“Today is the International Day of Peace, and as a survey shows us, women play a crucial role in establishing peace. It also shows that when women are at the table and thinking and enjoying the peace process, the peace will endure for a much longer time.

“They represent other interest groups that are otherwise overlooked, like as children.

“The Dutch Ministry of Defense has long aimed for a 30% target [for female participation in the workforce], even by 2030, but it currently stands at 18%,” she also said. “If the goal is to expand the size of the defense organization, then indeed even greater efforts will be required to reach the 30% target.

“The Peshmerga are also taking steps to increase female participation,” she said, adding that the MoPA aims to increase female participation from 1% to 6%. “I hope this event will encourage more women to join the Peshmerga,” she concluded.