This Policy Directive defines and describes requirements for ensuring the equal participation of women, men, girls and boys in all peacekeeping activities. It embraces gender mainstreaming as a strategy to advance the goal of gender equality in post-conflict societies. The policy applies existing United Nations system-wide mandates for advancing gender equality, to the specific context of post-conflict transitions, to which all peacekeeping personnel must adhere, with the goal of providing a more sustainable and democratic basis for the subsequent peace- building agenda.