the UN is sending its first all-female peacekeeping unit to liberia. this is news, but i’m not sure how to react to it. actually, what i’m not sure how to react to is the way it is presented.

when i saw the headline on the UN wire (“UN’s first women-only peacekeeping unit prepares for Liberia“), i thought, “hey, neat, an all-woman military unit.” then i noticed the IHT article ran with a different headline than the UN wire did: “India’s toughest women gear up for U.N. deployment to violence-torn Liberia.”

i like the IHT’s headline better, and i’m not sure why. it may be because the emphasis isn’t on the novelty of an all-female unit, but rather that some of india’s female troops will be deploying. to add another wrinkle, the IHT’s URL for the story is tagged “india warrior women.”

women-only peacekeeping unit
india’s toughest women
india warrior women

food for thought. they are also learning yoga and meditation techniques to help deal with the stress they will face, according to the article. that’s a fascinating idea — especially if it helps — and i’m curious: did someone come up with the idea because the unit is indian, or because it is female?