The first all-female unit of United Nations peacekeepers has arrived in Liberia's capital, Monrovia.
The group of more than 100 police women from India will stay in Liberia for six months, helping to train the local police force.
They will also carry out security duties in forthcoming local elections.
The UN currently has 15,000 peacekeepers deployed in Liberia, which is struggling to recover after a 14-year civil war.
The unit is made up volunteers drawn from across India and are experienced in battling insurgencies in Kashmir and the north-east.
UN police advisor Mark Kroeker, who has served with the Los Angeles Police Department for more than 30 years, says the presence of women in UN missions enhances their access to vulnerable populations.
"It also sends a message to the post-conflict societies where we work that women officers can have any position and play any role in a police organisation," he said.
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