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The world is facing unprecedented challenges, from geopolitical tensions to digital vulnerabilities. With this, the quest for a more peaceful world has never been more critical. How can women’s voices, so often sidelined in corridors of power, become heard in international peace and security?
The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda is leading this journey, championed by organizations like Our Secure Future (OSF), whose commitment to the full participation of women in governance and peacebuilding efforts offers a blueprint for transformative change.
A powerful mission that led to action
Established in 2016 by the philanthropist Cynda Collins Arsenault, OSF is focused on enhancing the frameworks of WPS governance for enriched policy decision-making, both domestically and globally. Sahana Dharmapuri, OSF’s Vice President, reminisces, “From inception, our mission was unequivocal — to integrate women’s perspectives and participation not as an afterthought to security decision-making but as a foundation for enduring peace.”
One of the goals of the Women, Peace and Security agenda is to foster enhanced communication between governments, multilateral organizations, and civil society groups in the United States and globally. Amplifying women’s voices in multi-stakeholder convenings allows decision-makers to hear diverse perspectives and innovative solutions they otherwise would not have considered.
Studies have shown that gender perspectives improve security outcomes for everyone. Based on this evidence, the UN Security Council adopted UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 in 2000, which demands and mandates tangible action to meaningfully integrate women’s leadership and experiences into peace and security decision-making.
In 2005, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Report invited member states to forge WPS National Action Plans (NAPs), which are designed as comprehensive policy frameworks by governments, regional entities, and civil society, aimed at embodying the mandate of UNSCR 1325.
This is why Our Secure Future is establishing the Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan Academy, which will support regions worldwide in developing, adopting, and implementing WPS National Action Plans. Today, over 100 countries, and growing, have adopted National Action Plans. Our Secure Future’s new WPS National Action Plan Academy acknowledges the increasing policy commitment that countries have made to strengthen the intrinsic link between gender equality and peacebuilding.
The importance of inclusive policy decision-making
A hallmark of NAPs on WPS is their ability to convene all stakeholders within a conflict and country context-specific framework. Women’s peace and social justice organizations must regularly engage in policy decision-making to ensure women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in peacebuilding.
For example, women leaders, such as community and civil society leaders, teachers, doctors, journalists, human rights defenders, and peacebuilders, can provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of a conflict and community context that most government and security actors have difficulty accessing.
Women’s perspectives and priorities on security are also quite different from traditional military definitions of “security.” Often, women leaders emphasize human security in health care, education, and livelihoods as key to creating a more stable and secure environment. Ensuring women’s physical security to freely and equally participate politically in a society strengthens free and democratic societies.
Bridging the divide In government, military, and civil society collaboration
However, challenges remain. Women are woefully absent from top-level decision-making in the political and security sectors. In a global survey conducted in 2018, more than 400 women across 63 countries were asked how they define security and whether or not they felt heard by key decision-makers at the top.
According to respondents, security is not just the absence of violence and oppression but also the guaranteed provision of basic needs, financial security, protection of human rights, and access to education. An astonishing 72% of women surveyed also said they do not feel properly represented in discussions about security in their communities, and 82% said they do not feel adequately represented in national security discussions.
This is why a Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan Academy is necessary. Central to the effectiveness of WPS NAPs is the significant insight civil society can provide to partner governments, multilateral organizations, and militaries. When government and military actors can consult with civil society regularly, NAPs are more inclusive and actionable.
Our Secure Future aims to establish the NAP Academy as one important way for women to be fully included in multi-stakeholder policy debates about security priorities. Dharmapuri reflects, “Every consultation, convening, and report we produce propels us towards a reality where gender equality between men and women in security decision-making transcends being a mere goal to become an unequivocal reality.”
Crossing the aisle and strengthening the women, peace and security movement
While the WPS National Action Plan Academy represents a relatively new initiative undertaken by OSF, one of their landmark achievements in the United States is the establishment of a bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Women, Peace and Security. “It was a moment of realization that our efforts were truly making an impact, inspiring legislative action and commitment at the highest levels,” Dharmapuri reflects. This initiative symbolizes OSF’s broader ambition to embed WPS principles across governance structures, enhancing global peace efforts.
Though slow to spread, parliamentary engagement in WPS is not new. A few countries have adopted similar parliamentary models. In 2006, British Parliamentarians from the upper and lower Houses of Parliament organized the “All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women, Peace and Security (APPG-WPS).” The APPG secretariat is hosted by Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS), a British Women, Peace and Security civil society network. In 2023, Members of the Japanese Diet, the legislature of Japan, announced their intention to form a WPS Caucus in their legislative body, with the mission of advancing UNSCR 1325 and the Japanese WPS National Action Plan. In Israel, the women’s civil society group, Women Wage Peace, are a regular presence advocating for a lasting peace agreement on the Knesset floor.
Based on OSF’s example, additional legislatures in other countries could work with civil society actors to adopt a “WPS Caucus Model” and ensure accountability in implementing their National Action Plans and policies.
A future forged by solidarity
Although OSF’s road is already filled with achievements, its mission is far from complete. The upcoming 25th anniversary of the WPS agenda serves as both a milestone and a reminder of the work that lies ahead. “Our vision for the future is one where women’s leadership in peace and security is not exceptional but expected,” Dharmapuri envisions.
The organization’s focus on developing the WPS National Action Plan Academy is particularly promising. By offering specialized support and training to countries committed to advancing women’s rights in security, OSF aims to catalyze global action towards inclusive peacebuilding.
Dharmapuri reflected, “When women’s voices are heard, peace follows.” This simple yet powerful statement encapsulates the essence of Our Secure Future’s mission and its unwavering commitment to championing women’s voices in international policy. As the world deals with complex challenges, the work of OSF serves as hope for the power of inclusivity.
