Women, Peace and Security

aBOUT

Women, Peace and Security (WPS) is a United Nations Security Council resolution, United States law, and FY21 National Defense Appropriations Act that establish policy for the Department of Defense to advance the meaningful participation of women in decision-making roles across the peace and conflict continuum and to integrate gender analysis into DoD operations, activities, and investments.

The WPS framework is anchored in the principle that effective incorporation of gender perspectives and the meaningful participation of women in all areas of security will have a positive impact on the lives of all men, women, boys, and girls in a society. 

On a global scale:

1. Peace agreements are 35% more likely to last at least 15 years when women participate.[1]

2. Evidence shows a linkage between a nation or state’s gender gap and the level of corruption, violence, and overall instability.[2]

Foundational documents

  UNSCR 1325 (2000)

  WPS Act (2017)

  WPS SFIP (2020)

  U.S. Strategy and National Action Plan on WPS (2023)

Lines of Effort & Defense Objectives

Lines of Effort

US Strategy and National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2023)

LOE 1:  Participation – Seek and support the preparation and meaningful participation of women and girls in civic and political leadership, in informal and formal decision-making processes, and in institutions related to peace and security.

LOE 2:  Protection – Promote the protection of the human rights of women and girls, and prevent and respond to all forms of GBV across the continuum of peace, conflict, and crisis contexts, including conflict-related sexual violence. 

LOE 3:  Relief, Response, and Recovery – Prioritize gender-responsive policies and programs to support the safety, participation, and leadership of women and girls in U.S. government responses to conflict, crises, and disasters, and provide safe, equitable access to humanitarian assistance.

LOE 4:  Integration and Institutionalization – Integrate WPS principles across U.S. policies and programs to strengthen the institutionalization of comprehensive gender analyses and improve gender equality outcomes.

LOE 5:  Partnerships – Encourage partners to mainstream WPS principles across policies and strategies, and strengthen capacity to improve gender equality in processes and institutions connected to peace and security decision-making. 

Defense Objectives

DoD Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan (2020)

Defense Objective 1.  The Department of Defense exemplifies a diverse organization that allows for women’s meaningful participation across the development, management, and employment of the Joint Force.  

Defense Objective 2.  Women in partner nations meaningfully participate and serve at all ranks and in all occupations in defense and security sectors.  

Defense Objective 3.  Partner nation defense and security sectors ensure women and girls are safe and secure and that their human rights are protected, especially during conflict and crisis.  

GENDER ANALYSIS & gender domains

A Gender Analysis is the core component of operationalizing WPS. It is a tool to organize and interpret information about gender relations to achieve national security objectives. It also allows U.S. military forces to understand how military actions can have different effects based on gender.

The Five Domains of Gender

WPS in action