How does the increased participation of women in decision-making – a hallmark of Women, Peace and Security – impact security thinking and doing?
On the morning of September 20th, 2017, OSF Director Sahana Dharmapuri, in conjunction with Mediators Beyond Borders, gave a webinar presentation in which she answered the question of whether a Feminist Foreign Policy is a reality, or a mere aspiration.
In October of 2000, women around the world successfully championed the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda—and the UN listened. Increasingly, the concept of a Feminst Foreign Policy is taking root at the domestic level, beginning with such states as Sweden, the UK, and Canada. Today, women are actively questioning assumptions about what security means. They are challenging existing power structures with new ideas and actions to shape international peace and security policies. How does the increased participation of women in decision-making – a hallmark of Women, Peace and Security – impact security thinking and doing? Unlike any other foreign policy agenda, WPS originated form a global constituency of non-state actors, with a focus on non-violent and human-rights based approaches, and, most importantly, with an explicit acknowledgement of the intrinsic value of gender equality to lasting peace.
