Welcome to Our Secure Future’s monthly Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Digest, “the done for you” newsletter on WPS. Every month we curate the latest articles and reports focused on women’s rights, and international peace and security matters. This February, we searched the web for you, and here’s what we found…
Defense & Security
Why the Women, Peace, and Security Act Strengthens U.S. Defense Strategy (Center for Strategic and International Studies)
“Enacted by President Trump during his first administration, the Women, Peace, and Security Act (P.L. 115-68) promotes the meaningful participation of women in all aspects of the conflict continuum, including warfare and stabilization. The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Act states that the Department of Defense (DOD) is a federal agency with implementation responsibilities, which the department fulfills through a variety of activities that, at their foundation, recognize the differences between women and men and leverages those differences to promote the effectiveness of the joint force. Over time, WPS efforts created a “toolkit” for components to utilize in advancing strategic, operational, and tactical security objectives.”
A Gendered Analysis of Aggression and International Law (New Lines Institute)
“This report elaborates on the prohibition of aggression in international law through a gender lens. That gender matters is increasingly recognized by policymakers and legal practitioners, yet dominant understandings and applications of gender tend to remain narrow in focus. The report seeks to pinpoint what is missed when narrow framings are adopted or when international law neglects gender, thereby missing opportunities to prevent aggression or respond appropriately to it.”
Economic Empowerment
To Ensure Effective Foreign Policy, Reengage on Women’s Economic Empowerment (Center for Strategic and International Studies)
“During President Trump’s first term in office, one of the administration’s core development policy priorities centered on women’s global economic empowerment. The administration established the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative in February 2019 as part of its National Security Strategy. Under the leadership of Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump, W-GDP was considered the first-ever whole-of-government approach to women’s economic empowerment and aimed to reach 50 million women across the developing world by 2025.”
Representation Matters: How Women’s Political Representation Can Accelerate Global Economic Growth (World Bank Group)
“The reasons for investing in and empowering women couldn’t be more pressing. Many of the forces that drove economic growth during the last three decades — disinflation, low capital costs, free trade, labor mobility, and geopolitical stability — have reversed or are in jeopardy, according to the Oliver Wyman Forum’s CEO Growth Agenda.”
Technology
How AI Reinforces Gender Bias - and What We Can Do About It (UN Women)
“Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our world—but when it reflects existing biases, it can reinforce discrimination against women and girls. From hiring decisions to healthcare diagnoses, AI systems can amplify gender inequalities when trained on biased data. So how can we ensure AI is ethical and inclusive? Zinnya del Villar, a leading expert in responsible AI, shares insights on the challenges and solutions in a recent conversation with UN Women.”
“As technology mediates more of our daily lives, it is also being weaponized to harm women and girls in new and alarming ways. Although not a new phenomenon, technology-facilitated gender-based violence has surged rapidly in recent years, posing serious threats to the safety and well-being of women and girls everywhere. What starts as online abuse can swiftly spiral into danger that extends beyond screens and borders, making it impossible for many women to feel safe at home, work, or in public spaces.”
Atrocity Prevention
As Sexual Violence Surges in Goma, DR Congo, US Aid Remains Crucial (Just Security)
“The humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC is worsening not only due to armed violence but also because of a dramatic surge in gender-based violence. A rapid World Health Organization (WHO) assessment of health facilities in and around Goma revealed 45 cases of sexual violence among displaced persons and 21 gang rape survivors admitted to local hospitals in just a short timeframe. However, these cases only scratch the surface, as many survivors are unable to access medical care due to displacement, stigma, and ongoing insecurity.”
Expert Voices on Atrocity Prevention: The Importance of a Gender-sensitive Approach (Justice Rapid Response)
“The latest episode of the Expert voices on atrocity prevention podcast curated by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect featuring Julie Dubé-Gagnon, a jurist and investigator specializing in sexual and gender-based crimes. In this episode, she touches on the critical role of gender advisers in investigations on gross human rights violations.”
Climate
How the World Can Tackle the Yawning Gender Gap in the Sciences (UN Environment Programme)
“With the planet facing a barrage of environmental concerns, there has never been a greater need for scientists capable of finding solutions to the triple planetary crisis: the crisis of climate change; the crisis of nature and biodiversity loss and desertification; and the crisis of pollution and waste. That’s why experts say the world needs to encourage more women to join—and stay in—the sciences.”
Advancing Gender-Responsive and Socially Inclusive Practices in Nature-Based Solutions for Adaptation (International Institute for Sustainable Development)
“Nature-based solutions (NbS) for adaptation projects are increasingly being looked at worldwide as a means of helping communities and ecosystems adapt to climate change. When implemented with environmental and social safeguards, NbS for adaptation can provide multiple benefits to society and biodiversity. While there is an increased push for NbS projects around the globe, a gap in evidence exists on projects that promote gender equality and social inclusion outcomes.”
General WPS
The Highs and Lows of Women, Peace and Security in 2024, and Looking Ahead to 2025 (International Peace Institute Global Observatory)
“While 2024 does not stand out as a seminal year for women’s rights, it did yield policy advancements within the women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda. These include new language in United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions, particularly in the context of UN peace operations; global commitments that either focus on or include language to advance WPS; and national and global policies that address emerging challenges to gender equality in the digital space.”
Women, Peace and Security Conflict Tracker: February Updates (Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security)
“The Women, Peace and Security Conflict Tracker combines real-time data points and original analysis to offer gender-sensitive insight into conflict dynamics. The WPS Conflict Tracker is updated monthly to reflect developments for women’s participation, protection, prevention, and relief and recovery.”
Cambodia moves to develop its first National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (UN Women Asia and the Pacific)
“To enhance understanding of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Cambodia and conduct an in-depth analysis to inform the development of the country’s first National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP WPS), a workshop was convened in Phnom Penh on 18 December 2024. Organized by UN Women Cambodia, in partnership with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), and with the support of the Governments of Canada, the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia, the workshop brought together 55 participants from various sectors, including Government, non-governmental organizations, academia and international organizations.”
Where a Strongman Failed, Women Are Now Fueling a Democratic Revival (New York Times)
“A leftist movement in Sri Lanka that took power after an economic collapse is seizing a rare opportunity to rally more women into politics. The new government is taking up policy debates on improving pay parity and making work environments better for women. It hopes to raise the rate of female participation in the formal work force to about 50 percent, up from 33 percent. The governing party is doubling down on its efforts to mobilize women politically to ensure that this moment is not fleeting.”
Women Lead Humanitarian, Economic, and Legal Efforts Amid Years of Russia’s War on Ukraine (UN Women)
“After three years of full-scale war in Ukraine, women are bearing the brunt of Russia’s war. But while they have endured violence and displacement, women throughout the country continue to advocate for resilience and equality.”
15 Years of Implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH): Lessons Learned and Recommendations (UN Bosnia and Herzegovina)
“This publication summarizes key findings on the progress and challenges in implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda since 2010 and provides a clear overview of human security indicators in Bosnia and Herzegovina, their assessments, and recommendations for improving its dimensions: personal, educational, economic, health, and environmental security. The publication offers relevant insights for policymakers, experts, and communities, while also serving as a practical tool for advocacy and shaping future programs.”
Women’s Participation in Syria’s Transition: Podcast (New Lines Institute)
“In this episode of Gendering Geopolitics, New Lines’ own Emily Prey sits down with Rajaa Altalli, the co-founder of the Center for Civil Society and Democracy and member of the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board for the U.N. Special Envoy for Syria. Together, they discuss the potential roles that women should play in Syria’s politics moving forward, the process of reconciliation in the country, and need for the establishment of representative democracy in the post-Assad era.”
Mongolia Advances Its Commitment to Women, Peace and Security (UN Women Asia and the Pacific)
“UN Women has welcomed a commitment by the Government of Mongolia to prioritize developing the country’s first National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) through a collaborative process. UN Women shared promising practices and lessons learned from the Asia-Pacific region on National Action Plan development, including those concerning non-traditional peace and security issues, such as climate change, the digital space, intersectionality, disability inclusion and global WPS mechanisms.”
Upcoming and Past Notable Events
February 4-6, 2025 - The Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network Seventh Capital-Level Meeting (WPS Focal Points Network)
Japan and Norway, as the 2025 Co-Chairs, will be hosting together with UN Women the Seventh Capital-Level Meeting of the Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network on February 4-6, in Tokyo, Japan under the theme "Deepening WPS Commitments for Action: Innovating and adapting to deliver on peace and security.”
February 12, 2025 - Women in Peace Processes: Reflections from Syria, Sudan, and Yemen (Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security)
“In observance of Arab Women’s Day, which fell on February 1st, this event explored the vital yet often undervalued role of women in conflict and post-conflict contexts across the Arab world.”
March 7, 2025 - International Women’s Day Networking Breakfast (Women’s Foreign Policy Group)
“The Women's Foreign Policy Group & the Embassy of Tunisia look forward to co-hosting a networking breakfast in honor of International Women's Day, featuring remarks from several leading diplomats.”
March 10-21, 2025 - The sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (United Nations, New York)
“The main focus of the sixty-ninth session will be on the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly. The review will include an assessment of current challenges that affect the implementation of the Platform for Action and the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and its contribution towards the full realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
March 11, 2025 - Protecting Women Politicians Online: A Capitol Hill Conversation on Online Safety (Women’s Foreign Policy Group)
“Please join WFPG, Microsoft, and the House Democracy Partnership for a conversation on the importance of protecting women from abusive AI-generated content. Building on Microsoft's work on combating AI-generated intimate image abuse, this event will feature a policy panel with Courtney Gregoire, VP and Chief Digital Safety Officer, Microsoft; Ambassador of New Zealand Rosemary Banks; and Members of Congress.”
Opportunities
Associate Director (Our Secure Future)
“The OSF Associate Director will serve as an integral member of the OSF team and report directly to the Vice President of OSF. This is a key position for the OSF team, with the opportunity to grow. The OSF Associate Director will focus approximately 75% of their time working closely with the Vice President as a thought partner in building the WPS National Action Plan Academy ... In addition, the Associate Director will spend 25% of their time assisting the OSF Vice President in OSF team management responsibilities.”
Director of Policy and Programs (Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security)
“The Director of Policy and Programs will work closely with our Executive Director to advance our mission of centering women in all global policy and debates on peace and security. They will supervise the Policy Team and lead the strategic development and execution of the Institute’s policy advocacy strategy, which will involve using strategic outreach to shape the policy of governments and multilateral institutions, collaborating with frontline peacebuilders and connecting them with global decision-makers, and hosting high-level convenings to shift the conversation.”
Research Fellow: WPS Index (Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security)
“The Research Fellow will lead our WPS Index and support our growing research portfolio. Reporting to the Director of Research, the Research Fellow will be responsible for conducting rigorous quantitative and qualitative research analysis for a variety of GIWPS research outputs. Additionally, the Fellow will play a leading role in disseminating research results, engaging with the press, and representing GIWPS at high-level speaking engagements at multilateral, policy, and academic institutions.”