Women, Peace and Security Research Digest: October 2025

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WPS 25th Anniversary 

Reflecting on 25 Years of Women, Peace, and Security (Georgetown Journal of International Affairs)  

“Twenty-five years ago, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1325, establishing a framework that underpins the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda. The Resolution recognized both the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and the critical contributions they make to establishing peace and stability . . . Realizing its full potential will require renewed political commitment, stronger investment in locally driven implementation, and the integration of the WPS agenda into responses to emerging global threats such as climate change, democratic backsliding, and rising authoritarianism.” 

25 Years Of 1325: The Time For Action Is Now: Joint Press Statement on Behalf of Denmark, France, Greece, Guyana, Panama, The Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and the United Kingdom  (Permanent mission of France to the United Nations in New York) 

“This is the time to deliver. We call on all current and future Council Members, to ensure that the decisions and deliberations of the Security Council continue to highlight the impact of conflict on women and girls, to strengthen their participation and to ensure that these decisions are implemented – not ignored.” 

Open Statement to the United Nations Security Council on behalf of Women Peacebuilders Marking 25 Years of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda (ICAN) 

“25 years ago, we women, who live the wars the Security Council debates, appeared before the Council, urging action, and sharing our solutions to prevent and mitigate the violence and complex wars we faced. They adopted Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security.  But those words on paper have not been realized. 25 years on, we face an arms race, shrinking civic space, climate crises, more wars, occupation, and genocide. Today, we are not issuing a new statement. Instead, we are honoring our community of women peacebuilders—who appeared before the Security Council throughout these 25 years, speaking for the millions they represent—by echoing their messages…” 

Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security (UN) 

“Twenty-five years ago, Security Council resolution 1325 gave voice to a simple truth: women’s leadership is central to just and lasting peace. And over the past quarter-century, the women, peace and security agenda has inspired countless resolutions, reports and roundtables. But let’s speak frankly. Too often, we gather in rooms like this one – full of conviction and commitment – only to fall short when it comes to real change in the lives of women and girls caught in conflict . . . Now is the time for Member States to speed up commitments on women, peace and security as world leaders pledged in the Pact for the Future.” 

Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Women, Peace, and Security (US Mission to the UN) 

“Colleagues, the United States welcomes the opportunity to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Resolution 1325, adopted by this Council at the turn from one century to the next.  That resolution itself a turning point in the way the Security Council, the United Nations, and its Member States came to understand the elements of peace and security.  And has in turn changed how we address challenges and threats to international peace and security.” 

WPS in the US 

What Hegseth’s new military standards mean for women (Politico)  

“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced new military standards and gender rules for the United States military . . . Hegseth’s changes include daily physical training for every service member, height and weight requirements and a biannual fitness test that will account for age, but will require everyone to meet the ‘male standard’. . . Hegseth’s speech was met with concern from lawmakers and politicians who fear the effort could reduce the role of women in combat. Currently, around 3,800 women are serving in frontline Army combat roles across infantry, cavalry, armor and field artillery roles.” 

Economic Empowerment 

Designing simplified tax regimes to work for women’s economic empowerment (Brookings) “This brief focuses on the design and administration of these tax regimes in sub-Saharan Africa, with attention to how they may affect women and men differently. It discusses design features that could enhance the equity and efficiency of these regimes and reduce barriers to women’s economic empowerment.” 

Beijing +30: Reflections on Women’s Economic Empowerment (ICRW) 

“In 1995, the world gathered in Beijing and set a visionary blueprint for gender equality. Yet, three decades later, women’s economic empowerment—an essential pillar of that vision—remains one of the most urgent, unfinished fights. While we’ve made progress, persistent barriers continue to hold women back. The 30th anniversary of the Beijing Conference is not only a moment for reflection but also a call to action. The lessons we’ve learned from ICRW’s work in Kenya and across sub-Saharan Africa highlight what it will take to finally deliver on the promise of equality.” 

Women’s Empowerment in Rwanda is Driving Poverty Reduction (The Borgen Project) 

“Women in Rwanda have played a pivotal role in improving the country. Their influence and policies have shown how women’s empowerment in Rwanda can reshape a nation’s social and economic landscape. With 63.8% of seats in the Chamber of Deputies held by women, the highest proportion in the world, the country has translated political representation into concrete policies that reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for all.” 

American Women Are Leaving the Work Force. Why? (New York Times) 

“The share of mothers of young children in the labor market fell almost 3 percentage points in the first half of the year. Unemployment for Black women has risen disproportionately over the past two years, and cuts to the federal work force have hit Black women particularly hard . . . as of 2023, 45 percent of mothers overall and 69 percent of Black mothers were breadwinners for their families. When women lose their jobs, they, their families and the broader economy suffer.” 

Technology 

Tackling Gender Bias and Harms in Artificial Intelligence (AI) (UNESCO) 

“As generative AI (Gen AI) continues to shape digital spaces and decision-making systems, UNESCO has launched a new Red Teaming Playbook to equip organizations, policymakers, and civil society with tools to test AI for harmful biases—especially those impacting women and girls.” 

The Gender Trust Gap in AI: Implications for Democracy (Carnegie Endowment for Peace)  

“One critical barrier to realizing AI’s promise and mitigating its harms is largely absent from headlines: the gender trust gap. The 2025 Carnegie California AI Survey corroborates global findings that women trust AI less than men and are less enthusiastic about its adoption. This finding, alongside a forthcoming Carnegie mapping of the intersections of AI and democracy, reveals how closing the gendered AI trust and adoption gap could pay dividends for democracy.” 

Needs and Wants: A Feminist Approach to AI in Sub-Saharan Africa (Stimson) 

“As artificial intelligence (AI) gains traction across Africa, it is increasingly framed as a solution to developmental challenges, including in agriculture, health, and governance. However, the application of AI often reflects the priorities of Global North actors, governments, corporations, and donors rather than those of African communities. This creates a power imbalance in who gets to define the problems AI should solve, resulting in solutions that may reinforce existing inequalities or fail to serve marginalized groups, especially women and gender-diverse people.” 

The AI Gender Gap Paradox (Standford Social Innovation Review) 

“As in financial systems, women are attuned to the weaknesses in generative AI systems that designers didn’t notice or prioritize (bias, privacy risks, unreliable outputs) before putting their products out into the world. Some of the industry’s more misogynistic offerings (see Grok’s Ani fantasy chatbot) or disturbing policies (see Facebook’s leaked policies on children and illicit content) are enough to send most users into a catatonic depression spiral. But for women, beyond being offensive, such outputs are evidence of what gets built when development teams lack gender diversity. When women engage with systems that they’ve been largely left out of creating, the products can feel foreign, awkward, or even hostile.” 

Climate 

Climate, Peace and Security Thematic Fact Sheet: Women, Peace and Security (SIPRI) 

“This Climate, Peace and Security Thematic Fact Sheet examines how women, peace and security concerns intersect with climate-related risks and conflict dynamics. It highlights the ways in which gender inequalities shape vulnerability, resilience and participation in peacebuilding, and offers recommended actions for the international community to integrate gender-responsive approaches into addressing these challenges.” 

Why women must be centred in climate action (World Economic Forum) 

“Women face disproportionate risks from climate change due to social roles, limited resource access and systemic inequalities. Despite progress, gender remains underrepresented and weakly integrated into climate governance, finance and energy transitions. Inclusive decision-making, gender-responsive climate finance and women-led climate solutions are essential for effective, just climate action.” 

Towards COP30: placing gender equality at the forefront of climate action (UN Women) 

“The world is at a turning point. Today, we face what has been called the triple planetary crisis: climate change, pollution and waste, and the accelerated loss of biodiversity. These three crises, although expressed in different ways, share a common root. This is a development model based on unlimited growth on a planet with finite resources, which prioritizes immediate economic gains at the expense of people’s well-being and the planet’s health.”  

Climate change puts women’s health and rights at risk (Economist Impact) 

“The International Court of Justice has stated that climate inaction threatens women’s health and rights. Maria Fernanda Espinosa, former president of the United Nations General Assembly and executive director of GWL Voices, Michelle Bachellet, Former President of Chile and GWL Voices member and Evanna Corona, adviser at GWL Voices, explain that this landmark opinion gives women and vulnerable communities powerful new grounds to demand accountability—and gender-responsive climate action.” 

Women Leaders Driving Business Solutions To The Climate Crisis (Forbes) 

“Women, in particular, often bear the brunt of climate change’s effects. Women are more likely than men to live in poverty and rely on natural resources for their livelihoods, leaving them disproportionately vulnerable to floods, droughts, and displacement . . . At the same time, women are leading some of the most innovative business solutions to combat climate change, showing that equitable representation is key for building a sustainable future.” 

General WPS 

Announcement, Nobel Peace Prize 2025 (The Nobel Prize) 

“The Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 goes to a brave and committed champion of peace – to a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 to Maria Corina Machado. She is receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” 

Status Quo or Bold Adaptation? Reclaiming the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (European Institute of Peace) 

“This report by the European Institute of Peace calls for a critical rethinking of the core principles behind the Women, Peace, and Security agenda to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness in today’s rapidly shifting global context. The brief lays out the five persistent barriers preventing women’s meaningful participation in conflict prevention and peace processes, it highlights core principles that could transform the WPS agenda and assesses 12 effective and promising practices that can be used to navigate these barriers. Based on these, the brief suggests concrete actions for policymakers and practitioners to enhance women’s meaningful participation in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.” 

Defending Democracy: Women’s Leadership in Preventing and Mitigating Election Violence (Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice) 

“The annual Women Waging Peace report serves as a guide for policymakers and funders, drawing directly from the recommendations and priorities of women peacebuilders around the world . . .This report leveraged the perspectives and experiences of 106 women peacebuilders from 43 countries to identify peacebuilding priorities for 2025, reflect on the challenges and achievements of 2024, and provide the following recommendations for how international partners can better support women peacebuilders engaged in preventing and mitigating election violence.” 

How to end wars: Invest in the Women, Peace and Security agenda (UN Women) 

“When women are at the negotiating table, peace is likelier, more inclusive and more durable. But 25 years after the launch of the Women, Peace and Security agenda – when world leaders acknowledged war’s horrific impacts on women and girls, and enshrined women’s right to equal participation in peace processes – governments are failing to fulfill their obligations. Read our explainer to understand how gender equality and peace go hand-in-hand – and what’s at stake when nations fail to fully invest in them.” 

OSCE supports consultations on the New National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (OSCE) 

“On 6 October 2025, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, in co-operation with the National Human Rights Centre and the Committee on Family and Women of the Republic of Uzbekistan, organized national discussions in Nukus on the current National Action Plan for 2022–2025 and the draft National Action Plan for 2026–2030 on the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on “Women, Peace and Security.” 

Annual Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security (Security Council Report) 

“Many participants are likely to frame their remarks in the context of the 25th anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 and call for accelerated action towards the full implementation of the WPS agenda . . . While celebrating progress achieved since the adoption of these instruments, several speakers are likely to highlight the notable gaps between commitments and implementation, as well as regressions on women’s rights and gender equality.” 

Upcoming and Past Notable Events 

September 24, 2025 - Women, Peace, and Leadership Symposium on Women’s Leadership for International Peace and Security (International Peace Insitute)  

“IPI together with the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations, and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, in partnership with Our Secure Future and the Nobel Women’s Initiative, cohosted the annual “Women, Peace, and Leadership Symposium on Women’s Leadership for International Peace and Security” on September 24th. Now in its eighth year, this symposium aims to ensure that WPS is not only discussed within the UN Security Council during “WPS week” in October but is also integrated into broader high-level discussions at the UN.” 

October 14, 2025 - The 2025 Hillary Rodham Clinton Awards: Women Safeguarding Democracy (Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security) 

“Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton honored women safeguarding democracy through media and mobilization during the annual Hillary Rodham Clinton awards ceremony at Georgetown University on October 14. The event highlighted the courage, strength, and determination of women around the world who are standing up for democratic values and making their voices heard.” 

October 29, 2025 - The Ghosts of 1325: Past, Present, Future (International Peace Institute) “The International Peace Institute (IPI) and the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) are pleased to invite you to “The Ghosts of 1325: Past, Present, Future.” This interactive event, followed by a reception, will take place at IPI on Wednesday, October 29, from 4:30pm to 7:00pm EDT. During the evening, we will invoke “The Ghosts of 1325”—carrying the voices of the past, present, and future to confront the Security Council with its unfilled promises. It will be a space for reflecting on, reckoning with, and renewing collective commitment to the vision of Resolution 1325.” 

November 6, 2025 – Across Divides: Women Building Peace on the Ground (Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security) 

“The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) will host a virtual conversation spotlighting women-led grassroots peace movements working across the Israeli-Palestinian divide at a critical moment . . . This conversation will bring together leading women peacebuilders to assess whether the current moment represents a genuine peace opportunity, discuss what is needed to make it work on the ground, and explore how the international community can support women’s participation to ensure any potential process is inclusive, just, and enduring.” 

Opportunities  

Director, Georgetown Women’s Center (Georgetown University – Washington, DC)  

“The Women’s Center Director provides leadership and program direction on all aspects of the Women’s Center’s mission. The Director envisions, organizes, and implements initiatives, programs, outreach campaigns, and other educational efforts to advance individual and community formation for women and students with marginalized genders at Georgetown.”  

Program Manager, RF Catalytic Capital (The Rockefeller Foundation – Washington, DC/New York, NY) 

“RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC) enables foundations, impact investors, businesses, governments, and other like-minded funders to combine their resources to build funding solutions for social impact and bring about transformational change. The Program Manager will provide comprehensive program management support for four ambitious projects (Global Cooperation, Global Health Rearchitecture, Reimagining Humanitarian Nutrition Security, and Climate Narrative) as part of RFCC’s new $50 million Build the Shared Future Initiative.”