Welcome to Our Secure Future’s monthly Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Research Digest, “the done for you” newsletter on WPS. Read on for this month’s articles and reports focused on women’s rights and international peace and security matters, featuring a selection of resources from the 2025 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80).
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UNGA80
High-level week opens with celebration of women’s empowerment (UN)
“General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock addresses the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women. Only the fifth woman to preside over the UN General Assembly in its 80-year history has praised the courage of those ‘who fought for every phrase, every word in the Beijing Declaration,’ marking the 30th Anniversary of the pivotal international conference on women’s empowerment.”
Beijing+30: A Roadmap for Women’s Rights for the Next Thirty Years (Institute of Global Politics (IGP) Women’s Initiative, Columbia University)
“This report provides an actionable roadmap that can be used to implement the Beijing Platform for Action over the next thirty years, outlining policy priorities critical to advancing the full and equal participation of women and girls in the twenty-first century—including in the areas of democracy and human rights, technology, economic participation, and conflict and climate.”
Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2025 (UN Women)
“The “Gender snapshot 2025” sounds the alarm: if current trends continue, the world will reach 2030 with 351 million women and girls still living in extreme poverty, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5—to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls—missed. This is not inevitable: it would be a political outcome, shaped by systemic neglect, stalled investments, and a retreat from equality. But the data also make clear that a different path is still possible. If we chose to invest even in just one concrete action on closing the gender digital divide, 343.5 million women and girls globally could benefit, lifting 30 million women and girls out of poverty and generating a USD 1.5 trillion windfall in global GDP by 2030.”
In Focus: 80th Session of the UN General Assembly (UN Women)
“The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80) opens on 9 September...under the theme, ‘Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights’. . . At UNGA80, leaders can choose to defend and advance women’s rights – with investments in peace, quality education, the care economy, digital access and safety, and clean energy – to build safer societies, stronger economies and a fairer future for everyone.”
“On the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA-80), global leaders from the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors came together with one clear message: in a world of record-high humanitarian needs and mounting crises, only stronger multilateral action through the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus can deliver lasting recovery, resilience and peace.”
Beijing+30: Reigniting the Action Agenda for a New Generation (The Guardian)
“Three decades after the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the call for equality between men and women continues not as a distant hope, but as a living legacy. The work is unfinished, but the foundation is strong. As we prepare to celebrate the thirtieth year anniversary of the Beijing Conference, the world is remembering its commitments and recalibrating how to deliver them.”
“The UK’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stressed at the UNGA that eliminating violence against women and girls is a global priority, noting progress since the Beijing Declaration but warning that alarming levels of abuse, including sexual violence in conflict, still persist. She announced that the UK has described such violence as a national emergency with the goal of halving it within a decade and called for stronger international cooperation to tackle both traditional and emerging forms of abuse.”
WPS in the US
Remarks at a UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace, and Security (U.S. Mission to the UN)
Address by Ambassador Dorothy Shea, Acting U.S. Representative, maintaining that ‘the United States is committed to the elimination of sexual violence in conflict globally. All countries must work together to prevent and ensure accountability for perpetrators of these horrific crimes.’”
Defense & Security
WPS can be a competitive edge for defence (Australian Strategic Policy Institute)
“Understanding and applying United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 as a theory of human security offers Australia an edge in its regional engagement. This is particularly so in an era of competition, and a region challenged, as we are, by gender-based violence and the need for economic growth.”
48 Hostages, 708 Days in Captivity 'Why Aren't There Any Women on the Hostage Negotiation Team?’ (Haaretz)
“Dr. Yael Braudo-Bahat, co-director of the organization Women Wage Peace, believes that if women from both the Israeli and Palestinian sides had been included in negotiations for the hostages' return and an end to the war, ‘almost certainly, things could already be in a better place.’ The organization, founded after the 2014 war in Gaza, ‘joined every initiative, march, and demonstration calling for the release of hostages and an end to the war.’”
Economic Empowerment
Beyond Tariffs: The Rise of Gender in Free Trade Agreements (Observer Research Foundation)
“At a time when international trade has become increasingly fraught, a quiet shift in trade policy has gone nearly unnoticed—the increased inclusion of gender in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). The recently concluded Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between India and the United Kingdom (UK) is the first FTA for India which contains a standalone chapter on gender.”
When the heat rises, progress on women’s economic empowerment cools (World Bank)
“Hotter-than-usual years can slow or derail advances in women’s legal rights. A new analysis spanning five decades finds that temperature anomalies—years significantly hotter than a country’s historical norm—are associated with slower gains in legal equality for women, especially in low-income settings. The logic is simple but consequential: extreme-weather events tend to strain budgets and institutions, prompting governments to postpone the most fiscally demanding reforms. The result is a drag on women’s economic empowerment.”
Technology
“Governments must mitigate the risks arising from digital technology, such as technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) . . . TFGBV is a growing global concern, involving the use of the internet, social media, messaging apps, email, and even smart devices to perpetrate gender-based violence and abuse. Although there is a digital divide in Southern Africa, where men have greater access to the internet and digital technology than women, women and girls are disproportionately affected by TFGBV.”
Preventing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence in Panama (Women in International Security)
“This policy memorandum highlights the increasing prevalence of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) in Panamá, especially against women in politics. It offers recommendations to ensure the Ministry of Women, civil society, and tech companies actively participate in solving this problem.”
Climate
2,000 Swiss women sued their government over climate change – and won (World Economic Forum)
“The women argued that climate inaction makes heat waves more likely and that as older people, they are more vulnerable to consequences such as increased risk of ill health or early mortality . . . This landmark ruling is expected to have a significant impact beyond Switzerland. Experts believe it will encourage similar lawsuits around the world. The number of climate-related lawsuits has been rapidly increasing.”
Climate Change Hits Women Hardest, But Their Leadership Is Key to Resilience (Earth.org)
“The consequences of the growing climate crisis are by no means gender-neutral. Women worldwide, especially in rural and low-income communities, experience the most severe impacts of climate-related disasters and have the fewest resources available to recover. At the same time, women are among the most significant but little-known contributors to climate resilience. Any successful climate strategy must acknowledge this dual reality.”
Designing Future Society: Osaka Expo 2025 Highlights Sustainability, Climate, And Women (Forbes)
“The Osaka World Expo, now in its 55th year and the first global event there since the pandemic, showcases the countries’ art, technology and sustainability-clean energy innovations . . . The Expo has a large Women’s Pavilion, sponsored by Cartier, that tells the stories of various women and activists, has statistics on the state of gender equality around the world, and hosts well-attended events. The Expo continues until Oct. 13, 2025.”
Women and Climate Activism in Morocco and Tunisia (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
“The Maghreb countries—Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia—are facing a variety of acute climate change challenges . . . These climate consequences disproportionately impact the women of the Maghreb because women bear the burden of domestic labor, including cooking, cleaning, and fetching water—activities impacted greatly by a changing climate. Furthermore, women in the Maghreb are significant contributors to the agricultural sector and make up over a quarter of agricultural workers in an industry facing acute and urgent climate challenges.”
General WPS
After Afghan Quake, Many Male Rescuers Helped Men but Not Women (New York Times)
“Afghan cultural norms, enforced even in emergencies by the ruling Taliban, forbid physical contact between men and women who are not family members. In the village of Andarluckak, in Kunar Province, the emergency team hurriedly carried out wounded men and children, and treated their wounds, said Ms. Aysha, 19. But she and other women and adolescent girls, some of them bleeding, were pushed aside, she said.”
Chairperson of the African Union Commission Appoints Ambassador Liberata Mulamula as Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security (African Union)
“Ambassador Mulamula is a distinguished diplomat, peacebuilder, and advocate for gender equality, bringing more than 35 years of experience in diplomacy, governance, and conflict resolution. She has served in a number of senior positions, including as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Republic of Tanzania and Executive Secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.”
2025 Gender, Peace and Security Essay Awards: An Interview with the Winners (Our Secure Future)
“The Mobilizing Allies for Women, Peace and Security (MAWPS), a partner of Our Secure Future, awarded the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security a distinguished partner award to launch the third annual Gender, Peace and Security Student Essay Contest.”
South-East Asian countries give priority to women and peace agenda in vision for 2045 (UN Women)
“The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is placing at the forefront of ASEAN Vision 2045 a plan to elevate the participation and leadership of women in preventing conflicts and maintaining peace. The bloc’s 10 Member States reaffirmed commitment to their Regional Plan of Action on Women, Peace and Security at the ASEAN Women, Peace and Security Summit on 9-10 September in Kuala Lumpur.”
Upcoming and Past Notable Events
September 24, 2025 - Women, Peace, and Leadership Symposium on Women’s Leadership for International Peace and Security (International Peace Institute)
“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.’ 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.”
September 24, 2025 - 80th UNGA Ministerial-Level Side Event – Deepening WPS Commitments for Action: Innovating and adapting to deliver on peace and security (WPS Focal Points Network)
“The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Focal Points Network held its annual Ministerial-Level Side Event in New York on the margins of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) under the theme, Deepening WPS Commitments for Action: Innovating and adapting to deliver on peace and security. The event was hosted by Japan and Norway, who serve as the Network’s 2025 Co-Chairs, in partnership with UN Women, as the Network Secretariat.”
Coming October 2025 - Through Her Lens: Women Rising for Peace (United Nations Headquarters, New York)
“Through the lens of local women photographers, this exhibition captures the resilience, leadership, and courage of women and allies driving peace in 12 conflict-affected communities. Featuring peacebuilders, peacekeepers, and women’s rights defenders, each image is a testament to what is possible when the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda is supported/implemented. It is in connection with the Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace, and Security.”
October 15-16, 2025 – InterAction Forum 2025 (InterAction)
Due to their dedicated contributions to the WPS and disability space, the Mobilizing Allies for Women, Peace and Security (MAWPS) initiative, led by Ambassador Donald Steinberg, is receiving an Honorable Mention for InterAction’s 2025 Disability Inclusion Award. The award will be presented at InterAction’s Forum on Thursday, October 16.
Opportunities
Project Coordinator, Our Secure Future (PAX sapiens - Washington, DC)
“The OSF Project Coordinator will support the OSF team in an administrative capacity in the Washington D.C. office. The Project Coordinator will help coordinate across the Foundation to support PAX-wide program events taking place in Washington, DC, manage administrative tasks and processes, including travel booking and invoice processing, and coordinate with both external partners and internal operations.”
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.”