Women‚ Peace and Security

Through a combination of original research, convening, and strategic outreach, IPI’s Women, Peace and Security Program (WPS) aims to increase understanding of the value and impact of women’s leadership and gender equality in conflict prevention, resolution, and sustaining peace. We are working to create a world where sustainable peace is possible–with women’s rights at its core.

Despite two decades of policy development and commitments to supporting women and girls affected by armed conflict, women’s participation in all levels of decision making lags due to structural barriers, lack of access to political arenas, and even threats to women who attempt to participate in these processes. Efforts to build and sustain peace continue to neglect the expertise of local-level women peacebuilders, and formal peacemaking efforts continue to resist women’s meaningful participation and women’s rights. This problem persists despite increasing recognition that efforts to build and sustain peace depend on the full participation of women and respect for their rights. By focusing on pressing questions in women, peace, and security, IPI is evaluating the challenges and successes of the agenda, and offering recommendations on the way forward.

Calls to increase the number of women in peace operations (whether peacekeeping operations or special political missions) are increasingly intersecting with expectations of what women will “do” in these operations, covering everything from participation in female engagement teams to mediation. IPI’s project on women in peace operations builds on the organization’s expertise in UN peace operations and rigorous research methodology to analyze and evaluate challenges and successes in increasing women’s substantive participation in peace operations. This project will provide concrete guidance on what policies and programs are necessary to see substantive improvement in women’s meaningful participation in peace operations.

IPI’s project on the UN’s approach to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights involves discussions with civil society advocates, UN member states in the LGBT Core Group, UN agencies’ LGBT focal points, and representatives of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity.

IPI’s WPS program also has a focus on women and peace efforts, bringing together member states, the UN, and NGOs to explore what needs to be done at the multilateral level to ensure women, peace, and security initiatives fulfill their potential. Drawing in part on these dialogues, IPI produces analysis on core questions and challenges for women in peace processes, including for the nascent networks of women mediators.

Numerous initiatives at the national, regional, and multilateral levels attempt to grapple with women, peace, and security matters. However, there are few opportunities for senior decision makers to have frank and focused discussions on how to solve the most pressing and political issues. IPI’s Women, Peace and Leadership Series brings these leaders together in dedicated, annual events to provide much-needed opportunities to talk through creative and practical solutions to the core challenges facing women, peace, and security.

As part of the development of its Women, Peace, and Security Program, IPI is establishing a Women, Peace, and Leadership Council comprised of individuals who financially support and sustain the work of the program. Members of the Council are highly respected in their fields and communities, and have the ability to generate support for IPI’s findings and recommendation.

In addition to this standalone program, IPI works to reflect women, peace, and security issues in the entirety of the organization’s work.

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