Women‚ Peace and Security

IPI’s Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) program works toward the holistic integration of gender into policy and programming to achieve a more gender equitable and peaceful world. One of IPI’s priorities is to build bridges between member states in New York, the UN system, and women civil society activists and leaders from across the globe. IPI also uses its location across from the UN to amplify the voices of women leaders and peace activists in multilateral policymaking. In addition, IPI conducts and publishes research with recommendations and guidance for member states and the UN to strengthen policies on WPS and gender equality. This work is especially critical as the WPS agenda reaches its 25th anniversary amid a growing backlash against gender equality and women’s rights within the UN system and beyond. IPI’s approach to WPS includes:

  • Forging coalitions to preserve hard-won commitments to women’s rights at the UN while charting an ambitious path forward
  • Advancing women’s meaningful participation in peace operations by identifying and proposing solutions to the barriers uniformed women peacekeepers face
  • Identifying how peacekeepers can better mainstream gender in their work to build a more feminist peace
  • Analyzing how gender intersects with peace and conflict to develop more effective strategies for building peace and addressing insecurity
  • Building connections between policymakers and civil society to advance feminist principles in multilateral spaces
  • Advancing Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peace Operations
    IPI identifies and proposes solutions to the barriers facing women peacekeepers. This includes in-depth research on how to mitigate the taboos and stigmas that women peacekeepers encounter and prevent sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment of both peacekeepers and members of host communities. This work is undertaken with support from Canada’s Elsie Initiative. Read more
  • Analyzing How Gender Intersects with Peace and Conflict
    IPI examines intersections between gender, peace, and security, including in areas such as preventing gender-based violence, reintegrating ex-combatants, and preventing violent extremism. IPI also seeks to better engage men and boys in contributing to gender equality. Through this work, IPI mainstreams gender into international and national policymaking and dialogue on peace and security. Read more
  • Forging Coalitions to Preserve Commitments to Women’s Rights
    IPI is building connections between policymakers and members of civil society to advance feminist principles in multilateral spaces. This includes building coalitions among feminist civil society organizations and member states with feminist foreign policies, elevating issues related to WPS and gender equality during high-level UN gatherings, and bringing attention to the risks facing women who engage in political or peacebuilding processes. Read more

Staff

, Senior Fellow and Head of Women, Peace, and Security

Phoebe Donnelly is a Senior Fellow and Head of Women, Peace, and Security. Phoebe is also a Women and Public Policy Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and a Visiting Fellow at Feinstein...

, Program Administrator

Chelsie Loveder is the Program Administrator for the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations, and the Women, Peace, and Security program at IPI. Chelsie earned her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with...

, Policy Analyst

Evyn Papworth is a Policy Analyst for IPI's Women, Peace, and Security program. Evyn received her MSc in Women, Peace and Security from the London School of Economics and was awarded a prize for...

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