To mark the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the Centre for Women, Peace and Security LSE, ODI Global, the Canada Research Network on Women, Peace and Security, and Gender Action for Peace and Security jointly hosted a closed-door roundtable discussion, on 8 October at LSE.
In tandem with the anniversary debates at the UN, the event convened leading researchers, practitioners and policy makers to debate current threats and future pathways for the WPS agenda. We heard from about the needs for the future direction of WPS from activists in conflict-affected contexts, including Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan and Ukraine and the importance of women’s leadership in peace building. Areas of discussion included the risks and opportunities associated with digital technologies and the links between the WPS agenda and action on climate change.
In response to the discussion, the organisers have published a joint commentary UNSCR 1325 revisited: what avenues for progress on Women, Peace and Security 25 years on?
In addition to reflecting on the progress and status of the WPS agenda, the expert commentary makes eight policy recommendations:
1. Make feminist peace-building principles a red-line issue.
2. Women’s involvement should extend beyond formal political tracks.
3. Redefine security through WPS and human security..
4. Support and resource women’s rights organisations to localise the WPS agenda.
5. Champion the collection of gender data in conflict contexts.
6. Feminist movement-building will be essential in addressing backlash.
7. Take action to tackle both tech-facilitated and offline gender-based violence.
8. Recognise gender equality, climate and security as interconnected issues.
The full commentary can be read on the ODI Global website.