Last month marked the 24th anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). At the Security Council Open Debate, many speakers raised their concern over the worsening situation for women living in conflict zones and the little progress made on the implementation of the WPS agenda.
An Open Letter issued by the NGO Working Group on WPS reiterated the concern: "The WPS agenda's vision of peace and equality has never been so important - or so under threat." NGOs call on the UN Member States to take decisive action in 10 areas including ending and preventing armed conflict, ensuring women's representation and accountability, protecting women's human rights, and funding peace.
What is Security Council Resolution 1325?
Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), unanimously adopted in 2000, was the first resolution to recognize the unique needs of women affected by war and their role in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
Resolution 1325 and nine subsequent resolutions on WPS call for the international community to 1) ensure women participate in decision-making at all levels of peace processes, 2) protect women from gender-based violence, 3) prevent violence against women through the rule of law, and 4) deliver relief and recovery that responds to women's needs in conflict-affected areas.
Lack of progress on the implementation of Resolution 1325
Despite the numerous Security Council resolutions on WPS and repeated rhetoric for support, women remain under-represented in formal peace negotiations and receive little support in their local-level peacebuilding efforts.
The data shows little progress over the last decade.
In 2023, just 9.6 percent of peace negotiators globally were women. There is also a chronic lack of funding for local women's organizations working on the frontlines for peace. Despite the recommended target of allocating 1 percent of Official Development Assistance to local women's organizations in conflict-affected settings, only 0.3 percent was directed to these organizations in 2021-2022. We must close the gap between rhetoric and action.
"Women Shaping Peace: A call for action to amplify meaningful participation in crisis and politically complex settings"
To mark the 24th anniversary of Resolution 1325 and recognize women's leadership in the most challenging political contexts, UNDP brought together women leaders working in a range of fields, from local grassroots initiatives to national policymaking to share their own experiences of working in crisis-affected contexts. They all underscored the importance of women's participation at all levels of peace processes.
"Elevating women's leadership, experiences and expertise is not only the right thing to do-it is necessary to build strong foundations for resilience and inclusive development," said Shoko Noda, Assistant-Secretary General and Director of UNDP Crisis Bureau during the event.
Dr. Nada Aljubouri, a former member of the Iraqi Parliament and chairperson of Women and Future NGO, said the 25 percent quota system enshrined in the Iraqi Constitution in all areas of decision-making must be enforced.
She described how women leaders have navigated politically sensitive environment to include women in the government process to rebuild formerly ISIS-controlled communities. She added that it's important for COP 29 to uphold the COP28 discussion where Iraqi women were recognized as change agents in climate action.
In the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, women have played a key role in ending armed conflict.
Stephanie Elijah, the Head of the Department of Independence Mission Implementation in the Autonomous Bougainville Government, now leads the implementation of the Bougainville-Papua New Guinea peace agreement signed in 2001.
During the event, she said writing resolutions and policies that reflect the voices of women can subtly enact change in a male-dominated space.
"My role in Bougainville is to ensure that women continue to be the voice for peace and to help in decision-making," she said.
Stephanie Elijah will soon be featured in UNDP-EU Insider Mediation Podcast.
In Ukraine, women are at the frontlines of early recovery.
Olha Melnyk leads the Center for Gender Education, an NGO that promotes gender equality and justice in the Chernihiv Region in northern Ukraine. She spoke about the Ukrainian women's efforts in securing international support to reconstruct a university facility destroyed by war. "In the most difficult times, women-led civil society can move mountains," she said.
Weam Saif, from Yemen's Youth Horizon Foundation, manages projects that strengthen local dispute mechanisms through women's participation. She underscored how a true partnership between women and local governments enables women to "play a central role in developing and implementing plans and policies that meet community needs."
UNDP's Director of Gender Equality, Raquel Lagunas, expressed UNDP's commitment to work with women leaders. She reminded us of the international community's role to ensure women's full, equal, and meaningful participation in decision-making during and after armed conflict and to provide adequate financial support to sustain their peacebuilding efforts.
Watch the recording here.
