Empowering Women: The Vanguard of Peace and Security Excellence

The unanimous enactment of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 in the year 2000 – a result of years of advocacy and leadership by women globally – transformed how the international community acknowledges the unequal impact of conflict and emergencies on women and girls, as well as the support for women as essential participants in all initiatives aimed at achieving enduring peace and enhanced security.  The United States was the pioneer nation to legislate and mandate this through the enactment of the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017.  With the adoption of nine subsequent resolutions, the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) framework has evolved into a solid global structure focused on four key pillars: (1) the meaningful involvement of women in political and security decision-making processes; (2) the safeguarding of women and girls in conflict and emergencies; (3) the prevention of all types of gender-based violence; and (4) ensuring equal access for women and girls to relief and recovery assistance. 

As the 25^th anniversary of UNSCR 1325 approaches, the significance and necessity of the WPS framework have never been more evident.  More than 100 countries across the globe, including the United States, have adopted Regional and National Action Plans (NAP) on WPS, a commitment in UNSCR 1325 aimed at facilitating implementation. Nonetheless, persistent gaps in execution and political commitment remain, such as an ongoing absence of women’s involvement in peace negotiations.  While initiatives to foster women’s leadership through capacity building and peace and security networks are bolstered, enduring historical exclusion, systemic bias, and detrimental norms and practices present obstacles for women and girls’ complete, equal, and meaningful participation in all sectors and at all levels where decisions are made. 

The rise in the number of global crises, including prolonged conflicts and record levels of displacement worldwide, has intensified existing disparities and inequalities faced by women and girls.  Building upon the efforts and leadership of the United States to address these challenges, as acknowledged in the US WPS Act of 2017 and the 2023 Strategy and National Action Plan, a regionally coordinated strategy to WPS is essential to broaden resources, enhance capacities, and establish new partnerships.  The WPS Centers of Excellence act as an innovative venue to implement such a strategy.  Through the Center of Excellence, governments can hasten progress on WPS implementation in a more sustainable and coordinated approach.  This government-led initiative aims to expand collaborations with and support to local leaders, experts, and partners to fully achieve the policy commitments on WPS tailored to the specific region. 

In light of the increasing demand for governments to enhance technical expertise and backing for enacting the WPS agenda from local, national, and regional perspectives, throughout 2023, the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI) in the U.S. Department of State organized a series of consultations with multilateral and bilateral partners; WPS Focal Points Network (WPS-FPN) participants; and specialists from civil society, academia, and the private sector.  These key stakeholders highlighted the pressing necessity for governments to effectively enact the commitments they have made to foster tangible WPS efforts grounded in policy, particularly through a regional lens.  Following this extensive series of virtual and face-to-face consultations, in 2023, S/GWI launched the WPS Centers of Excellence Initiative. 

WPS Centers of Excellence (WPS Centers) can be a virtual, physical, or hybrid space that operates as a central point of expertise for promoting the WPS agenda at local, national, regional, and international levels.  The WPS Centers are managed by their host government and collaborate with regional governmental partners to collaboratively tackle context-specific peace and security challenges.  The host government provides the funding and staffing resources necessary to support and manage the WPS Center; identifies core strategies, priorities, and objectives; and partners with regional stakeholders (e.g., civil society, grassroots leaders, academia, other governments) to propel WPS implementation. 

The objective of this multi-year, multi-country Initiative is to collaborate with governments hosting WPS Centers (host governments) to bolster their endeavors to coordinate internally and throughout their region to improve capacity and enhance operational efficiency in WPS policy development, execution, monitoring, evaluation, and learning.  This regional emphasis also prioritizes a methodical approach to incorporating the needs, perspectives, and experiences of women and girls into all domains and tiers of peace and security.   

The desired outcome of these Centers is a more effective identification of and responses to obstacles in advancing WPS. The anticipated impact of this initiative is substantial, sustainable progress in the implementation of all four pillars of UNSCR 1325 within the pertinent region. 

The primary objectives of the WPS Centers of Excellence, to be accomplished in partnership with each host government, are to: 

Following the inception of a WPS Center, S/GWI collaborates with the host administration, delivering both policy and programmatic assistance, in alignment with the U.S. WPS Act of 2017 and the 2023 WPS Strategy and NAP. 

The implementation of WPS is most effective when we collaborate across nations and sectors. Interested parties and donors are invited to engage in the WPS Centers initiative by collaborating with the host government. 

Contact: If you wish to learn more about the S/GWI WPS Centers of Excellence initiative or to get involved, please reach out to: [email protected]