Tag Archive for: Women, Peace and Security

Gender mainstreaming in United Nations peace operations: an unfulfilled promise?

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The principle of gender equality is a cornerstone of the United Nations (UN). Centred on equal access to rights, opportunities, resources and decision-making powers irrespective of gender, it’s embedded within the UN Charter and championed in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Mechanisms such as the inaugural resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agreed to in 2000 by the UN Security Council (UNSC), and the adoption of an additional nine WPS resolutions, further represent the critical intent to achieve this goal. The purpose of such WPS mechanisms is to cultivate gender balance, foster diverse leadership and champion gender equality in a global effort to establish sustainable peace after conflict.

Yet, as we stand on the threshold of the 25th anniversary of UNSC resolution 1325, the UN’s stride towards gender equality for uniformed women in peace operations has been ‘exceedingly slow’. The lofty aspiration of ‘equal opportunity peacekeeping’ through gender mainstreaming policies and practices remains elusive, entangled in a web of misconceptions and entrenched systemic barriers and institutional challenges.
The purpose of this ASPI report is threefold.

First, it examines the blocks to implementation and the effects of gender mainstreaming strategies.
Second, it advances three strategic interventions for the UN system and its global peace and security community:

  • redefining peacekeeping benchmarks for an efficient and effective uniformed component
  • shifting the narrative on peacekeepers’ contributions regardless of gender
  • incorporating feminist voices and practices in the development of policies and practices for the deployment of peacekeepers.

These proposed interventions offer a unique prospect for the final section of this report: encouraging Australian Government departments and agencies that have responsibilities for and commitments to execute the Australian National Action Plan (NAP) on WPS. Those commitments extend to fostering gender equality in both domestic and international WPS endeavours, thereby strengthening Australia’s position as a proactive UN member state.

Australia’s implementation of women, peace and security: Promoting regional security

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Australia’s implementation of women, peace and security examines the benefits of Australia strengthening its implementation of the women, peace and security agenda to bolster its regional stability and national security efforts.

Since its formal establishment by the UN Security Council in October 2000, the women, peace and security agenda has become the central framework through which to advocate for women’s participation across all peace and security decision-making processes, to promote the rights of women and girls in conflict and crisis settings, and for the integration of gender perspectives into conflict prevention, resolution and post-conflict rebuilding efforts and throughout disaster and crisis responses. The agenda, when implemented holistically, can also complement states’ national security efforts and strategies aimed at promoting regional stability. 

The report highlights that while Australia has a positive story to tell particularly about its mainstreaming of the agenda across the Australian Defence Force, within international operations of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and in its aid program. There are, however, significant inconsistencies and resourcing gaps in how Australia approaches the implementation of its commitments on the women, peace and security agenda.

Women, peace and security: Defending progress and responding to emerging challenges

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This is the third year ASPI has run a series on The Strategist to coincide with International Women’s Day and examine Australia’s approach to women, peace and security (WPS).

The series offered a timely opportunity to assess progress and identify some of the challenges that need further examination as the international community prepares to mark twenty years since the adoption of the first UN Security Council resolution on women, peace and security, and as Australia approaches the release of its second National Action Plan on WPS.

The range of topics and themes canvassed in this year’s collection of articles reminds us that we cannot afford to be complacent. There have been significant challenges to the agenda in high-level multilateral fora over the past year, which risk reversing some of the normative and practical gains that have been made in recent decades. Considering this, several of the contributors note that it is important we not only respond to emerging challenges but also revitalise the agenda moving forward. This Strategic Insights paper subsequently offers insights and recommendations for the Australian government, private sector, civil society and other interested stakeholders to address some of the emerging challenges in women, peace and security.

Last years report is available here: Women, peace and security: Addressing the gaps and strengthening implementation.

Women, peace and security: Addressing the gaps and strengthening implementation

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This is the second year that ASPI has run a series on The Strategist to coincide with International Women’s Day examining Australia’s approach to women, peace and security (WPS). This Strategic Insights paper compiles the articles in that series across four themes: Defence’s approach to WPS, the role of parliament and civil society, lessons from abroad, and evolving approaches to WPS. Drawing on the analyses of contributors from a variety of backgrounds including government, politics, defence, academia, and civil society, the series demonstrates that issues related to women’s participation and leadership, and the inclusion of different gender perspectives, are integral to Australia’s national security.

As ASPI’s Lisa Sharland and Jacqueline Westermann write in the introduction to the paper,  WPS is ‘an important topic that’s frequently overlooked at the expense of what are often deemed ‘more pressing’ security issues by the media and security commentators’. With the Australian Government tasked to draw up a new National Action Plan on WPS in 2019, the paper provides important reflections on the progress that has been made, the remaining gaps and how Australia’s implementation on WPS could be strengthened.

Women, peace and security: the way forward

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The articles in this Strategic Insights paper, originally published on the ASPI Strategist website throughout March 2017, include analysis about what women, peace and security (WPS) means for Australia’s defence and national security. The authors of individual pieces are Elisabeth Buchan, Amanda Fielding, Jenny Lee, Brendan Nicholson, Sofia Patel, Lisa Sharland, Laura J Shepherd, Amy Sheridan, Leanne Smith and Jennifer Wittwer.

The Sultanate of Women: Exploring female roles in perpetrating and preventing violent extremism

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This paper examines the appeal of Islamic State (IS) to Western women and explores how women can be employed in countering violent extremism (CVE) structures to prevent further involvement. It aims to deliver a comprehensive analysis for academics, policymakers and practitioners working in CVE program and policy design and implementation in order to bridge the gap between community development work and security and intelligence.

Two case studies of Australian women—Zehra Duman (a.k.a. Umm Abdullatif al-Australi) and Zaynab Sharrouf (a.k.a. Umm Hafs)—illustrate the appeal as well as the contradictions.

A series of recommendations suggests changes to existing CVE structures and their approaches to integrating, women.

Sofia Patel discusses the paper.

Tag Archive for: Women, Peace and Security

US and Australian Women and Space Event with AWDC

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On the evening of November 14th, ASPI DC and Australian Women in DC (AWDC) were thrilled to host a lively event on US and Australian Women and Space: New Frontiers for Business and Government.

At a time when most everyone in DC, and beyond, is consuming a diet of election outcomes and political appointments, it was great to step back and discuss the importance of space as a domain for innovation and development in defense, science, and communications.

A big thank you to Paula Trimble, US Space Force Space Development Agency; Jeremy Hallett, Space Industry Association of Australia; and Lisa Wood, BAE Systems, Inc. for generously sharing their time, expertise, and advice on what makes a great mentor and exciting career. Thanks also to our moderator Nerida King of ASPI DC and AWDC who drew these connections together.

Some key takeaways that resonated with our audience as they chatted over Australian wine and seasonal food:

  • The US must collaborate with its allies and partners on space. It is impossible for any one company or business to keep up with technological change required.
  • Space development is integral on the world stage—from responding to global challenges like great power competition, communications failures, climate change and natural disasters—down to the personal level, like navigating oneself with GPS.
  • President-elect Trump’s role in establishing the US Space Force in 2019 and close connection with Space X entrepreneur Elon Musk ensures the sector will continue to attract interest in the US.

Thanks to everyone who joined and made it such a successful (and topical) event!