“I firmly believe that data not only measures progress, it inspires it. That’s why I welcome this new global index on women, peace, and security as an important tool to shine a light on key achievements, as well as the work that remains to confront the violence, injustice, and exclusion that still hold back too many women and girls around the world. I hope organizations and governments alike will use these facts and findings to inform public debate and discussion, and hold decision makers to account.” –Hillary Rodham Clinton, Former US Secretary of State
“As the world works to realize the sustainable development goals, we will need robust tools to measure progress. I welcome this new global Index – the first gender index to be developed for women’s role in peace and security – as a mechanism to assess countries’ progress against the SDGs, thus creating inclusive, just, and peaceful societies for all.” Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General United Nations
“It has taken 17 years from the adoption of the first resolution on women, peace and security for this index to become a reality. Much has been said about justice, security and inclusion being interlinked, but only now has the data been put together that shows us how. We know that women are often the first to feel the impact of smouldering conflicts. Their rights and security are often threatened long before gunshots are heard. This index has the potential to sensitise us to dangerous situations and could ultimately contribute to conflict prevention efforts. We are excited about the index and hope it will be used actively by the UN system, nation states, academia and civil society alike.”-Børge Brende, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs
“I welcome this groundbreaking global index which for the first time links women’s justice and security with measures of broader inclusion. This is a critical step forward in efforts to better connect humanitarian, peace and security and development work in order to fulfill women’s human rights and create more stable and just societies. The WPS index is a welcome addition to the evidence base we need to both highlight progress and achievements as well as hold decision makers to account. It provides policy makers with critical evidence to guide them in setting priorities to enhance gender justice, and women’s security and inclusion.” -Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International
“The Peace Research Institute of Oslo and the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace & Security deserve our thanks for devising a new global index which captures the complexity of issues which lie at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The WPS Index provides an invaluable insight into the well-being of women and girls. We know that, wherever they are accorded full and equal rights and opportunity, the prospects for peace and prosperity improve. The condition of women and the denial of their rights is an indicator of future instability and conflict. The WPS Index has the potential to contribute to helping build our resilience globally.” -Kristalina Georgieva, Chief Executive Officer for the World Bank
“In recent years the world has built a resounding global gender equality compact with promise for radical change in the lives of women and girls. Like any promise, it needs to be kept- and that means we need to track progress. I welcome this new global index that will show the advances made by and for women and girls across the world, and pinpoint the remaining challenges. It is a constructive reality check on the achievement of a world that is free of gender discrimination and inequality, a world that leaves no-one behind.” -Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women
“Women and girls are on the frontline of conflict and violence around the world. It is vital to hold all sections of the community accountable for their actions in protecting women and girls and mitigating the effects of violence. The world needs this index and we need to use it to fight the abuse of power.” –Rt. Hon. David Miliband, President and CEO of International Rescue Committee
“Even as we recognize how far we have come, we must also consider how far we still have to go. We know that women are at the heart of efforts to achieve sustainable peace worldwide but we also know that too little is being done to understand key gaps and deficits, and how this undermines the security not only of the women themselves, but their families, communities and nations at large. Those who would dismiss the contributions of one gender would sacrifice half the talent, half the resources, half the potential of the people. This index is a critical step towards filling this gap, and I commend to security sector leaders and policy makers alike.” -Admiral Mike Mullen (Ret) 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
“Together we can create a world that is better, stronger, safer. But only if and only when we recognize the full and equal rights of women. This new Women Peace and Security Index offers compelling and insightful data that will support our fight for women’s rights globally.” -Lilianne Ploumen, Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation
“‘Gender, peace and security’ is a challenging area to work in. We know and see only too well the problems of insecurity, injustice and exclusion that women and girls particularly face especially in fragile, conflict-affected societies. But our work is hampered by not having accurate and rigorous gender-sensitive data to analyse and point to as we reach out to policymaking communities. The WPS Index will be an asset in our research and advocacy, revealing gender gaps but more importantly, opening windows of opportunity to transform peace and security outcomes for diverse women as well as men.” -Jacqui True, Professor of Politics & International Relations and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow at Monash University, Australia
“Agenda 2030 states that “there can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.” SDG16 is the main goal for “fostering peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are free from fear and violence,” with strong links with other goals — including SDG5 on gender equality. I welcome this innovative gender index, the first to be developed in this new global framework. It provides an important tool to help us understand where things stand and where further progress is needed to advance women’s wellbeing, underlining the interconnectedness of the goals and targets, so that “all human beings can fulfill their potential in dignity and equality.” -Sarah Cliffe, Director of New York University’s Center on International Cooperation