Why Women, Peace and Security Matters

Advancing women’s rights is not only the right thing to do—it’s the smart thing.

Women, Peace and Security (WPS) is a framework rooted in the understanding that women play a central role in peace and security and that they must be included at all levels of decision-making on these issues. There is a growing body of data demonstrating that investing in women is not just a matter of equality, but is crucial to political stability and economic progress. Women’s actions in peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction are vital for peace, stability, and security, while the inclusion of women in the broader economy fuels growth, creates jobs, and advances inclusive prosperity.

WPS has been an international priority for over 25 years: United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, passed in 2000, reaffirmed “the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building,” and stressed “the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security….” Since then, WPS has been advanced through the multilateral system; in regional bodies; and by countries worldwide. 

Yet today, the WPS framework is under threat, despite many countries and institutions making important progress in this space. Budget cuts, reorganizations, reduced attention, and direct attacks on this work imperil the WPS agenda. This attack on WPS risks undermining efforts to build peace and strengthen security worldwide. The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security continues to support WPS progress where it is taking place and to push back on backsliding, providing critical research, analysis, expertise, and leadership to shape the global conversation and continue making the case for WPS.