Reflection from the 2024 Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Week: Seven critical actions towards 2025

An intense 2024 WPS Week has just wrapped up, marked by last Thursday’s UNSC open debate on WPS and the release of the United Nations Secretary-General's report (link: https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/273/49/pdf/n2427349.pdf) on WPS. The report’s findings are bleak: on every WPS front, there is stagnation or even regression in women's representation, participation, rights, and decision-making. Underrepresentation remains a painful norm. The report notes, “In 2023, the proportion of women killed in armed conflicts doubled compared with the previous year. The number of United Nations-verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence rose by 50 percent, and girls affected by grave violations increased by 35 percent." Yet, despite these glaring statistics, public awareness of these injustices remains minimal. Moreover, funding for women’s civil society organizations has decreased for three consecutive years.

This year's WPS Week convened experts, government representatives, and many women from conflict zones. For those present, the week felt particularly challenging in light of these unsettling realities. The upcoming 25th anniversary of UNSC Resolution 1325, a cornerstone in the WPS agenda, only compounds this sense of urgency. Reflecting on the week’s events, meetings, and discussions, I’m sharing my thoughts on what needs to happen if we are to drive meaningful change before October 2025.

1. Prioritize Peace: Change Advocacy to Address Peace First

As peace processes dwindle and militarization becomes an accepted norm, the WPS community must refocus on peace itself, moving beyond asking “Where are the women?” to pushing for peace as an absolute priority. This shift demands a reframing of advocacy language and the need for “peace empowerment,” not only women’s empowerment.

2. Reimagine Peace Processes

Many WPS advocates continue to push for women’s inclusion in outdated peace process structures. However, achieving true inclusivity means rethinking peace processes as multistakeholder efforts that pave the way for genuinely inclusive societies. This understanding challenges conventional mediation training and many other current practices, calling for peace processes that are transformational, not transactional.

3. Tailor WPS Strategies to the diversity of Local Contexts

Our global landscape is increasingly fragmented, making it essential to adapt WPS advocacy and actions to diverse geopolitical contexts. A one-size-fits-all approach risks missing the nuanced realities of local contexts, undermining the effectiveness of the WPS agend. Strategies must therefore be flexible and responsive to specific local dynamics.

4. Engage New Allies, Including the Unconventional

Given the shifting geopolitical landscape, it’s time to expand the WPS conversation to include allies beyond traditional supporters. Bringing non-traditional and even initially reluctant actors into the conversation could provide fresh perspectives and partnerships crucial to achieving the WPS objectives.

5. Move Beyond Numbers for the 2025 Anniversary

With the 25th anniversary of UNSC Resolution 1325 approaching, there’s a risk of focusing too much on metrics rather than conducting an honest evaluation of past challenges, mistakes, but also small victories. We need to prioritize genuine assessments and foster conversations about what has—and hasn’t—worked.

6. Make WPS Week Events More Inclusive and human

WPS events often follow a similar structure: formal opening remarks by multiple missions, followed by inputs from experts, with the women from conflict zones frequently left to speak last and in short time slots. Many women expressed discomfort with this format, feeling that it diminished their voices. For 2025, WPS events should be more inclusive and designed to genuinely empower women from conflict zones, putting them in positions to lead discussions. Codes of conduct that emphasize respect and more dynamic event formats should guide next year’s events. ?

7. Create Spaces for Open Dialogue Among WPS and Feminist Movements

If the WPS agenda is to achieve concrete outcomes, it must move beyond polarized ideology and work toward consensus. Establishing common goals for the 2025 anniversary and promoting pragmatic, outcome-oriented advocacy will be crucial. Spaces where diverse feminist movements and WPS advocates can exchange views and set shared advocacy targets are essential for progress.

As we move toward the 25th anniversary of UNSC Resolution 1325, the question remains: how will we move from resolutions to solutions?

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