At a time when protection needs are rising, the UK should be expanding safe and accessible pathways to protection and education. Policies that restrict visas, narrow asylum routes and create prolonged uncertainty move the UK further away from its international obligations and humanitarian leadership.

The UK cannot claim to champion the WPS Women, Peace and Security agenda and a rules-based international order while advancing policies that undermine refugee protection and deny people fleeing conflict the opportunity to study, rebuild their lives and live in safety.

Read our full statement here.

Women seeking asylum already face heightened risks of sexual and gender-based violence, on their journey, and including when they arrive into the UK. The proposals do nothing to address these risks and instead increase the likelihood of further harm. This directly contradicts the UK’s commitments under the Women, Peace and Security agenda, and the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative (PSVI), where the Home Office holds obligations to prevent gender-based violence, support survivors, and meet the needs of women and girls.

GAPS urges the Government to move away from this hostile direction and uphold an asylum system consistent with its international obligations. The UK must uphold its international commitments and global responsibility and ensure that women, girls, and all people fleeing conflict and persecution can access safety and protection.

Read the full statement: GAPS Network statement in response to the Home Secretary’s announcement of new UK asylum and returns policy

In this context, this year’s WPS Week in New York is increasingly inaccessible for many women’s rights organisations (WROs) and civil society organisations (WROs). In response, the WPS community is mobilising collectively to host regional convenings that provide a space for those individuals and organisations that have made the WPS agenda what it is today to continue advancing their work. Events will take place in different locations throughout September, October, and November, including Amman, Nairobi, Brussels, and Geneva.

We are not withdrawing: we are reclaiming the WPS agenda by re-rooting it in civil society where it continues to be lived, defended, and demanded. Our approach is outlined in a concept note, which is published in English, Arabic, French, and Spanish.

Regional convenings will be hosted by various organisations in different countries. More information and a list of upcoming events can be found here: WPS +25 Events – WO=MEN. If your organisation is hosting an event and would like it to be included on this page, please email: v.dekort@wo-men.nl.

Our shared thinking is communicated in a Collective Statement, which is published in English, Arabic, French, and Spanish. We welcome sign-ons from organisations, encourage you to do so here.

At this crucial time, the WPS community, Member States, governments, and institutions must show solidarity and coordinated action to ensure progress is not lost. We encourage organisations to gather regionally and sign the collective statement. We urge Member States to support, attend, and resource these community-led efforts and highlight the needs and expertise from civil society in multilateral spaces.

We must work together to implement and defend the WPS agenda to ensure it is strengthened in the next 25 years. 

#ReclaimWPS25+

In this Shadow Report Assessing UK Government Action of Women Peace and Security in 2024, GAPS assesses the UK Government’s implementation of its fifth National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security (2023–2027), as detailed in the Government’s 2024 Annual Report to Parliament. The report is published at a critical juncture: the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the midpoint of the current NAP cycle.

It captures a year shaped by worsening global conflict, declining UK aid budgets, and the increasing marginalisation of gender equality in foreign, development and defence policy. While acknowledging some positive steps, the report highlights missed opportunities and structural delays particularly the lack of a published MEL framework, weak consultation with civil society, and limited financial transparency around WPS investments.

This Shadow Report sets out urgent, practical recommendations to help close the gap between policy and implementation. These include reinstating gender as a cross-government priority, publishing the MEL framework, strengthening civil society consultation, and establishing a dedicated WPS fund. It builds on years of GAPS reporting and civil society expertise, offering a clear roadmap for the UK to meaningfully implement its WPS commitments in the final two years of the NAP.

Together, the Shadow Report and Case Studies provide a detailed, grounded, and urgent call for renewed UK action on Women, Peace and Security at home and abroad.

These case studies highlight how intersecting global crises, including rising authoritarianism, climate change, forced displacement, and shrinking civic space are worsening conditions for women and marginalised communities. They also document the leadership of women peacebuilders and human rights defenders, often working without sustainable funding or meaningful political support.

Together, the Shadow Report 2024 and Case Studies provide a detailed, grounded, and urgent call for renewed UK action on Women, Peace and Security at home and abroad.

Friday’s devastating earthquakes in Myanmar not only caused mass casualties and widespread destruction, they also deepened long-standing gender inequalities – leaving millions of women and girls at heightened risk. With at least 1,600 people have been killed, read Saferworld's response here. UN Women have provided a rapid gender analysis reporting that 'the earthquakes add another layer of hardship as (women and girls) face unsafe conditions, disrupted health services, and heightened risks of gender-based violence and exploitation—especially for girls separated from their families.' The earthquake is also disproportionately impacting refugees in Thailand who have fled the violence in Myanmar.

In Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces have recaptured Khartoum from the RSF. Both the SAF and RSF have been accused of crimes against humanity, including genocide, and it is unclear what the change in control of the capital city will mean. Systemic sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war in Sudan — including against children There is an urgent need to protect civilians, assist survivors, and end the war that has exacerbated this suffering. The UK Government issued a statement at the UN Security Council, addressing that acts sexual violence constitute crimes under international law. However, despite recognising that two years of wars have now passed this month, the Government has failed to involve civil society in its plans.

The sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) was held this month in New York. CSW remains a vital space—but one under attack. The rise of far-right movements, anti-gender rhetoric, intersex invisibility, and trans-exclusionary agendas threatens to erase years of progress.

GAPS members have continued to provide statements on the impact of UK aid budget cuts on gender equality, conflict prevention and other areas spanning the WPS agenda. Women are due to bear the brunt of this decision by the UK Government. As Conciliation Resources reported, community peacebuilding work, often led by women and young people, makes decisive contributions to security. By supporting countries to address inequality and insecurity and to develop economically, the aid budget helps prevent instability and conflict, develops alliances and future partners for the UK.

GAPS has published a statement in response to the Independent Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel report: “More than a human can bear”: Israel's systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence since 7 October 2023

Israel has continued its violent offensive on Gaza. At least 77 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip, including 22 people in an attack on an UNRWA clinic in northern Gaza’s Jabalia. The Israeli military expanded its ground assault on Gaza, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wants to create a new corridor to separate Rafah from Khan Younis in the south. Women for Women International have released a statement on Israel's violation of the ceasefire, read here. Saferworld has urged for a comprehensive arms embargo in response to Israel's assault on Gaza. Read Actionaid's response to the expanded military offensive here.

Amnesty International has called on the Syrian Arab Republic's government to ensure accountability for sectarian massacres targeting the Alawite minority last month, saying they may constitute war crimes. Amnesty said that “the Syrian government must ensure that the perpetrators of a wave of mass killings targeting Alawite civilians in coastal areas are held accountable.”

March Reads

Conflict Prevention, Women, Peace and Security and Feminist Perspectives

This briefing paper examines the intersection of feminism, conflict prevention, and the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. It highlights the overlooked role of prevention within WPS, emphasising feminist approaches to addressing root causes of conflict. Despite progress in gendered conflict analysis, gaps remain in integrating WPS into mainstream prevention efforts. The paper concludes with recommendations for stronger, more inclusive policies to enhance WPS and feminist conflict prevention. Read here.

“More than a human can bear”: Israel's systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence since 7 October 2023

In the paper, the Commission examines Israel’s widespread destruction of Gaza and the disproportionate violence against women and children resulting from Israel’s method of war, including the targeting of residential buildings and the indiscriminate use of heavy explosives in densely populated areas. It describes the destruction of Palestinians through reproductive violence and harms resulting from the Israeli Security Forces’ deliberate attacks on sexual and reproductive health care facilities and the collapsed health care infrastructure in Gaza. Read here.

‘There can only be a political solution to this conflict’ – Beyond statements, tangible support to local peacebuilders must complement high level political dialogue and resolutions

Peace Direct's partners in the DRC speak of the humanitarian crisis, but also, and critically, of the need for the international community and stakeholders within the region to recognise the nuances of the region to meaningfully contribute to peacebuilding endeavours and peace processes. Read here.

 Climate Change and Its Impact on Women and Employment Opportunities Among Displaced Populations

This is a policy paper about the climate change and its effect on women and employment among displaced persons. The policy paper focuses on Nineveh and Salah Al Din governorates. The results of the paper suggested that climate change affects men, women, boys and girls, however women and vulnerable groups such as displaced people are disproportionally affected. Read here.

In case you missed it

The GAPS Secretariat and GAPS's member, the Northern Ireland Women’s Platform (NIWEP), produced a briefing as an outcome from workshops with women peacebuilders from Northern Ireland, Colombia and Iraq. This outlines why feminist movements and organisations are critical actors in addressing structural gender inequality, and how to resource and support their life saving work. Read the full briefing here.

NIWEP and Dr Avila Kilmurray also published a report on the engagement of women in Northern Ireland in international peacebuilding and networking over the last 30 years. The report is available on NIWEP's website here.

Women Deliver released a statement in the lead up to CSW, reflecting on the current weaponisation of women and girl's rights that we are witnessing globally. Read the full statement here.

In the face of multi-layered risk, what are the necessary conditions for Libyan women to participate safely in peace and security reprisals? Learn from our guests, Catherine Turner and Noura El Jerbi, on Mind the GAPS: A Women, Peace and Security podcast. Listen to the episode here.

Peace Direct is convening a global peacebuilding gathering for local peacebuilders and their allies. Held in Nairobi, Kenya, Peace Connect will bring together hundreds of peacebuilders from the Global South to share, learn and create. Apply here.

Job Board

Womankind Worldwide

Co-chair (London, Unpaid), 2 May.

Her Voice Manager (London or Nigeria), 6 April.

GADN

2x Trustee (London), 27 April

Women for Women International

People, Capability, Culture and Operations Officer (London)

Plan International

NextGen Director, (Global), 13 April.

This briefing was produced in collaboration with the Northern Ireland Women's Platform, which is a member of GAPS. The briefing is available with an Annex, providing further detail and analysis specific to the Northern Ireland context. Please find the extended briefing here.

The first two months of 2025 have been bleak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Following the resurgence of the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23)/Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) in 2021, the conflict took a turn for the worst in December 2024, prompting a widespread humanitarian and political crisis. Despite blockages to the provision of aid and humanitarian support, local peacebuilding organisations, including women-led and women’s rights organisations, have remained at the forefront of efforts to protect their communities and promote their participation in peace processes. Peace Direct has worked with such local peacebuilding organisations across Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu since 2007, supporting their efforts to transform conflict in their respective provinces. Partners’ have had to pivot to fill gaps left by funding cuts, blocked access, and the expanding military occupation of North and South Kivu.

Stated support and humanitarian efforts, with limited impact for local communities

After gaining significant ground in January, M23 attacked the city of Goma on the night of 26-27 January. Over four days, an estimated 3,000 people were killed. Warehouses and hospitals have been looted, hospitals attacked, and refugee camps bombed. In one particularly egregious incident, the UN estimates that at least 165 women were raped during the Muzenze prison break on 27 January. In February, M23 took the capital of South Kivu, Bukavu, displacing tens of thousands across the border into Burundi. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.

International condemnation was swift, though concrete action much slower. Governments of the United Kingdom, United States, the European Union (EU), have expressed concerns at the scale of the crisis and suffering. United Nations Security Council adopted a Resolution on 21 February, calling on Rwanda to withdraw from DRC and cease its support to M23, and on the Government of Congo to cease supporting armed groups including the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), whose existence Rwanda seeks to dismantle. The European Parliament called on the European Commission and Council to suspend the EU’s Memorandum of Understanding on Sustainable Raw Minerals Value Chains with Rwanda. The US Government imposed sanctions against Rwandan officials, while the UK announced a set of limited measures against the Rwandan government.

Despite these actions, M23 have continued their advance and taken control of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu. Citizens in Uvira, bordering with Burundi, have experienced fighting between the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) and the Wazalendo (‘patriots’), groups of combatants fighting alongside FARDC, alongside serious fears that M23 may try to take control of Uvira itself. The relationship between Burundi, bordering Uvira, and Rwanda has declined for months.

Confronting discrepancies and their disproportionate impact on women and girls

TDRC adopted a National Action Plan for Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) in 2018, for the period between 2018-2022, and made commitments to strengthen the participation of women in politics and in the economy. While many civil society organisations and networks aim to strengthen the WPS Agenda, systemic issues remain, including violations of women’s rights and the use of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict.

In contrast, Rwanda is broadly recognised to engage meaningfully with Women, Peace and Security Agenda. The government last adopted a National Action Plan (NAP) in 2018. The Constitution mandates at least 30% of women in elected positions, with a higher level of representation to date in certain chambers. The country seeks to end gender inequality in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, and includes strong female participation in government, at the national and local levels, and across sectors. In the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide, this was deemed essential to support reconstruction efforts and promote stability for Rwandans. Protecting the rights and dignity of all affected by conflict, not only through inclusion but also meaningful participation in decision-making processes, is critical. But such respect for women’s rights and gender minorities must extend beyond borders, including in any military operations abroad – a glaring gap for Rwanda considering its role in the violence that women and girls in DRC have faced since M23’s resurgence in 2021, at exponential rates.

Linking humanitarian, peacebuilding, and WPS: connecting the disconnected to promote dialogue and peace

So far, military efforts to curb the escalation have failed, as diplomatic efforts have stalled and the international community bemoans the humanitarian crisis. While the Angolan Government announced it will will enter discussions with M23 to facilitate negotiations and revive the Luanda process, both Burundi and Uganda have bolstered their military presence in eastern DRC.

Humanitarian aid is critical, and statements to this effect are crucial. Yet statements come against a backdrop of major funding cuts –the impact on programming related to the rights of women, girls and marginalised groups have been the starkest. While the USAID cuts are the most drastic, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and other European governments have followed suit.

Our DRC partners speak of the humanitarian crisis, but also, and critically, of the need for the international community and stakeholders within the region to recognise the nuances of the region to meaningfully contribute to peacebuilding endeavours and peace processes. This requires that the international community, NGOs, stakeholders engaged with the region, foster inclusive dialogues, and inclusive spaces for marginalised communities and groups. It requires a clear commitment to justice and accountability, dedicated to dismantling the cycles of violence of the last 30 years.

The international community must leverage its position to support the region’s residents, beyond political and economic imperatives. In February, the African Union, East African Community, and South African Development Community, all exhorted the conflicting parties to resume dialogue. For any such dialogue to be sustainable and peace process to resume, the international community should increase support to these efforts, and to grassroots and national organisations, for their voices and perspectives to be heard. Women rights organisations and women-led organisations, are most at risk and least likely to receive such support; centring them is critical.

Efforts must reflect the complexity and nuances that exist amongst communities in eastern DRC and in the broader Great Lakes region, and the Global North must meaningfully address the economic drivers of the conflict. Those who stand to bear this brunt are communities across the region, first and foremost women, girls, and marginalised groups.

The UK has announced cuts to the aid budget while increasing defence spending. CARE’s recent report revealed that UK aid for gender equality fell from £6.3bn in 2019 to £3.4bn in 2022—the lowest on record since reporting began in 2014. With the latest round of cuts announced today, this decline will only deepen, compounding the effects of previous reductions and contributing to a global trend where major donors are pulling back from gender equality commitments. Read GAPS's full statement here. Anneliese Dodds has resigned from her post as international development minister in response to these aid cuts, with Baroness Chapman elected in her place. ActionAid UK has published a response to these ODA cuts, 'there is no justification for abandoning the world’s most marginalised time and time again to navigate geopolitical developments.’

At least 8,500 people have been killed in the DRC since fighting escalated in January, according to the Congolese authorities. At least 11 people have been killed and 65 wounded when explosions rocked the city of Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during a rally for the M23 rebel group and their supporters. Our new episode of Mind the GAPS: A Women Peace and Security podcast is dedicated to the DRC, exploring the impact of violence on Congolese women. and what is needed from the international community to genuinely invest in the prevention of further conflict.

Thousands fleeing violence in Sudan have crossed the border into South Sudan. The freeze on funds imposed by Donald Trump is a 'fresh blow to the situation in South Sudan' as more than half of South Sudan's humanitarian budget comes from USAID. On February 8, Sudanese women and their allies held a silent march in London, from Parliament Square to 10 Downing Street. A letter addressed to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was read to the protesters, calling on the British government to exert pressure on the warring parties in Sudan to stop the war and establish humanitarian corridors for the delivery of essential aid.

Israel has blocked all humanitarian aid into Gaza after the first phase of the ceasefire agreement ends. Countries, including Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, and the EU have criticised Israel for this decision. This new US proposal calls for extending the ceasefire’s first phase through Ramadan — the Muslim holy month that began over the weekend — and the Jewish Passover holiday, which ends on April 20. This push for an extension is coupled with violations to the ceasefire terms - 116 people have been killed over the past 42 days, including those who are attempting to return to their homes. The recent Israeli offensive on the West Bank "sees the most Palestinians displaced there since 1967".

According to UN Women, the three years of war in Ukraine have reversed decades of progress for women and girls, 'leaving millions in urgent need of support'. Read the full report here. Britain and France have announced their leadership in the ‘coalition of the willing’ to provide security guarantees to Ukraine and enable peace negotiations with Russia. US and Ukrainian president's meeting on Friday to discuss a controversial mineral resources deal that Trump has said is the first step towards a ceasefire agreement was cut short after disagreements.

FEBRUARY Reads

No man’s land? Focusing on men to reduce global armed violence

This report is about reducing men’s illegal armed violence. Globally, some 90 percent of firearms homicides are committed by men, and men also make up the vast majority of the victims. The highest rates of homicide are found in the Americas, including the Caribbean, and southern Africa, mainly in cities. “Men killing men” disproportionately affects young people in the Global South who live in precarious economic circumstances. This has been the consistent demographic of lethal armed violence for decades. Read here. 

British Collaboration with Israel

This report sets out the depth of British military collaboration with Israel, in the context of the UK’s legal obligations with regard to Israel’s egregious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. The evidence below, compiled from publicly available information, highlights the fact that the UK is not simply failing in its third party responsibilities to uphold international  law, but is actively complicit in genocidal acts perpetrated against the Palestinian people. The thresholds of material contribution and knowledge have clearly been met. Read here.

Fixing UK ODA’s Gender Gap: Bold Choices, Real Change

Driving a more equal world has been a part of the UK’s DNA for more than 30 years. The UK was a key signatory to the landmark Beijing Platform for Action in 1995, the most progressive and comprehensive global policy framework for advancing women’s rights. Under a Labour Government, the UK helped to pioneer the Millennium Development Goals in 2000 and ratified the Women, Peace and Security framework to advance women’s leadership in conflict. Read here.

Sexual Violence against Girls in Guatemala

Sexual violence remains a pervasive and systemic issue in Guatemala, disproportionately affecting girls ages 14 and under, which is the age of consent in the country. Different government institutions report vastly different numbers of cases of sexual violence in girls, reflecting important gaps in data collection and monitoring. According to the National Registry of Persons (RENAP), between 2018 and 2024, 14,696 girls ages 14 and under gave birth and became mothers, often against their will. Read here.

Militainment, the Arms Industry and the Marketing of Militarized Masculinities

This report lays out the highlights and findings from the meeting, which sought to “understand and explore strategies to counter widely used marketing practices that exploit ideas about manhood and masculinities to increase demand for weapons and normalized their misuse.” Read here.

In case you missed it

The Equalities Resource Hub has been developed to help policy makers and practitioners access a curated collection of best practice resources dedicated to gender and equalities. You will have access to a range of strategies and policy papers, evidence synthesis and how to guides on a wide range of equality and social inclusion issues, including from various national and local contexts. Access the Hub here.

Saferworld are working with their partners in Yemen to Build the Peace from the Ground Up. Watch their video to find out how Yemeni-led projects are helping to create safer and more resilient communities, bringing people together in the process.

The Government of Mongolia has announced its priority to develop the country's first National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security through a collaborative process. Read UN Women's statement on this call to action here.

Read Saferworld's reflection on: What does working for peace mean in 2025? "2025 is a big year for the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, with the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325, as well as the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action.”

The UK Government issued a joint statement following a meeting between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. On Women, Peace and Security, PM Starmer welcomed Iraq’s plans to launch its third National Action Plan and a network of Iraqi women peacebuilders in March 2025. Read the full statement here. 

Job Board

Amnesty International

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer (Dakar), 4 March.

ActionAid UK

Trusts Manager (London-Hybrid), 6 March.

Since the UK reduced its Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment from 0.7% to 0.5% of GNI, gender-focused funding has seen a disproportionate decline. CARE’s recent report revealed that UK aid for gender equality fell from £6.3bn in 2019 to £3.4bn in 2022—the lowest on record since reporting began in 2014. With the latest round of cuts announced today, this decline will only deepen, compounding the effects of previous reductions and contributing to a global trend where major donors are pulling back from gender equality commitments.

This decision is particularly damning in 2025, the year marking the 25th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action. At a time when the UK claims to be strengthening partnerships with the Global South, it is instead choosing to undermine them by diverting resources away from development and gender equality and into increasingly prioritisation of militarisation. This shift does not make the UK or the world safer—it makes conflict more likely. The UK’s arms sales have already made it complicit in human rights violations by countries such as Israel and Saudi Arabia. An expanded defence budget, framed as a response to global insecurity, risks further entrenching cycles of violence rather than addressing their root causes.

After the election, we called for strategic investment in Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) programming and gender equality as critical foundations for long-term stability. Instead, the government has reaffirmed its commitments in rhetoric while stripping them of necessary funding in practice. The UK has pledged to prevent conflict, advance gender equality, and tackle global threats, yet these cuts cast serious doubt on how such promises can be met.

We urge the government to reverse these harmful decisions. If it refuses, at the very least, it must engage in meaningful consultations with civil society and women’s rights organisations to ensure that those most affected—women and girls in all their diversity—are not once again forced to bear the consequences of political choices that prioritise militarism over human security. 

Eva Tabbasam (Director)

“Our collective security is achieved by addressing the root causes of injustice and inequality - this is what is able to prevent and meaningfully resolve conflict; address climate change; confront the types of misinformation that led to race riots in the UK this summer; and can make migration a choice rather than a survival strategy. These cuts will achieve the complete opposite results and will only undermine UK and global peace and security.” 

Statement from the GAPS Secretariat

For media enquiries, please contact info@gaps-uk.org

There has been a critical escalation of violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over the past few weeks, with Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 seizing control of Goma. The heightened risk of sexual violence has been reported by organisations, including Médecins Sans Frontières, who have said more than 1 in 10 young women in camps reported being raped between November 2023 and April 2024. The UN Security Council has made a statement, pointing to the heightened vulnerability of women and children due to the "mass influx of IDPs, separation of families, and escape of prisoners from Goma prison" Read Peace Direct's call on the international community to "use all tools at its disposal to advance peace, justice, and accountability in eastern DRC".

The UK has announced a £17 million aid package for Gaza, with the Development Minister, Anneliese Dodds, reiterating the need for "much more aid to enter Gaza with the support of UN agencies including UNRWA". Read ActionAid's statement urging the UK to channel its funding through Palestinian-led organisations, particularly women's rights and women-led organisations, "in order to ensure the needs of women and girls, who have been particularly impacted and whose needs are often overlooked, are met".

The Trump administration has ordered a three-month pause on almost all foreign development assistance pending a review. Ukraine receives the most from USAID at $14.4bn with the second highest recipient, Jordan, at $770m. This decision has a disproportionate gender impacts, particularly on the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief,. The World Health Organisation has warned that this will raise the risk of HIV for millions. Experts have warned that this pause on US foreign aid programmes could exacerbate violence in Latin America, driving more migration from the region. This comes in a moment where Colombia is facing an influx of internal refugees in the border city of Cúcuta due to an outbreak of fighting between rival rebel factions.

NATO held its first talks on the update of its Women, Peace and Security policy with Civil Society representatives. The talks were carried out as part of the first meeting of the new Civil Society Advisory Panel (CSAP) on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) under the leadership of NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for WPS Irene Fellin.

January Reads

No Peace Without Pride:  Integrating LGBTQI+ Perspectives into Youth, Peace and Security

This policy brief addresses the critical need for integrating Queering Peace and Security (QPS) into the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, ensuring that LGBTQI+ youth are represented, protected, and empowered within global peacebuilding frameworks. The YPS agenda, built on the pillars of Participation, Protection, Prevention, Partnerships, and Disengagement and Reintegration, champions youth as active agents of positive change in peace and security. However, its existing frameworks often fail to adequately include the diverse experiences of LGBTQI+ youth. QPS aims to address these gaps by fostering inclusive, equitable, and resilient peacebuilding practices that value the identities and contributions of LGBTQI+ individuals. Read here.

Rebuilding UK Conflict Prevention Leadership

The number of conflicts continues to rise and these are increasingly protracted, internationalised and affected by the climate crisis. This briefing shows that UK spending on conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding has fallen from four per cent of its aid budget in 2016 to just over one per cent in 2023. It highlights that the proportion of climate finance spent in fragile parts of the world is also very low.  The briefing gives recommendations on how the UK Government can rebuild the UK’s former leadership in preventing and resolving conflicts. Read here.

Localising the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda in Maroua Cameroon

In a pivotal two-day workshop held in Maroua on October 11-12, 2024, the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) and the Common Action for Gender and Development (COMAGEND) catalysed transformative learning for 40 community leaders from Cameroon’s Far North region. Coinciding with the 24th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the workshop strategically addressed critical peace and security challenges through an intensive, participatory approach. Read here.

Afghan women must play a critical role in building peace in Afghanistan

The challenges facing Afghan women in their pursuit of peace and leadership are great, but their role in shaping Afghanistan’s future cannot be overstated. Afghan women have proven time and again that they are not just victims of conflict but active participants in peacebuilding and governance. As the socio-economic and political landscape of Afghanistan continues to evolve, it is necessary that the international community increases its support to Afghan women in all spaces and ensure their voices and their true participation is central to peace and decision-making processes concerning Afghanistan. Read here. 

In case you missed it

Listen to Episode 4 of Mind the GAPS: a Women Peace and Security Podcast - out now! How can the needs and experiences of women and marginalised groups be integrated into peace processes? We are joined by two experts of inclusive peace processes, Giuditta Fontana and Fatiha Serour. Listen to Women Negotiating Inclusive Peace here. 

Amnesty International have released a training course, Gender Justice and Human Rights: Tackling the rise of the anti-gender movement. This course will examine the motivations and impacts of anti-gender movements and discover strategies to support and advance gender justice. Find out more here.

The Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition have released a new strategic framework, adapting to the everchanging context in which WHRDs, feminists, trans and non-binary defenders are defending rights.

The new Routledge Handbook of Masculinities, Conflict, and Peacebuilding has been published. This handbook combines feminist, intersectional, relational, decolonial, and queer perspectives on the conceptualisation of masculinities in conflict and peacebuilding. Read here.

Job Board

Womankind Worldwide

Philanthropy Manager, (London), 10 February.

Policy and Advocacy Consultant- Middle East and North Africa Region (multiple locations), 1 February.

Plan International

Child Marriage in Humanitarian Settings Technical Lead (Multiple Locations), 3 February.

Mercy Corps

GESI Capacity Building Advisor (Ukraine)

GAPS

Website and design developer (global), 20 February.