The Essential Architect: Why Global Stability Depends on the Radical Inclusion of Women in Peacebuilding
Around the world, the cries for “Ceasefire,” “End the war,” and “Stop the brutality” are not merely slogans; they are the urgent demands of women and girls who bear the disproportionate brunt of modern warfare. These voices form the bedrock of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, a global framework that asserts a simple but revolutionary truth: peace is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice and equality. For twenty-five years, the international community has acknowledged that when women are seated at the negotiating table, peace agreements are more inclusive, more durable, and more likely to address the root causes of violence. Yet, as we approach a quarter-century of this commitment, a grim reality persists. Despite the established evidence that gender equality and global security are inextricably linked, the world’s governments are faltering in their obligations, leaving the promise of the WPS agenda dangerously unfulfilled.
The journey toward this agenda reached a pivotal milestone on October 31, 2000, when the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted Resolution 1325. This was not a spontaneous act of diplomacy but the culmination of decades of tireless advocacy by civil society and feminist activists. For the first time in history, the highest body responsible for international peace and security recognized that conflict is not a gender-neutral experience. Global leaders committed to a new paradigm, one that looked beyond the traditional powerbrokers—historically and currently dominated by men—to acknowledge the unique roles and rights of women in conflict zones. Resolution 1325 established that true peace is impossible if the needs, insights, and leadership of half the population are excluded from the process. Today, this framework has expanded into ten binding UNSC resolutions, creating a comprehensive legal and political mandate for every UN member state.
The WPS agenda is built upon four foundational pillars: Participation, Protection, Prevention, and Relief and Recovery. These pillars serve as a roadmap for transforming how the world approaches crisis. Participation demands that women be included at all levels of decision-making, from local community mediation to high-level peace negotiations. Protection focuses on the safety of women and girls, specifically targeting the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence. Prevention aims to stop the outbreak of conflict by addressing gender inequality as a root cause of instability. Finally, Relief and Recovery ensures that humanitarian aid and post-war reconstruction efforts are designed with a gender lens, recognizing that women’s specific needs—such as maternal health and economic empowerment—are often the first to be neglected in the aftermath of violence.
The impact of these pillars is best illustrated through the lives of those on the front lines. In Palestine, Randa Siniora, a lawyer and human rights defender, has spent over three decades seeking justice for women living under military occupation. As the Director of the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling, Siniora has been a vocal critic of the tendency to view women solely through the lens of victimhood. In 2018, she became the first Palestinian woman from civil society to brief the Security Council, telling the world, “As Palestinian women, we don’t want to be seen only as victims and our stories told as those of victims. We are initiators of change, asking first and foremost for prevention, protection, and meaningful political participation.” Her work highlights that women are not just passive recipients of aid; they are active agents of legal and social reform.
Similarly, in South Sudan, the role of women in uniformed service is reshaping the landscape of peacekeeping. Police Commissioner Christine Fossen, who leads the UN Police component in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), emphasizes that leadership transcends rank. With thirty years of experience in the Norwegian police force, Fossen now mentors a network of uniformed women peacekeepers. She argues that women in these roles are essential for building trust with local populations, particularly survivors of violence who may feel more comfortable reporting crimes to female officers. This visibility encourages a broader shift in societal norms, proving that security is a shared responsibility.
The “peace dividend” of female leadership is also evident in grassroots mobilization. In Mozambique, Quibibi Faquihe Buana, a displaced woman from Cabo Delgado, has transformed her experience of loss into a mission for community stability. Serving as a district facilitator in a resettlement center, she trains women to recognize and report gender-based violence. “Knowing that I am a woman with the power to prevent acts of violence and conflicts in my community inspires me to lift up those women who feel at their lowest,” she says. Her work demonstrates that the WPS agenda is not just a high-level policy; it is a vital tool for survival and dignity in the world’s most fragile environments.
However, the United Nations Secretary-General’s 2025 report suggests that the progress made over the last twenty-five years is under immediate threat. We are witnessing a period of “chronic under-investment” and a palpable backlash against women’s rights. One in four countries has reported a regression in gender equality protections, often fueled by rising authoritarianism and religious fundamentalism. As man-made conflicts proliferate, the rates of sexual violence, targeted attacks on female activists, and mental health trauma are surging. The gap between the rhetoric of peace and the reality of funding is wider than ever.
The most significant hurdle is the systematic defunding of peacebuilding initiatives. While global military spending has reached record highs, exceeding $2 trillion annually, the budgets for conflict prevention and women’s organizations are being slashed. These cuts have devastating consequences: frontline organizations are closing their doors, and the UN’s ability to monitor war crimes and support grassroots peacebuilders is being severely hampered. Furthermore, the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping missions in several regions risks leaving women and girls without a critical layer of protection, potentially reversing decades of gains in human rights.
This lack of investment is compounded by a profound “data gap.” In many conflict zones, women and girls remain statistically invisible. Without accurate gender-disaggregated data, the true scale of sexual violence and the barriers to female political participation remain hidden. This invisibility leads to a lack of accountability; if a crime is not recorded, it cannot be prosecuted. Insufficient tracking also makes it difficult to hold governments accountable for their promises of representation. When budget cuts hit, data collection is often the first casualty, creating a vicious cycle where a lack of evidence justifies further neglect.
The human cost of this failure is staggering. Women in fragile or conflict-affected regions are nearly eight times more likely to live in extreme poverty than those in stable nations. The collapse of healthcare systems in war zones turns pregnancy into a potential death sentence; in 2023, six out of every ten maternal deaths occurred in countries experiencing crisis, often from entirely preventable causes. Beyond the physical violence of bombs and bullets, there is the insidious violence of deprivation.
In Sudan, leaders like Mona Mohamed Omaer Hamad are fighting to ensure that women are not sidelined during the nation’s struggle for democratic change. Working with the Sorkenat Organization, Hamad advocates for women to be present in state institutions as decision-makers. She believes women must be “present in state institutions as leaders capable of decision making, to intervene to resolve conflicts side by side with men.” Her vision is echoed in Haiti by Pédrica Saint-Jean, the Minister for Women and Women’s Rights. A survivor of multiple armed attacks, Saint-Jean views equality not as a luxury to be addressed after stability is reached, but as a prerequisite for that stability. For her, the fulfillment of women’s fundamental rights is the only path toward a functional state.
As we look toward the future, the path is clear but requires political courage. To date, 115 countries have developed National Action Plans for the WPS agenda, yet the majority of these plans remain unfunded. The upcoming 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—the most progressive blueprint for women’s rights in history—presents a critical opportunity. The Beijing+30 agenda calls for the full financing of national WPS plans and a surge in support for women’s civil society organizations.
Progress will be measured not by the number of resolutions passed in New York, but by the tangible changes in the lives of women from major cities to remote villages. It will be seen when more women vote in post-conflict elections, when child marriage rates drop because families feel secure, and when women are no longer just invited to the table, but are the ones setting the agenda. The evidence of the last quarter-century is irrefutable: when women lead, peace follows. The question that remains is whether world leaders are finally ready to listen and invest in the architects of a more stable world.
