Throughout the world’s most fractured landscapes, the message from women and girls is remarkably consistent, echoing through refugee camps, bombed-out city centers, and diplomatic corridors alike: “Ceasefire.” “End the war.” “Stop the brutality.” These are not merely slogans; they are the fundamental prerequisites for human survival. For UN Women, these unmistakable calls for peace are the North Star, guiding every initiative and intervention designed to support those living under the shadow of conflict.
The evidence gathered over decades of global diplomacy is irrefutable: when women are present at the negotiating table, peace is not only more likely to be achieved, but it is also more inclusive and significantly more durable. Yet, as we approach the 25th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, a sobering reality has emerged. Despite world leaders acknowledging a quarter-century ago that war has a disproportionately horrific impact on women—and despite enshrining their right to equal participation in peace processes—governments are systematically failing to meet their obligations. The gap between rhetoric and reality is widening at a time when the world can least afford it.
To understand why gender equality and global peace are inextricably linked, one must look back to October 31, 2000. On that day, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1325. This was not just another piece of international bureaucracy; it was the culmination of years of tireless advocacy by civil society and feminist leaders. It marked the birth of the WPS agenda, a framework that challenged the traditional, male-dominated power structures that had historically dictated the terms of war and peace.
Resolution 1325 fundamentally shifted the paradigm. It demanded that the international community look beyond the warring parties and the traditional powerbrokers—groups that remain almost exclusively male today—and recognize that true peace is impossible if the needs and insights of half the population are ignored. Since then, nine additional resolutions have been passed, creating a binding legal framework for all UN member states. This framework is built upon four essential pillars: Participation, Protection, Prevention, and Relief and Recovery.
The pillar of Participation demands that women be included at all levels of decision-making, from local community councils to the highest echelons of international diplomacy. Protection focuses on the safety of women and girls, particularly against the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence. Prevention aims to stop the outbreak of conflict by addressing the root causes of violence, including gender-based discrimination. Finally, Relief and Recovery ensures that humanitarian aid and post-conflict reconstruction are designed with a gender lens, acknowledging that women often face unique barriers to accessing healthcare, justice, and economic opportunity.
When these pillars are supported, the results are transformative. Over the last 25 years, we have seen that when women lead, peace follows. This leadership manifests in many forms. In the occupied Palestinian territory, Randa Siniora, a lawyer and human rights defender, has spent over 30 years seeking justice for women under military occupation. As the Director of the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling, she has been a vocal advocate for the idea that women must be seen as more than just casualties of war. “As Palestinian women, we don’t want to be seen only as victims and our stories told as those of victims,” Siniora notes. “We are initiators of change, asking first and foremost for prevention, protection, and meaningful political participation.” Her 2018 briefing to the UN Security Council was a historic milestone, marking the first time a Palestinian woman civil society representative had addressed the body.
Similarly, in South Sudan, Police Commissioner Christine Fossen leads the UN Police component for the United Nations Mission. With three decades of experience in the Norwegian police force, she now mentors the next generation of uniformed women peacekeepers. For Fossen, leadership is a daily practice of empowerment. “Leadership is not about rank. It’s about using your voice, protecting others and setting an example every day,” she says. Her work proves that women in security roles are essential for building trust within traumatized communities.
In Mozambique, the impact of the WPS agenda is felt through grassroots champions like Quibibi Faquihe Buana. A displaced woman living in a resettlement center, Buana serves as a district facilitator, training her community on gender-based violence prevention. “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 explains. Her work illustrates how peace is built not just in high-level summits, but in the daily efforts to restore dignity and safety to the most vulnerable.
However, despite these individual triumphs, the broader picture remains grim. The United Nations Secretary General’s 2025 report on Women, Peace and Security highlights a period of chronic under-investment and flagging political will. We are witnessing a global backlash against women’s rights, with one in four countries reporting a regression in gender equality protections. As man-made conflicts proliferate, rates of sexual violence and targeted attacks against female human rights defenders are rising.
The funding crisis is perhaps the most immediate threat. While global military spending continues to reach record highs, the resources dedicated to conflict prevention and peacebuilding are being slashed. These cuts are devastating frontline organizations and hampering the UN’s ability to monitor war crimes or support grassroots peacebuilders. Furthermore, as UN peacekeeping missions withdraw from various regions, women and girls are losing a critical layer of protection, often leaving them at the mercy of armed groups.
Compounding this is a significant data gap. Without accurate gender-disaggregated data, the specific suffering of women and girls in conflict remains invisible. The lack of statistics on sexual violence leads to a culture of impunity, where perpetrators are rarely prosecuted and survivors are denied resources. In fragile environments, women are nearly eight times more likely to live in extreme poverty than those in stable regions. The humanitarian toll is staggering: in 2023, six out of ten maternal deaths globally occurred in countries in crisis, often from preventable causes that could have been addressed with gender-sensitive aid.
The violence of modern conflict has also moved into the digital sphere. Officials and activists now face a barrage of technology-facilitated abuse, including trolling, stalking, and doxing, designed to silence them and drive them out of public life. This digital frontline is the latest challenge to the WPS agenda, requiring new strategies to protect women’s voices in an increasingly connected world.
In Sudan, leaders like Mona Mohamed Omaer Hamad are fighting to ensure that women remain central to the country’s democratic aspirations despite the ongoing violence. Working with the Sorkenat Organization, she advocates for women to be present in state institutions as decision-makers. “I want women to… be present in state institutions as leaders capable of decision making, to intervene to resolve conflicts side by side with men,” she asserts.
In Haiti, Pédrica Saint-Jean, the Minister for Women and Women’s Rights and a survivor of multiple armed attacks, echoes this sentiment. She views the fulfillment of women’s rights not as a secondary concern, but as a foundational necessity. “Equality, empowerment, and the fulfilment of women’s and girls’ fundamental rights must not be a luxury, but a reality accessible to every woman and every girl,” she says.
As we look toward the future, the path forward is already mapped out. Currently, 115 countries have developed National Action Plans to implement the WPS agenda. This year also coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, the most visionary blueprint for women’s rights in history. The Beijing+30 agenda calls for the full financing of these national plans and the robust support of women’s frontline organizations.
True progress will be measured by more than just signatures on a resolution. It will be seen when more women are voting in post-conflict elections, when fewer girls are forced into child marriage during humanitarian crises, and when women’s leadership is recognized as a social movement that spans generations.
The lesson of the last 25 years is simple: peace is not merely the absence of war; it is the presence of justice and equality. When women lead, peace follows. The only remaining question is whether world leaders are finally ready to listen.
