Women, Peace and Security

The National Action Plan sets out what Australia will do, at home and overseas, to integrate a gender perspective into its peace and security efforts, protect women and girls’ human rights, and promote their participation in conflict prevention, management and resolution. ACMC has a role in the design and implementation of this plan.

We need the powerful outcomes generated by the United Nations Security Council’s Women, Peace and Security agenda to assist us as we reconstitute our societies and institutions, and as we resist the temptation to allow conflict to take root in the uncertainty we are all facing.

This paper presents a snapshot of what it is like to be a Syrian woman in transition in Jordan or Lebanon. In 2019 we investigated the lives of these women to find out what challenges they face and the conditions, policies and structures that help or hinder their opportunities.

Moving past the theoretical by drawing together the real-life experiences, reflections and lessons of male leaders from the Australian Defence Force, the Australian Federal Police and civilians.

Women’s leadership and collective action have changed the world by combatting violence against women and building equality. Women’s leadership is central to reconciliation and conflict resolution and to peacebuilding efforts that bring results for families and communities.

Consultation with, and the leadership of, women and gender diverse people is a fundamental underpinning of the WPS agenda. Action to secure peace and security is strengthened when it draws from diverse knowledge, perspectives, and experiences, and the Australian Government has explicitly committed to support women and girls’ capacity to speak out, be heard, innovate, and drive change.