The annual Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Dialogue was held on 19 February 2025 in Canberra. Around 100 representatives from civil society and the Australian Government discussed how to better enable the inclusion of women in conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding activities in our region, and how climate change impacts the WPS agenda.
ACMC convened the dialogue which featured representatives from Australian Government agencies (DFAT, Australian Defence Force, Australian Federal Police, Home Affairs), the WPS Coalition, other civil society and representatives from the Pacific.
Australia’s Ambassador for Gender Equity, Stephanie Copus Campbell AM, provided the opening address. ACMC’s Executive Director, Nicola Rosenblum joined a panel discussion on the implementation of Australia’s National Action Plan (NAP) on WPS.
“ACMC’s role in WPS is to ensure diverse civil society perspectives are considered by the Australian Government as it implements the WPS agenda. As the NAP enters its fifth year, this Dialogue is an important opportunity for government and civil society representatives to reflect on progress and to consider current and emerging topics we need to address.” Ms Rosenblum said.
“The inclusion of women’s perspectives in conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding leads to more effective solutions for communities. This is especially important in our region today, where climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of disasters. This Dialogue is an opportunity to hear about these issues from our civil society partners who work at the forefront of these challenges.”
The Dialogue also featured WPS case studies from the Pacific, an opportunity for Australian and representatives from PNG, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu to share knowledge and experiences.
For further information on ACMC’s support for the WPS agenda, visit:
https://acmc.gov.au/why-were-here/women-peace-and-security
