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Women, Peace and Security

Gender equality, and placing diverse women’s voices, experiences and expertise at the centre of our security and peace work supports long term commitment to conflict prevention and sustainable peace.

Advancing the Australian Second National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security 2021-2031

Over 20 years ago, the United Nations Security Council adopted the landmark Resolution 1325, acknowledging that men and women experience conflict differently.  The Resolution addresses the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflict, humanitarian response and peace building and urges all actors to increase the participation of women and incorporate gender perspectives in all peace and security efforts. 

Despite the significant achievements towards implementing Resolution 1325, the work outlined is not complete.

In April 2021, Australian launched its 2nd National Action Plan (NAP) to guide its engagement on women, peace, and security (WPS) for the next decade.  The plan supports Australia’s international commitments on WPS and sets out four key strategic outcomes:

  1. Supporting women’s meaningful participation and needs in peace processes
  2. Reducing Sexual and gender-based violence
  3. Supporting resilience, crisis security, law, and justice efforts to meet the needs and rights of all women and girls; and
  4. Demonstrating leadership and accountability for WPS.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is responsible for coordinating whole of government implementation with other departments and agencies, namely,  Australian Federal Police (AFP), Department of Defence (Defence) including the Australian Civil-Military Centre (ACMC), and Home Affairs to advance
the NAP. 

DFAT, AFP, Defence and Home Affairs have developed agency specific implementation plans which will guide efforts and enable flexibility and innovation essential to addressing the peace and security challenges in the midst of a pandemic and of a post-Covid world.

The ACMC continues to play a unique and important role in support of WPS and Australia’s NAP through facilitating collaboration with civil society in support of DFAT. We support capacity building and dialogue with Australian government agencies and civil society and across Asia and the Pacific.

Please follow this link to explore the full details of the Framework for Civil Society-Government engagement on Women, Peace and Security under NAPII.

“There is one universal truth applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, ​never excusable, never tolerable.”

Ban-Ki Moon, Former Secretary General of the United Nations

Related Content

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Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2012-2018
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.
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Women Peace & Security
Archie Law, Executive Director of Action Aid Australia, Leanne Smith, Chief of Policy and Best Practices for Peacekeeping Operations at the United Nations and Dr Phoebe Wynn-Pope, Director of International Humanitarian Law and Movement Relations at the Australian Red Cross discuss women, peace and security in crises.
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Video: Women Peace & Security - Empowerment of Women
Archie Law, Executive Director of Action Aid Australia, Leanne Smith, Chief of Policy and Best Practices for Peacekeeping Operations at the United Nations and Dr Phoebe Wynn-Pope, Director of International Humanitarian Law and Movement Relations at the Australian Red Cross discuss women, peace and security in crises.