The 10th, 15th and 20th anniversaries of the adoption of UNSCR 1325 in 2010 and 2015 marked important moments for reflection, review, monitoring and evaluation. WILPF led and engaged extensively in initiatives, events, advocacy and consultations surrounding both anniversaries. Highlights of those activities and more are shared here.
The occasion of the 10th anniversary of UNSCR 1325 was both a commemoration of the historic achievements that had been made and an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of implementation to date. Under the presidency of Uganda in October 2010, the Security Council held an Open Debate on UNSCR 1325.
The months surrounding the anniversary, both before and after, were critical for creative initiatives and action relating to the implementation of the then four women, peace and security resolutions (SCR 1325, 1820, 1888 and 1889). Throughout 2010 and in the build-up to the Open Debate, WILPF advocated for concrete action and accountability.
During the High-Level Review activities of 2010, a Civil Society Advisory Group (CSAG) was established to advise the UN High-Level Steering Committee for the 10th anniversary of UNSCR 1325, the Deputy Secretary General and, ultimately, the Secretary-General on ensuring a coherent and coordinated approach by the UN system to implementing UNSCR 1325.
Below are links to some of the CSAG’s key publications developed during that time.
In the subsequent years between 2010 and the 2015 review, WILPF was active each year in monitoring and advocacy around the annual open debates and other key WPS opportunities.
In October 2015, the United Nations Security Council held a High-Level Review on Women, Peace and Security in honour of the 15th anniversary of UNSCR 1325. The Review included an independent Global Study launched on 14 October 2015 and there was a Security Council debate on 13 October. The Review presented a critical opportunity to increase women’s meaningful participation in conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts, as well as ensure the protection of women’s human rights.
The purpose of the Review was to assess progress at the global, regional and national levels in implementing UNSCR 1325 (2000), renew commitments and address emerging obstacles.
WILPF participated in the High-Level Review process, including the Global Study, by engaging in extensive consultations, publishing reports and leading or contributing to a wide range of actions and events in partnership with civil society organisations, academics and research institutes.
A full overview of our advocacy efforts can be found in our Report on the 15th Anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.
In advance of the High-Level Review, we published a summary of our strategic consultations and a roadmap highlighting the insights and recommendations of feminist peace activists. We also contributed to open letters stating our key demands.
The Global Study was launched on 14 October 2015 at an event hosted by the Group of Friends of the Global Study and UN Women, at which the Study was presented and the Member States made concrete, financial commitments to fund the Study’s recommendations. The launch was part of the events organized around the 15th Anniversary of the UNSCR 1325.
For its preparation, there were numerous briefings, consultations and research papers submitted. A special political High-Level Advisory Group was created to provide advice on the Global Study on a regular basis. UN Women also supported the Global Study and the WPS Inter-Agency Standing Committee had a special sub-group on the Global Study. Civil Society and research institutes also participated in the study by completing the Civil Society Survey and by submitting recommendations through policy briefs and reports.
Learn more at the links below:
2020 marked the 20-year anniversary of UNSCR 1325. The UN Security Council held its annual open debate on Women, Peace and Security. The year prior, in 2019, the Council adopted two further resolutions on WPS, resolutions 2467 and 2493, making ten overall resolutions on this thematic topic.
To reflect upon 20 years of the agenda, WILPF conducted research and consultations across our members and partners. Our research found that there are three primary challenges to progress on Women, Peace and Security: militarism and militarization; the patriarchal and political underpinnings of the agenda; and lack of accountability for implementation.
Matt Mahmoudi (he/him) is a lecturer, researcher, and organizer. He’s been leading the “Ban the Scan” campaign, Amnesty International’s research and advocacy efforts on banning facial recognition technologies and exposing their uses against racialized communities, from New York City to the occupied Palestinian territories.
Berit Aasen is a sociologist by training and has worked at the OsloMet Metropolitan University on Oslo. She has 40 years of experience in research and consultancy in development studies, including women, peace, and security, and in later years in asylum and refugee studies. Berit Aasen joined WILPF Norway five years ago. She is an alternate member of the National Board of WILPF Norway, and representing WILPF Norway in the UN Association of Norway, the Norwegian 1325 network and the Norwegian Women’s Lobby. Berit Aasen has been active in the WILPF European Liaison group and is committed to strengthening WILPF sections and membership both in Europe and relations across continents.
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Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.
Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.
Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.
In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region.
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WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.
Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.
Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.
WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.
In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.
In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.
