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Background

The United Kingdom (UK) Government funded Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) and its partners to undertake 8 global consultations on Women, Peace and Security to mark the 20th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 in 2020. The consultation participants from civil society organisations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and the UK developed recommendations for the 20th anniversary of UNSCR 1325 for how governments, multilateral institutions, international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) and civil society can meet their Women, Peace and Security commitments and, importantly, make progress for women and girls affected by conflict and gender inequality in Fragile and Conflict Affected States (FCAS).

Consultation Findings

This report brings together the findings from the consultations to provide a sound body of evidence that outlines how progress can be made and Women, Peace and Security commitments implemented. It demonstrates that action is needed across peacebuilding, humanitarian, development, legal, conflict and stability policy and programming to ensure all actors – multilateral agencies, governments, INGOs and civil society organisations – implement Women, Peace and Security commitments and monitor the change made.

The consultation findings demonstrate that commitments on Women, Peace and Security are vast and comprehensive. However, in practice this has not translated into the inclusion of gender perspectives and women and girls’ rights in policy and programming. The consultation findings provide a body of evidence that outlines the need for the implementation of existing commitments through a holistic approach, including: gender-conflict analysis; funding to civil society and Women’s Rights Organisations; strengthening the international community’s internal capacity; technical support to governments in FCAS; National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security (NAPs); holistic approaches to gender equality and women and girls’ rights; women and girls’ participation; preventing and responding to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG); strengthening legislation and access to justice; social norm change and awareness raising; and comprehensive approaches to bring together and implement commitments made. Built on extensive consultation, the implementation of these recommendations will progress the Women, Peace and Security agenda into one that delivers for and upholds women and girls’ rights, includes gender perspectives, and supports a world in which women, girls, men and boys can live in peace.

Project Partners

245 organisations and individuals were consulted across eleven countries as part of this project. Eight countries participated in the consultations coordinated by GAPS, which were organised by the Afghan Women’s Resource Centre (AWRC), ASUDA, CARE, Community Initiative for Development Organisation (CIDO), GAPS, Legal Action Worldwide, Together We Build It, UNFPA, Witness Somalia, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Women for Women International UK and Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA). The project partners designed the consultations in a participatory manner and used the resources available to maximise the breadth of the consultations. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) also undertook key informant interviews in Myanmar, with the UK Mission to the United Nations in New York, and on the Syria response, the results of which have been integrated into this report.

GAPS is grateful to all organisations and individuals involved in this project, including our member agencies and their partners, civil society organisations from FCAS whose time, knowledge and expertise form the foundation of this body of evidence, as well as the FCO for their support. Consultation should form the basis of all policy and programme design, delivery, monitoring and evaluation in FCAS and this project demonstrates a commitment from all actors involved in this project to ensure that the rights, needs and experiences of women, girls, men and boys affected by conflict inform policy and programmes.