Women, Peace and Security in Asia Pacific, 20 Years on: Progress achieved and lessons learned

The 20th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda is a critical moment for the agenda and its relevance, which has been tested by the extensive impacts of COVID-19. This publication takes stock of the progress as well as the gaps in implementing WPS in the Asia Pacific region over the last 20 years, and builds upon the lessons learned to move the WPS agenda forward in the years to come. 

Looking ahead, this publication contents that addressing four key issues will be crucial to the future development and influence of the WPS agenda in the Asia Pacific region. 

1. The focus on women’s participation in peace and security needs to extend beyond peace processes and emergencies to the recovery of post-conflict, post-disaster and post-pandemic societies. 
2. Ensuring our approach to peace and security is for all will require more men to become WPS champions and more men’s leadership for greater gender inclusion in peace and security sectors and decision- making. 
3. Gaps in protection must be addressed, and countries in the region should commit to tackling sexual and gender-based violence, whether within the context of recognized conflict or not, with region-wide targets, building on existing frameworks for reducing the violence and enforcing sanctions against it. 
4. More emphasis on conflict and crisis prevention and the recognition of women mediators in mitigating crises and the escalation of conflicts is required in the implementation of WPS in the region.