In Focus: 25 years of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Asia and the Pacific in 2025
Date:
Calendar | Special Events | Youth Leaders | Ask an Expert | Videos | Resources
WHAT'S NEW
Quiz: Become a women, peace and security champion: Take the UN Women quiz ►
Ban Ki-moon timeline: Women, Peace and Security milestones. Read more ►
Women’s Leadership at the Heart of Lasting Peace: OpEd Sri Lanka. Read more ►
The participation and leadership of women – including young women – in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and recovery is not only an essential element of sustaining peace, but also a proven approach for longer-term peace outcomes.
In 2025, UN Women invites you to mark 25 years of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda in Asia and the Pacific. The WPS agenda recognizes that women are often excluded in security processes and emphasizes the long-term impact of women’s meaningful and equal participation in conflict prevention, peace negotiations, peace building and recovery after conflict or crisis.
In the current global peace and security context, with new and emerging threats and protracted humanitarian crises, UN Women’s efforts to support the implementation of the WPS agenda – in partnership with governments, civil society organizations and other key stakeholders – are more critical than ever.
The 25th anniversary presents a key milestone to re-focus on the objectives and benefits of the WPS agenda to international peace and security, reflect on progress, share knowledge and highlight stories of champions who are advancing the agenda throughout this region, often in challenging circumstances.
What is the WPS agenda?
The WPS agenda is based on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) and nine additional resolutions from 2000-2019. The WPS agenda was one of the inspiring achievements of the global women’s rights movement, recognizing that peace is inextricably linked with gender equality and women’s leadership. Transforming the ideals of these resolutions into actions and real change for women and girls and for peace and security is a priority for UN Women.
The WPS agenda has four pillars:
- Participation: Women’s equal participation and gender equality in peace and security decision-making processes at all levels.
- Prevention: Prevention of conflict and all forms of violence against women and girls in conflict and post-conflict situations.
- Protection: Women and girls are protected from all forms of sexual and gender-based violence and their rights are protected and promoted in conflict situations.
- Relief and Recovery: Specific relief needs of women are met, and their capacities to act as agents in relief and recovery are strengthened in conflict and post-conflict situations.
UN Women serves as the global custodian of the WPS Agenda in the UN system and supports Member States’ implementation of the agenda. UN Women provides technical assistance, capacity-building and strategic guidance to governments, civil society and other partners.
To date, 13 countries in Asia and the Pacific have adopted WPS National Action Plans. These plans demonstrate commitments at the highest levels in government and set out strategic approaches and action to advance women’s meaningful and equal participation in peace and security decision-making and processes. Additionally, ASEAN endorsed its first Regional Plan of Action on WPS in 2022. The Pacific region had developed a Regional Action Plan which ended in 2015.
Learn more: National Action Plans
QUOTE CARDS
Sixteen countries from Asia and the Pacific addressed the UN Security Council open debate on Women, Peace and Security on 6 October 2025.
CALENDAR: PROFILING WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY CHAMPIONS
UN WOMEN 2025 calendar: Profiling champions in Asia and the Pacific
(L-R) Featured in the calendar, Civic Women’s Phanyawadee Awae with Christine Arab, UN Women Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. Photo: UN Women/Naruedee Janthasing
Each month, meet champions across the region – individuals and organizations – who are advancing the participation of women, in all their diversity, in peace and security decision-making and processes at all levels. These champions feature in the UN Women 2025 desktop calendar, produced with the generous support of the Australian Government to mark 25 years of the WPS agenda in Asia and the Pacific.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
SPECIAL EVENTS
Peace Together photo exhibition
Through pictures and stories about peacebuilders from different walks of life, this exhibition shows how the Women, Peace and Security agenda can be applied in the ASEAN context. Learn more.
ASEAN WPS Summit Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
On 9-10 September 2025, representatives of governments, civil society, UN agencies and development partners gathered for the biennial ASEAN Women, Peace and Security Summit - the ASEAN region’s largest platform for dialogue on peace and security. Read press release.
Reporters from Indonesia, the Philippines and Viet Nam are the winners of the ASEAN WPS Media Award 2025. WPS Read more.
WPS Focal Points Network: 7th Capital-level Meeting, Tokyo
Japan and Norway, as the 2025 Co-Chairs of the Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network, are jointly hosting the network’s Seventh Capital-level Meeting in Tokyo, Japan, from 4-6 February 2025. This major event brings together more than 90 Member States and is supported by UN Women. Visit WPS Focal Points Network.
International Conference on Women, Peace and Security, Manila, Philippines
The Philippines hosted an International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security (IC-WPS) from 28 to 30 October 2024 in Manila. With the theme "Forging Collaboration and Convergence for Advancing Women, Peace, and Security" this was the first major event to commemorate the anniversary in Asia and the Pacific, and UN Women was a proud partner. Visit UN Women Philippines.
ASK AN EXPERT
Kumudini Samuel, Co-founder and Director of Programmes and Research, Women and Media Collective, Sri Lanka: What is your message for young women aspiring to lead in peace and security decision-making spaces?
“Understanding conflict, its context, history, root causes and politics is essential to all peace building, conflict resolution and transitions from conflict. These are complex issues. We often learn incomplete histories and need to constantly nuance our understanding. To make peace meaningful you need to understand lived realities and contexts, and listen to what those most affected by conflict, especially women and girls, actually want in terms of solutions. This will of course include wanting an end to violence and conflict, but could also be education, secure employment, an end to discrimination, a need for respect, a need for inclusion and to be heard.”
Srijana Shrestha, Chairperson, Conflict Victim Women National Network, Nepal: What is your advice for community-led organizations involved in peacebuilding after protracted conflict?
“Keep fighting for your rights and those of the communities you serve. Be aware of the broader political and social context and remain visionary in your approach. Governments must be held accountable, but the process of peacebuilding requires collective effort. Women, especially those affected by conflict, must be empowered to become peacebuilders themselves.
We have fostered dialogue between previously opposing parties during the armed conflict, enabling them to work together in shared forums. By continuing to work together, sharing knowledge, and advocating for systemic change, we can create a future where justice and equality prevail for all women, particularly those who have endured the impacts of conflict.” Read more
Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer: What are the characteristics of a good peace mediator?
“I think ‘empathy’ is number one; to really put yourself in the others’ shoes, to see them as human beings no matter how difficult because of the violence that has happened, or your own biases and prejudices. Because until you do that, you will not be listening to them.
‘Listening’ is the second. You listen because you try to understand and see it from their perspective. Only then do you get to the core of the problem, and that's where you also find the solution. Otherwise, you might be addressing only the surface manifestations, or you might be swamped with all the hostility that emanates from the other side and you feel that can't trust them and nothing will come out of it, and so you give up. So, number three is ‘never give up’.”
Prof. Coronel-Ferrer features in the UN Women 2025 calendar marking 25 years of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Asia and the Pacific. Read more
AUDIOVISUAL
Marking 25 years of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, in collaboration with UN Women, this episode explores how gender-responsive climate action can pave the way to sustainable peace. Listen to the podcast
RESOURCES
