Reflections on 25 Years of WPS: Progress and Paralysis
December 23, 2025
2025 marked a quarter-century since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, a landmark resolution which recognised the unique impact of conflict on women and the crucial role women play in maintaining and restoring peace.
On 6 October 2025, UN Member States convened for the annual Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) with a message both celebratory and urgent: progress has undeniably grown, yet delivery remains far behind promise.
Success stories were highlighted, with more than 100 National Action Plans (NAPs) now in place globally to promote WPS in domestic policy settings. The share of women in uniformed peacekeeping has doubled over the last 25 years. Countries from Nepal to Peru showcased women officers defusing explosives, providing medical care, and building trust in communities where male peacekeepers lacked access.
However, speakers repeatedly stressed that women’s participation must increase further, that violence against women must end, and peace processes must prevent women from being sidelined.
UN Women’s Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous opened by arguing that voluntary commitments had not delivered sufficient change. She pushed for robust quotas for female participation that are measurable and enforceable, as aspirational targets had failed to ensure women were centred in peace processes and protected during conflict.
Many Member States supported the UN’s gender-parity targets, including South Africa, Thailand, France, and Canada. However, Russia rejected quotas and argued that the UN should remain subsidiary to national actions. Morocco echoed that quotas should not be imposed from outside.
The debate overflowed with success stories, showing that women are already a central pillar of peace operations and maintaining security.
- Peru's army is 40% women, and half of its national police force is female.
- Mongolia is redesigning personal protective equipment for women’s operational use, and committing to parental leave in the security sector.
- Kazakstan and China are supporting rights for Afghan women.
- India has trained 12 000 female police officers for global missions.
- Luxembourg’s first female defence minister has ensured the military is trained on WPS.
- Jordan has achieved equal pay for men and women in its security sector.
- Colombia developed its NAP with 1500 women shaping it directly.
- The European Union announced millions more in WPS funding.
- Mexico’s peacekeeping corps is now 55% women. Nepal’s is among the largest in the world.
- Several countries reaffirmed support for the Elsie Initiative, which aims to boost the meaningful participation of uniformed women in peacekeeping missions.
Amongst the celebrations of tangible progress, difficult truths emerged. Sexual violence remains a weapon of war, and has not been met with prosecution or effective responses during the ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and the DRC. France bluntly accused Russian forces of rape in Ukraine, whilst Lithuania claimed Russia was denying UN monitoring. Pakistan reminded the Council that seven out of ten women killed last year were killed in Gaza. The UK and France argued that preventing sexual violence in conflict must be at the forefront of the international community’s WPS agenda.
Despite division on some aspects of the debate, momentum was clear, following announcements of renewed national commitments from a range of countries. New or updated NAPs are rolling out from Italy to Thailand, Namibia to Ecuador, and even included a joint Poland-Ukraine NAP.
There was resounding alignment with the evidence that women’s participation makes peace processes more durable, stabilises peacekeeping environments, and substantially reduces violence. The challenge moving forward is to reach consensus on the most effective means to ensure tangible, rapid growth in the WPS agenda. Women peacekeepers were widely celebrated for their previous 25 years of contribution across nations. The question for the next 25 years will be whether nations will prioritise women as leaders – not just participants – in peace processes.
December 23, 2025
Reflections on 25 Years of WPS: Progress and Paralysis
December 23, 2025
2025 marked a quarter-century since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, a landmark resolution which recognised the unique impact of conflict on women and the crucial role women play in maintaining and restoring peace.
On 6 October 2025, UN Member States convened for the annual Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) with a message both celebratory and urgent: progress has undeniably grown, yet delivery remains far behind promise.
Success stories were highlighted, with more than 100 National Action Plans (NAPs) now in place globally to promote WPS in domestic policy settings. The share of women in uniformed peacekeeping has doubled over the last 25 years. Countries from Nepal to Peru showcased women officers defusing explosives, providing medical care, and building trust in communities where male peacekeepers lacked access.
However, speakers repeatedly stressed that women’s participation must increase further, that violence against women must end, and peace processes must prevent women from being sidelined.
UN Women’s Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous opened by arguing that voluntary commitments had not delivered sufficient change. She pushed for robust quotas for female participation that are measurable and enforceable, as aspirational targets had failed to ensure women were centred in peace processes and protected during conflict.
Many Member States supported the UN’s gender-parity targets, including South Africa, Thailand, France, and Canada. However, Russia rejected quotas and argued that the UN should remain subsidiary to national actions. Morocco echoed that quotas should not be imposed from outside.
The debate overflowed with success stories, showing that women are already a central pillar of peace operations and maintaining security.
- Peru's army is 40% women, and half of its national police force is female.
- Mongolia is redesigning personal protective equipment for women’s operational use, and committing to parental leave in the security sector.
- Kazakstan and China are supporting rights for Afghan women.
- India has trained 12 000 female police officers for global missions.
- Luxembourg’s first female defence minister has ensured the military is trained on WPS.
- Jordan has achieved equal pay for men and women in its security sector.
- Colombia developed its NAP with 1500 women shaping it directly.
- The European Union announced millions more in WPS funding.
- Mexico’s peacekeeping corps is now 55% women. Nepal’s is among the largest in the world.
- Several countries reaffirmed support for the Elsie Initiative, which aims to boost the meaningful participation of uniformed women in peacekeeping missions.
Amongst the celebrations of tangible progress, difficult truths emerged. Sexual violence remains a weapon of war, and has not been met with prosecution or effective responses during the ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and the DRC. France bluntly accused Russian forces of rape in Ukraine, whilst Lithuania claimed Russia was denying UN monitoring. Pakistan reminded the Council that seven out of ten women killed last year were killed in Gaza. The UK and France argued that preventing sexual violence in conflict must be at the forefront of the international community’s WPS agenda.
Despite division on some aspects of the debate, momentum was clear, following announcements of renewed national commitments from a range of countries. New or updated NAPs are rolling out from Italy to Thailand, Namibia to Ecuador, and even included a joint Poland-Ukraine NAP.
There was resounding alignment with the evidence that women’s participation makes peace processes more durable, stabilises peacekeeping environments, and substantially reduces violence. The challenge moving forward is to reach consensus on the most effective means to ensure tangible, rapid growth in the WPS agenda. Women peacekeepers were widely celebrated for their previous 25 years of contribution across nations. The question for the next 25 years will be whether nations will prioritise women as leaders – not just participants – in peace processes.
