Armenia National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security
Armenia adopted its first National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) for 2019–2021, followed by a second NAP for 2022–2024, and in 2025, launched a third NAP covering 2025–2027. The plans are designed to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and related WPS resolutions in the context of Armenia’s security environment, including the long-running conflict with Azerbaijan and the humanitarian consequences linked to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia has initiated several "third" National Action Plans (NAPs) covering the 2025–2027 period, primarily focusing on women's empowerment, open government, and EU-aligned development. Key initiatives include the Third WPS NAP (Women, Peace and Security) launched in May 2025, and the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Action Plan.
Main objectives of Armenia’s WPS NAPs
The Armenian WPS NAPs broadly follow the core WPS pillars: participation, protection, prevention, relief and recovery, with the 2022–2024 plan also emphasizing international cooperation.
In May 2025, Armenia officially presented its third WPS National Action Plan (2025–2027). Armenian officials described it as part of a broader commitment to:
- women’s rights,
- inclusive security governance,
- and increased participation of women in public administration and security institutions.
The third NAP also pays significant attention to the needs of women displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh after the 2023 crisis.
Key objectives of NAPs include:
- Increasing women’s participation in decision-making, conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and security institutions.
- Expanding women’s representation within the armed forces, police, and peacekeeping structures.
- Supporting women and girls affected by armed conflict, displacement, and violence.
- Improving protection mechanisms during emergencies and conflicts.
- Increasing awareness of women’s roles in national defence and crisis response.
- Strengthening resilience in border communities affected by insecurity.
- Integrating women into climate-security and local governance discussions.
The plans also place particular emphasis on women displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and border communities affected by conflict escalation.
Civil society involvement
Civil society participation has been expanded over time.
- Analyses of the first 2019–2021 NAP suggest that civil society inclusion in drafting was limited or unclear.
- By the second and third NAPs, Armenian authorities increasingly emphasized “inclusive and participatory” approaches involving local NGOs, women’s groups, international organizations, and local authorities.
Civil society actors involved in WPS implementation include organizations such as the OxYGen Foundation and local women peacemakers’ networks. Current projects linked to the 2025–2027 NAP focus on:
- strengthening women’s peacebuilding networks,
- advocacy and awareness campaigns,
- supporting displaced women,
- and improving the monitoring of NAP implementation.
International partners supporting Armenia’s WPS agenda have included the UN, the EU, and the UK.
Women in the military and defence sector
Available information indicates gradual, though still limited, integration of women into Armenia’s defence sector.
Key developments include:
- Armenia’s NAPs explicitly promote women’s involvement in different subdivisions of the armed forces.
- In 2023, Armenia approved legislation allowing women aged 18–27 to volunteer for six months of military service. Previously, women generally served only under contract arrangements.
- Reports in 2024 noted that women accounted for roughly 9% of contract military personnel in earlier years, though updated official figures remain limited.
- Armenia has also worked with international partners, including the US Department of Defense’s Institute for Security Governance, on initiatives related to women’s participation in the armed forces.
The Armenian government increasingly frames women’s participation in defence as part of broader military reform and resilience-building.
Women in peacekeeping
UN Personnel 2025
Troops 30 males, 2 females
Armenia contributes only a very small number of women to international peacekeeping missions.
UN Personnel 2026 total
Troops 32
Staff Officers 1
According to recent reporting:
- Armenia currently deploys approximately two female peacekeepers in UN-related or international peacekeeping operations.
- Nevertheless, Armenia’s NAPs repeatedly identify women’s participation in peacekeeping as a policy objective and link it to defence-sector reform.
Women in policing and internal security
Publicly available detailed statistics on women in Armenian policing remain limited. However:
- Armenia’s 2022–2024 NAP specifically calls for promoting women’s involvement and advancement within the police system.
- The plans also stress improving gender responsiveness within broader security and justice institutions.
There is considerably more publicly available information on women in the armed forces than on women in police leadership or operational policing roles.
References
Contributions of Uniformed Personnel to UN by Country, Mission, and Personnel Type (March 2025): 05-Missions Detailed By Country
https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/05_missions_detailed_by_country_84_march_2025.pdf
UN data 2026
Presentation of the Armenian Third NAP
https://www.mfa.am/en/press-releases/2025/05/19/Abisoghomonyan_UNSC/13233
https://iwpr.net/impact/armenia-women-peace-and-security
Appendix
Additional information:
1. Third NAP on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) 2025–2027
- Official Launch: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented the NAP (entitled "Investing in Global Efforts for Peace") on May 19, 2025, to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325.
- Key Goals: The plan focuses on ensuring women’s engagement in peace and security, preventing gender-based violence, and enhancing post-conflict recovery, with input from civil society groups.
- Project "Strength in Action": Project "Strength in Action: Advancing Women's Participation in Peace and Security in Armenia 3.0" will support the NAP, focusing on institutional capacity building for the Interministerial Commission from late 2025 through 2026.
2. OGP Action Plan 2025–2027
- Approval & Focus: Adopted in December 2025, this plan emphasizes transparency, accountability, and digital innovation.
- Key Commitments: It includes improving digital services, increasing public procurement transparency, empowering local communities with participatory budgeting, and enhancing anti-corruption measures.
3. Armenia-EU Sustainability & Growth Plan 2025–2027
- Development: As of May 2025, Armenia and the EU are finalizing the 2025–2027 action plan under the broader Sustainability and Growth Plan, focusing on economic resilience and institutional strengthening.
These initiatives aim to align Armenia's internal governance and social policies with international standards regarding security, democracy, and equality.
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