Ecuador’s National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) for 2024–2029
Ecuador is in the process of implementing its first National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace & Security (WPS) for 2024–2029, with strong government commitment, broad civil‑society consultations, and growing attention to women’s roles in policing, the military, and peacebuilding.
Overview: Ecuador’s WPS National Action Plan (2024–2029)
Ecuador formally committed to developing a National Action Plan on Women, Peace & Security (NAP‑WPS) during its 2023–2024 term as a non‑permanent member of the UN Security Council. The NAP (2024–2029) was developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, with technical support from UN Women, and is now the country’s primary framework for implementing UNSCR 1325.
Although earlier assessments noted that Ecuador had not yet published a NAP, the 2024–2029 plan is now in place and represents a major policy shift.
Core Objectives of Ecuador’s NAP‑WPS (2024–2029)
Based on UN Women’s documentation and related WPS programming, the NAP’s objectives include:
• Strengthening women’s participation and leadership in national decision‑making, especially in peace and security institutions.
• Eliminating violence against women and girls, including in public spaces and conflict‑affected contexts.
• Integrating gender perspectives across national security policies, including policing, defense, justice, and human mobility.
• Enhancing implementation of the WPS agenda through coordinated inter‑institutional mechanisms.
• Promoting gender‑responsive humanitarian action and disaster‑risk reduction, aligned with Ecuador’s broader gender‑equality strategies.
These objectives align with Ecuador’s existing gender‑equality frameworks, such as the National Agenda for Women and LGBTI People and the Policy for Gender Equality, which already require security institutions to integrate gender considerations.
Government & Institutional Parties involved
The NAP was developed through a multi‑sector working group led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and involving:
• Ministries of Interior and Defense
• National Police
• Judiciary Council, Attorney General’s Office, National Court of Justice
• Ministries of Women & Human Rights, Education
• National Councils for Equality (Gender, Intergenerational, Disabilities, Mobility, Indigenous Peoples)
• Ombudsman’s Office
This broad institutional participation reflects Ecuador’s intention to mainstream WPS across the entire security and justice sector.
Civil Society Involvement
Consultations included:
• Women’s organizations (first‑ and second‑level)
• Human rights and environmental defenders
• Afro‑descendant and Indigenous women’s groups
• Women workers and local women leaders
Civil society also plays a role in Safe Cities programs and violence‑prevention initiatives, which are linked to WPS implementation.
Women in Security Sectors: Policing, Military & Peacekeeping
Police
• The National Police is considered more advanced than the military in integrating gender equality.
• National security plans emphasize gender and intersectional approaches, even before the NAP was finalized.
• Women participate in community policing, violence‑prevention programs, and Safe Cities initiatives.
Military
• Gender equality is recognized in defense policy, but implementation is uneven and slower than in policing.
• Earlier assessments noted limited institutionalization of UNSCR 1325 within the armed forces.
• The NAP aims to expand women’s roles in operational and leadership positions.
Peacekeeping
• Ecuador contributes personnel to UN missions, and the NAP prioritizes increasing women’s participation in peacekeeping and strengthening gender‑responsive training.
• This aligns with UN Women’s goal of expanding women’s leadership in peace and security.
UN Peacekeeping as of 31 March 2025
As of March 31, 2025, Ecuador contributed 9 Peacekeeping personnel (of which 132 were female):
Cambodia’s ranking as a contributor of personnel to UN peacekeeping missions: 96
Regional Overview
Ecuador is part of a regional cohort (with Bolivia, Costa Rica, and Panama) actively strengthening WPS NAP design and implementation through UN Women’s Regional Academy.
References
No copy of the NAP could be located at this point.
Article referencing Regional commitment to WPS
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