ASSESSING THE 2023 US STRATEGY ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY - The geopolitical landscape of the twenty-first century is increasingly fraught. From Russia’s brutal war of aggression in Ukraine to Israel’s war with Hamas, conflicts are erupting aimed at upending the rules-based international order and targeting civilian populations. Women are consistently and disproportionately affected in these conflicts—malign actors weaponize gender and exploit societal fault lines, leverage sexual violence as a tool to raise the civilian cost of war, and impose institutional obstacles that make women’s involvement in peace and stabilization efforts difficult. However, the international community continues to overlook the important role women can play in international peace and security decision-making.

With that in mind, the release of a new Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) may offer a way forward for the US and its network of allies and partners in this new geopolitical environment. What can we expect from the new WPS Strategy and how will it advance beyond the previous iteration to constructively address the explosion of conflict we are seeing today? How can we balance combatting the adverse effects of gender-based violence with empowering women to get involved in conflict prevention efforts? In what ways will the new WPS Strategy be integrated into broader US government and NATO security strategies? As the US prepares to implement the Strategy, the Atlantic Council and Our Secure Future held a public event to address these questions and consider the relevance of WPS in mitigating, preventing, and resolving conflict on the battlefields of today and tomorrow.

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 11/07/23