Women, Peace, and Security

Women, Peace, and Security Program

WAND's Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Program leverages the work and resources of WAND and our network of nearly 700 women state legislators and women members of Congress, to advance the broad efforts of the U.S. Administration and Congress, and our international partners, to ensure that women are at the tables of power where decisions are made concerning U.S. engagement on matters of peace and security.

The purpose of WAND’s WPS program is to politically empower women as leaders on critical issues of conflict prevention, peace-building and national and global security.

WAND seeks to accomplish these goals through: increased capacity building of U.S. women lawmakers on issues of foreign policy and peace-building; information exchange and relationship building between U.S. women political leaders and women Parliamentarians in conflict affected regions, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan; empowerment of women leaders in new and developing democracies through mentoring, skill building, and leadership development; and promotion of the full and effective implementation of the U.S. National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace, and Security.

WAND's WPS Program 5 Project Areas include:

• U.S. NAP on Women, Peace, and Security;
• WAND/EastWest Institute Partnership: Advancing Global Women's Leadership;
• Promoting Women's Security and Rights in Afghanistan;
• WPS Clearing House: Tool-Kits and Policy;
• UN and SCR 1325.

WPS Program Goals:

• To build the leadership capacity of U.S. women legislators in security and foreign policy decision making;
• To empower women leaders in conflict affected regions and emerging democracies and build their leadership capacity through peer-to-peer mentoring, skills-building, and information exchange; and provide opportunities for ongoing dialogue on security, peace, nonproliferation and women’s political empowerment;
• To engage with the U.S. Administration and Congress to promote full implementation of U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (U.S. NAP) and WPS strategies within relevant departments, agencies, and aid and assistance;
• To promote the implementation of a U.S. transition strategy in Afghanistan which provides for the inclusion and protection of women and women’s rights as well as the engagement of women in developing a sustainable path to peace;
• To ensure that foreign aid and development assistance criteria includes participation and inclusion of women and supports demilitarization and nonproliferation efforts;
• To contribute to shaping the public policy and media discourse in the areas of women, peace and security and women’s political engagement;
• To build public and visible support among U.S. and international constituency groups for the U.S. NAP and other policy goals stated above.