How Does Sex and Gender Contribute to Peace and Security?

"When women are involved in security, decision making, peace building, and represented in legislatures, peace is more enduring."

The presence of women matters. Research has revealed that representation of the sexes has a significant impact affecting the peace and security of a region. On International Women's Day, the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW) and ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) jointly led the development of the ASEAN Regional Study on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through the ASEAN-USAID Partnership for Regional Optimization within the Political-Security and Socio-Cultural Communities (PROSPECT) project and UN Women. The Regional Study takes stock of progress and challenges across member states, consolidates lessons learned, and proposes a common understanding and concrete recommendations to guide next steps for advancing ASEAN’s Joint Statement on WPS adopted in 2017. The Regional Study on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in ASEAN launched at a virtual ceremony on March 8, 2021 on International Women’s Day; this year’s theme: “Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 world.”

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